‘Letter to the Editor’ Archives
Re: Letter to the Editor
Here is the promised “rebuttal” to Sam Harrison’s June letter which sought to discredit my May article entitled Peace Be With You. This May offering revealed a local connection to the war between Russia and Ukraine ($billions spent on war, even as climate change begs solutions and has induced starvation in East Africa). Frankly, Mr. Harrison’s dismissive tone is difficult to grapple with. He describes himself as “someone with a long academic background”, whereas, “Mr. Molenaar repeats a number of Russian talking points…all of which are refutable.” Rather wish he had troubled to refute one… am glad he is not a peace negotiator! Note: Although I placed primary blame on U.S. imperialism, I also stated: “Putin went way out of bounds to reveal his own imperial vision.” Mr. Harrison, you have asserted that my reference to fascistic gangs in Ukraine was somehow overblown when, not [...]
Letter to the Editor
I am writing in response to Peter Molenaar's May op-ed, "Peace Be With You." In this piece, Mr. Molenaar repeats a number of Russian talking points about Ukraine, all of which are refutable by listening to Ukrainian both here at home in Minneapolis or on the ground in Ukraine. But more importantly, as someone with a long academic background studying fascism and the far right, I want to speak to his accusations of Ukrainian "fascistic gangs." Put simply: to believe that, prior to February 24th, there were roving bands of fascists roaming the streets of Kharkiv or Mariupol is false. Fascist groups in Ukraine were and are tiny. They had no meaningful representation in the parliament, nor did the Azov Battalion--about which so much has been said--ever grow beyond about 1000 members. Putin's brutal leveling of their home city of Mariupol has likely killed most of them. Good riddance, but let us also keep their size in perspective. Russian (and Soviet) uses of the word 'fascist' [...]
Letter to the Editor April ’22
Two Reactions to Articles in the March 2022 Issue: For Marti Maltby: Please stop perpetuating the myth that panhandling and homelessness are the same thing. As a block leader who has tried unsuccessfully for years on behalf of my block club to get some kind of regulation of panhandlers, I have been told by neighbors that they could actually identify a house where the panhandlers lived at one point. These are the people I encounter at literally every street corner and, in my neighborhood, all up and down the 35W entrance and exit ramps. And yes, as I have also been told by neighbors, every one of them was high on something when the neighbor attempted to speak to them. They and their friends leave their needles and other paraphernalia for little children to find or step on, creating a public health problem. And when one of my neighbors asked a panhandler to please not panhandle on the sidewalk surrounding his corner lot, he was rewarded with a brick through his truck window. Both [...]
