Letters: Less speech is not the solution in a society that truly values free speech – TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press

The writer of the March 4 letter regarding cancel culture has it exactly backward (Time to speak out about cancel culture). As troubling as certain aspects of cancel culture are, this is not an issue of free speech.

The First Amendment protects Americans from government repercussions for speech. People calling for the cancellation of others, distasteful as you may find them, are exercising their own free speech right to do so.

Lumping in cancel culture with free speech is not only inaccurate but dangerous, as this could be used to justify actual government repression of speech.

Indeed, in New Hampshire, Iowa, South Dakota and elsewhere, there are currently bills under debate that would outlaw divisive concepts and ban schools from teaching material associated with efforts to reframe this countrys history in a way that promotes racial divisiveness and displaces historical understanding with ideology, among other things.

These bills are actual threats to free speech. Language like divisive and historical understanding can and will be wielded by politicians of every stripe to achieve their own goals.

I dont know the best answer to the cancel culture problems, but I do know that less speech is never a solution in a society that truly values free speech.

And I hope that the same folks decrying cancel culture conjure up the same fiery passion for the anti-free speech/academic freedom bills being debated in state legislatures across the country today.

Ryan Ries, Maplewood

Im a-political but in my older age Im tired of both parties getting into bipartisan squabbles that make good news but costs us taxpayers a lot of money, time and resources. These events take politicians away from important matters that public servants should be engage in. It appears to happen more on the federal level than in state politics. Nonetheless, after these events are over the costs can be immense because nothing seems to get accomplished. But what the L, its only the taxpayers money.

Lets look at the last presidential election. Our ex-president lost by over 7,000,000 votes, he lost the electoral vote by 306 to 232, and yet he didnt and hasnt conceded the election. He says this election was stolen from him. That there was voter fraud and voting machine tampering. He had legions of followers listening and acting on his beliefs. There were 64 federal and state court cases about voter fraud that never got to first base because there was no evidence. We had several states doing recounts which found no voter fraud. We had many states having security issues between the election date and the inaugural date-these issues continue today. We even saw an insurrection in our own federal Capitol building that cost lives and property damage. In my opinion, all this was caused by one man who wouldnt take responsibility for considering or understanding the election results.

In the end, his refusal to concede and his followers actions cost us taxpayers an excessive amount of money. Its estimated these taxpayers costs, on both state and federal level, is upward of $1 billion. Members of his own party feel Trump should have consequences for his rhetoric and actions but nothing happens.

Therefore, what the Trump administration have cost the American taxpayer I would like a good and brave law firm to litigate Trump and his cohorts to get back some of our money that was needlessly spent. I believe part of the settlement should be Trumps PAC money. Just think, if this case is won by the taxpayers and PAC money is on the table, it might make politicians more prudent in their decision-making In future events similar to the above.

Kevin Byrne, Eagan

The number of cases of police misconduct and the overwhelming worldwide demonstrations against police brutality reveal several things. First, that the scientific experiments that show that normal humane people placed in authoritative positions akin to being police or jailers quickly succumb to overbearing cruelty are valid. That this is a common thread of policing rather than the exception, and we must have transparency and be vigilant. We must have processes that help the officers, and that we must catch this early.

The numbers also show that not only is police management next to helpless and useless in combating police misconduct and violence but that the police unions are complicit; that police departments dealing with problems privately or internally doesnt work: nearly all of the killings and murders and maimings and beatings are by repeat offenders known to management and the force.

If there was any accountability in policing, supervisors and management who ignored problem employees and authorized bogus and wrong-address raids and exhibited abuse of authority and incompetence would be charged, jailed, fired and infamous.

Accountability and transparency are the only weapons we the people have to fight intransigence and corruption.

John Crivits, St. Paul

Perhaps the letter writer of Subsidizing incompetence? (March 11) could illustrate examples of incompetent leaders of outstate jurisdictions that would rival those of Mayor Frey and Gov. Walz last summer?

Pat McKenzie, Hastings

In the March 1 paper was an article about Mayo Clinics revenue. Their total revenue increased in 2020 to $13.9 billion from 2019. They received $338 million through the CARES act. They were so nice to return $156 million. They kept $182 million. Their quote: We didnt want to keep a dollar more than we deserved or was helpful or appropriate.

I and we all probably know small business owners who lost big time or closed down during the pandemic. But of course the rich keep getting richer.

Mike Nohava, Prescott

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Letters: Less speech is not the solution in a society that truly values free speech - TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press