RiverTown Editorial
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A salute, a nod, a sincere "Thank you." Veterans perhaps don't expect more than these in recognition of their service, but that doesn't mean a simple acknowledgement is all we can or should provide.
Are you fed up with government? Perhaps you feel just the opposite — you're happy with the way things are going locally, across the state or around the nation. Whichever way you lean, now is the time to think about running for office. In Minnesota, the filing window for most contests (the exceptions are schools and small municipalities) begins May 22 and runs through 5 p.m. June 5. Consider these reasons why you might run for the Nov. 6, 2018, election or help candidates of your choice in their bids to run now and then might run yourself a couple years from now.
The importance of Minnesota State colleges and universities is being driven home this graduation season, when 40,000 students will receive degrees from the system's campuses in 47 communities throughout the state. We're well aware of the system's importance here with Dakota County Technical College.
U.S. tariffs again made big headlines last week. What readers may not know is that tariffs could kill the writers of those headlines. We're talking about community newspapers. While recent stories have focused on steel, soybeans and pork — and the potentially devastating effects a U.S.-China trade war would have in the Heartland — a similar battle is underway with our neighbors to the north over a simple, everyday commodity: paper.
This is Sunshine Week, the seven days each year since 2005 when people who believe in transparent, accountable government draw special attention to the laws that • allow us to know what our local, state and federal governments are doing every day of the year, and • point out where laws could be stronger to ensure open government today and tomorrow.
How annoying. The driver ahead slows down to 40 mph, then suddenly races ahead before lazily switching lanes with no warning two minutes later. When you pull alongside him at the stoplight, you look over even though you know what you'll see. Sure enough. The idiot is on his cellphone. As maddening as such moments are, the greater truth is that they are dangerous. Deadly, in fact.
The First Amendment protects people's right to say hateful things — including hurtful and false words about minorities, religious groups, men, women and more. We call that freedom of speech. As long as such incendiary words aren't spoken in a setting that evokes violence, just about anything goes, as courts have confirmed over the years. But just because someone has the right to say something doesn't mean that person has a right to have those thoughts published on this page.
Special elections typically don't garner much attention — sometimes even with local voters. That's because such most elections carry no statewide ramifications. The Feb. 12 special election, however, is special indeed. And we're not talking about the fact it pits former House representatives Democrat Karla Bigham of Cottage Grove and Republican Denny McNamara of Hastings against each other, as interesting as that has proved to be. Two factors are at work here.
Families living in the upper Midwest should be feeling pretty good — subzero weather and all. The cold, hard truth — when you look at the WalletHub survey data — is that states with four genuine seasons lead the nation as the best places to a raise a family. Coincidence? Don't tell that to local kids who all seem to love the recent snowfall.
You'll go to bed Friday night and wake Saturday as you did today, living in a free land. You can thank every veteran — from those determined Minutemen of the Revolutionary War to the dedicated service men and women of today protecting our nation, from the forgotten Spanish American War soldiers to the spat-upon Vietnam War veterans who did what their nation asked of them.