Readers Write: Minnesota Poll, psychiatric beds, animal experiments

Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes letters from readers online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

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The results of the Star Tribune/Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication Minnesota Poll reported in “Most Minnesotans disapprove of lawmakers’ performance in Congress,” (front page, June 25) are difficult to square with reality. In 2024, U.S. voters awarded Republicans the House, the Senate and the presidency. The Republican majority rammed President Donald Trump’s widely unpopular “Big Beautiful Bill” through the House and remained silent as Trump’s tariff threats have idled the healthy economy inherited from the Biden administration. Yet, the poll results indicate that Democrats have a less favorable approval rating than the Republican majority. Go figure!

On Trump’s orders, shock troops have arrested and imprisoned individuals without due process and often without being charged with a crime. Democratic representatives objecting to such unconstitutional actions have also been arrested and detained. Yet, Democrats attempting to protect and defend our Constitution have a less favorable approval rating than the silent, inactive Republican majority. Once again: Go figure!

During Trump’s bid for the presidency, he promised, “No foreign wars.” As with many of his promises, this one too has been broken. It is much easier to start a war than to end one. Historically, Republicans have started our wars and Democrats have ended them. Yet Democrats have a less favorable approval rating than the Republican majority. Say it with me now: Go figure!

The poll results reveal a general displeasure with the present instability of our country. The respondents simply don’t know who to blame — so Republicans blame the other party and Democrats blame their own party.

We need a congressional majority willing to provide the checks and balances authorized by our Constitution to control the executive branch. It should not fall solely on the judiciary to limit an undemocratic president. I appeal to the Republican majority to begin to govern responsibly and end the instability we all share.

Joseph Ehrlich, Arden Hills

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The Star Tribune/Hubbard School poll about Minnesotans’ views on various Trump policies is eye-opening. Among the findings, here are three that I found most unsettling:

The bottom line is: I’m glad I live in Minnesota, among lots of women.

Stephen Bubul, Minneapolis

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About half of the respondents to the Star Tribune poll have said the economy has gotten worse under Trump. This is no surprise when we are concentrating on waging war with our tax dollars.

In a drastic contrast, China has just gotten a trade deal with the entire continent of Africa. Instead of trying to take resources from Africa, they choose to work with them to develop trading partners for the future.

The U.S. needs to quit fighting the world, lift sanctions and work peacefully to the benefit of all.

Michael McDonald, St. Paul

It is gratifying to hear that the Legislature and administration have found $75M to improve psychiatric bed capacity (“Moving mentally ill Minnesotans out of jails, into treatment is goal of state spending boost,” StarTribune.com, June 17). However, this is only placing one Band-Aid over a larger wound: a temporary or perceived fix. Each added bed necessitates additional staff, which is not as easy to come by as furniture and space.

As a former member of the Hospital Review Board, I have heard from both hospital staff and patients that, while beds may be available, staff to care for them are not, leaving existing beds unfilled. Patients who could be moved through the system, opening up placements for new individuals, are retained in units due to inadequate staffing. This is an issue that needs to be addressed. Adding one Band-Aid over another will not heal the problem. A comprehensive and strategic approach is required to fix the well-understood issues facing mental health care in Minnesota. Law enforcement, mental health professionals, individuals with mental illness, family members and legislative staff all need to come together to develop a long-term solution. To succeed, the parties involved need to be able to listen to each other and compromise. Not all parties will agree on what changes are required, with strong feelings or opposing sides.

At the end, a successful care system will be a wheel that starts with community care and support, appropriate law-enforcement techniques and training, court procedures that consider the individual’s rights versus the community or family safety, and a state hospital system that is adequately staffed to treat and move individuals back into the community with support of professional providers.

Manfred Tatzmann, Brooklyn Center

The writer served three years on the state DHS Hospital Review Board.

I was touched for two reasons by the commentary by Clark Gustafson and Neal Barnard “Our understanding of animals has evolved. Our college curricula should, too” (June 25). First, I agree with them that our higher educational institutions need to stop harming animals for unnecessary demonstrations and that there are plenty of alternatives available that don’t rely on animal cruelty to teach students effectively. I also agree that when students participate in cruel activities it can do long-term damage to the students themselves because of the moral injury that is created.

Moral injury has been defined by Syracuse University’s Moral Injury Project as “the damage done to one’s conscience or moral compass when that person perpetrates, witnesses, or fails to prevent acts that transgress one’s own moral beliefs, values, or ethical codes of conduct.” Literally 50 years ago, when taking a college psychology class at Pomona College, I performed experiments on rats that caused those animals great discomfort, and I still carry guilt and shame about how I treated those animals. I also had to euthanize the animals after the experiment was done and watch them die. It was traumatizing. I am writing this letter because I urge Macalester and all other educational institutions to stop injuring students in this way, as well as to stop harming animals. Encouraging students to override their sense of innate compassion for other living beings causes lifelong damage to them and the effects never go away.

Paul Moss, White Bear Lake