To the Editor:
Re “Trump Sharpens Threat as Clashes With Agents Continue in Minnesota” (front page, Jan. 16):
President Trump is threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 so that he can send federal troops into the Twin Cities, which seems to be a clear signal that he is seeking a pretext to do so.
While those of us living here in Minneapolis-St. Paul are focused on our immediate circumstances, I encourage a broader view of other recent actions by President Trump.
He flipped off and mouthed an obscenity at an autoworker who heckled him. His Department of Justice launched a criminal investigation against the Federal Reserve chair, Jerome Powell, on flimsy grounds. He is threatening to take over Greenland, part of Denmark and a loyal NATO ally, despite overwhelming public opposition.
These are the actions of a man who increasingly feels that he can do whatever he wants, whenever he wants, to whomever his wishes. In other words, a dictator.
Patrick Hamilton St. Paul, Minn.
To the Editor:
I live just north of St. Paul, Minn. ICE presence and activity have intensified here in the past week. In addition to peaceful and nonviolent protesting, which often includes shouting, taunting and noise, there has been some property damage and also physical altercations with agents. Arrests have been made by the local police.
Gov. Tim Walz has repeatedly asked for demonstrators to remain peaceful and use their presence and cellphones to record activity without antagonizing agents, the purpose of which is to gather evidence against unlawful ICE activities.
While there have been clear violations against the rights of citizens and immigrants alike, protesters need to understand that antagonism only ups the ante and the aggression. If things do not calm down, we may run the risk of the very thing many of us fear: the election of a Republican as our governor this fall.
Brenda Sussna White Bear Lake, Minn.
To the Editor:
Re “Agent Who Shot Woman in Minnesota Had Previous Car Encounter” (news article, Jan. 10):
I am a psychiatrist who has participated in evaluating dozens of uniformed patrol officers in Colorado for work-related disabilities. Many of the officers I saw had been traumatized from their involvements in physical altercations, shootings and vehicle accidents in the course of duty. As a result, a significant number of them suffered from PTSD, anxiety and depression, and were ordered to take temporary medical leaves for treatment.
I read with interest that the ICE officer, Jonathan Ross, whose use of a firearm led to Renee Good’s death, was dragged about 100 yards by a vehicle during a prior ICE incident.
Given this history, was Mr. Ross capable of exercising reasonable judgment regarding de-escalation and the use of deadly force in the line of duty on Jan. 7 in Minneapolis?
In my opinion, ICE officers need to have thorough physical and mental health evaluations before being entrusted to carry out their duties. This is especially important considering the intense public opposition to their mission in some of our urban areas, where several others have been shot by ICE officers since September, one of them fatally.
John S. Graves Denver
Parallels to the Past
To the Editor:
Re “They Were Ordinary Germans. We Are Ordinary Americans,” by Shalom Auslander (Opinion guest essay, Jan. 16):
Mr. Auslander has it exactly right. The parallels in our own country to the early days of Nazi Germany are impossible to ignore: Suppression of the press and corruption of the judiciary. Vilification of “the other.” Intimidation and violence toward ordinary citizens by a masked, armed force. And a wanton whitewashing of history in recasting Jan. 6 from violent insurrection to peaceful protest.
Like me, you may have wondered if you’d have been braver than workaday Germans who silently watched as evil stalked their streets and overwhelmed their institutions. Here’s our chance: Will we stop it?
Laura Martineau South Dartmouth, Mass.
The Nobel Peace Prize Medal
To the Editor:
Re “Nobel Peace Laureate’s Wooing of Trump Annoys Norwegians” (front page, Jan. 16):
The Nobel Institute was spot on in its reaction to María Corina Machado’s giving President Trump her Peace Prize medal. The hardware is transferable, but the honor is not.
Mr. Trump got the hardware, but there is no honor associated with it. I’m sure he thinks that having the hardware makes him a Nobel laureate.
Don L. Doernberg Penn Valley, Calif.
More Nuclear Power? Beware!
To the Editor:
Re “New Dawn of Nuclear Power Awaits Proof of Lower Costs” (Business, Jan. 7):
A new dawn of nuclear power is sobering enough, but one based on lower costs is frightening. Lower costs are hard to realize, and many times they turn out to be an illusion. The claim that this new technology is safer and the containment building can be done away with is particularly disturbing. The Soviet Union also viewed containment as unnecessary, and the effects are being felt 40 years later.
Safety is expensive, and nuclear power presents uniquely drastic safety hazards. The danger of a technology that promises lower costs, as nuclear energy proponents asserted, lies in our collective memory: Three Mile Island, Chernobyl.
The fact that President Trump’s social media enterprise is investing in these technologies is far from reassuring. We can only hope that our memory of these catastrophes is better than the memory of our unsuccessful wars, although current events are not encouraging in that regard.
Tim Shaw Cambridge, Mass.
Bob Weir and the Deadheads: Not Just Hippies
To the Editor:
Re “Bob Weir, 1947-2026: Anchor of Grateful Dead’s Psychedelic Sound” (obituary, front page, Jan. 12):
Thank you for giving Bob Weir’s life and untimely death such prominent coverage. He was a unique and virtuoso musician, beloved not only for his music but also for his kind and self-effacing persona as well. He deserves that honored treatment.
But I would like to correct one common misimpression about Grateful Dead fans — the “small nation” of Deadheads that you refer to in Mr. Weir’s obituary. We are not a community composed solely of dropouts and heavy drug users — not even close. Deadheads with those qualities exist, of course, as they do virtually everywhere. But that’s a small part of our story.
I am part of a large extended family of Deadheads, now in our 70s, almost all of whom are lawyers, except for the few who are doctors and business people. There are judges, celebrities, nurses, writers, politicians and, of course, musicians, coming from virtually every walk of life who loved this man and love the music.
The trope of the Grateful Dead being a band exclusively for drugged-out hippies has been around too long. Bob Weir’s sad passing seems like a good time to finally drop it.
Karin Kramer Baldwin Petaluma, Calif.
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