A substantial number of people who once were unwavering supporters of capital punishment have become skeptical. Their conviction that some vicious criminals should pay the ultimate price remains firm. But revelations that a substantial number of people convicted of crimes were innocent ...
The Fairmont City Council on Monday could not agree on choosing a legal firm to provide the city with advice over the long term. It was another example of the group’s dysfunction, led by a majority of three council members who fail to see their own failings. Consider: At one point during ...
One cannot blame the Turks for not wanting to be the world’s jailers for some of the most dangerous people on the planet. When Turkish forces invaded northern Syria to push back Kurdish separatists, they captured some facilities in which the Kurds were holding Islamic State terrorist ...
Drivers can do better Fairmont’s school crossing guards — and crossing guards everywhere — see it all when it comes to driving, and when it comes to drivers who behave recklessly in school zones. Some of the things the guards see are difficult to believe, but we believe them. Crossing ...
Argument full of holes To the Editor: I am a retired farmer. My dad had a saying that I heard often. It was this: “Any idiot can tear down a barn, but it takes a dammed good carpenter to build one.” President Trump has pulled us out of many agreements, such as NAFTA, GATT, nuclear ...
By Margaret Donahoe Minnesota legislators have been touring the state this fall, getting a first-hand look at important public assets and infrastructure that is wearing out as they prepare to put together a capital bonding bill. As they travel, I hope they will take notice of the worn-out and ...
Use of tobacco in all forms can be hazardous to one’s health. Yet cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco and smokeless tobacco are legal for sale in all 50 states, with some restrictions. That is a puzzle to many who wonder why federal laws intended to safeguard Americans’ health do not seem to ...
A variety of potentially divisive issues, ranging from immigration to gun control, were being discussed by U.S. Roman Catholic bishops during a national meeting in Baltimore this week. Dealing with the elephant in the room ought to be at the top of their agenda. Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, ...
Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley is raising eyebrows with a new book that provides her take on time in President Donald Trump’s administration. The volume, “With All Due Respect,” raises troubling questions about the political establishment. Haley left her post ...
Where’s support for ag? To the Editor: As a lifelong farmer and former long-term officer on the local corn, soybean and Farm Bureau boards, I believe one of the actions most needed by Congress to turn around our farm economy is getting the United States/Canada/Mexico trade agreement ...
Americans have come a long way in their attitude toward military veterans from the Vietnam era, when returning servicemen were frequently cursed, spit on and called “baby killers.” Today, we hear “Thank you for your service” from people meeting veterans and soldiers in active duty. ...
Many Americans are aware that Congress writes laws for the rest of us but often excludes itself as an institution and themselves as individuals from having to comply. The same goes for what is deemed politically correct. Imagine how a member of Congress, Republican or Democrat, would reply ...
Aiding our veterans Prairie Lakes Transit, Faribault and Martin counties’ joint transit service, is working to get the word out to veterans with a disability connected to their service. Namely, Prairie Lakes will provide them with free rides, as long as they follow all the applicable rules, ...
Americans who leave our country to reside in another are outside the protection of our government in most ways. But the sheer horror of what happened in Mexico this week — nine women and children massacred, apparently by drug cartel terrorists — cries out for some meaningful reaction by ...
Poppies honor, aid vets To the Editor: On Nov. 9, members of the Fairmont American Legion Auxiliary Unit 36 will distribute poppies in Fairmont. Veterans remember the wild flowers blooming in the devastated battlefields of France and Flanders. The basic purpose of Poppy Days is to offer ...
The Minnesota Department of Human Services has, over the years, evolved into a big beast. This makes it difficult to handle, as recent news indicates. The Star Tribune of Minneapolis reported Wednesday that the department violated state law more than 200 times over the past year, awarding $52 ...
The United States on Monday initiated a process to pull out of the Paris climate accords. President Donald Trump rightly seized the opportunity. About 200 countries signed on to the Paris accords, which were negotiated during 2015. There was enormous pressure from the United States, under ...
It has been said that the art of politics is compromise. Mention that these days and it is entirely likely you will be accused of being a traitor by those on those on the extremes of the political spectrum. Former President Barack Obama had something to say about that the other day. Wisely, ...
Bullying continues To the Editor: On Monday, Oct. 28, I spoke during the open forum portion of the Fairmont City Council meeting. My words were not influenced by any other member of this community. I stood behind my statements that evening and will continue to stand behind them. The ...
Many Americans are aware that Congress writes laws for the rest of us but often excludes itself as an institution and themselves as individuals from having to comply. The same goes for what is deemed politically correct. Imagine how a member of Congress, Republican or Democrat, would reply ...