‘Commentary’ Archives
The State Candidates with Your Interests at Heart
By Donna Pususta Neste In September”'s issue of the Alley I wrote about getting yourself to the voting booth in November because the Democratic candidates who protect Federally funded programs that are important to the people of Phillips Neighborhood need your vote. In this month”'s issue I would like to address the importance of voting for the candidates who are running on the state level who are concerned about you. First I would like to compare Minnesota to our neighboring state of Wisconsin, whose state legislature, is controlled by the Republicans; House, Senate and Governor. Minnesota”'s State Legislature is controlled by the Democrats; House, Senate and Governor. Wisconsin”'s unemployment rate is 5.8%. Minnesota”'s unemployment rate is one of the lowest in the nation at 4.5%. In Wisconsin 12.5% of its population lives below the poverty line, while in Minnesota 11.2% live below the poverty line. I recently saw a news program with a blurb about [...]
Gailileo”'s Compromise
By Peter Molenaar August 2, Powderhorn Art Fair”¦ Before descending the slope from the corner of 35th Street and 15th Avenue, I was enticed to scan the annual Women”'s Prison Book Project yard sale of used books. A hardback copy of Galileo”'s Daughter caught the eye. It was an excellent purchase for the sum of $3.00. It happened a few centuries ago that our Galileo made the irrefutable but annoying observation that Earth revolves around the sun. In order to please the Pope, he was compelled to present this finding not as fact, but rather as a dialogue between opposing hypotheses. Then despite his earnest effort, he subsequently found himself bowing before the Inquisitors-General while recanting his “heresy.” However, the point: By making this compromise, Galileo not only extended his own life but was able to preserve his work such that science was elevated forever. 1920”¦ More recently, our V.I. Lenin was to heap scorn upon those [...]
