It can happen here; it is happening

Just before sending this off, I see the news today begins w/donnie-t talking “seriously” about his third term. Well anyway, Homo Ecophagus: (the man who devours the ecosystem). Examples: Gaza, destroyed by the U.S., Israel...which has been going on for decades. Russia-Ukraine. 60 Minutes today on burying CA hazardous wastes that we produce and have to put them in someone else’s back yard (Utah). We produce WMDs, nuclear wastes, all kinds of machines, computers, plastics and all the other things we have in our homes and see every day on the tube how this culture is trashing the earth and how we treat our fellow man. Our prison system. Heaven forbid we have some green spaces. One political party preserves them while the other sees them as a waste and wants to squeeze every penny out of anywhere, like stripping trees of their wood to build our whiskey barrels; this list is indefinite. Since reading this book, I’m more in tuned to this concept of man’s destruction. According to the Anthopologist/MD Warren Hern’s book, his early “theory” that man is a cancer on this planet. He lays out examples in his book and in the end, calls this a “diagnosis” that we are a cancer. Just look around for examples of  people treating the earth and others badly. I get political ad’s everyday that are so cruel and how does one know if the message is true. Trying to watch the Yankees-Brewers game this weekend had brutal political adds on the Brewers station. On the same station I’ve seen the great outdoors men from Wisconsin hiding under cover of hay bales shooting migrating sandhill cranes in Manitoba. I don’t know how we’re not at war yet. It’s“miraculous.” The change I’ve seen over these eight decades I’ve lived in is like night and day. Currently, I”m re-reading It Can’t Happen Here, Sinclair Lewis, written in 1935. Still relevant today. There’s plenty of history regarding/written on fascism, including film. Also, just viewed, from the local library, DVD, Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator 1940 film of this one man’s resistance to Hitler/Germany. Both these characters were born in the same week. An incredible film. The 2nd DVD has even a more fascinating history. Again, the film shows more examples abound of man’s treatment to each other and the planet. Homo Ecophagus. It’s everywhere. How about Superior’s proposed Convention Center. Probably on the shoreline. The Reader mentioned a gondola going over to Duluth, jesus. How about unloading to a year-round circus. Our presence along the Twin Ports shores is an environmental shit-show. What’s the city going to do to Wisconsin Point? 
Jim Low
Herbster, Wisconsin

The life/death of a democracy

Democracy is a form of government in which state power is vested in the people or the general population of a state. (Wikipedia)

Historically there has been only one country in the world with continuous democracy surviving more than 200 years, the USA.  

Democracy in the U.S. formally began December 15, 1791, with the introduction and implementation of the “Bill of Rights” to the Constitution of the United States.

Democracy can end or at least begin its decline with the election of an authoritarian regime or leader. That is exactly what happened effective January 20, 2025, when an autocratic leader assumed power.
I believe the first sign that democracy has ended or is ending is that when the three formerly independent branches of government:  Executive, Legislative and Judicial, which enforce a balance of power, begin to merge into the executive branch only. This is now happening at the hands of this autocratic leader.

A few signs of a dying democracy are a disappearing free press, loss of personal freedom and safety, and complete abandonment of due process of law.

One has only to pay attention to the evening news and a submissive Republican Congress under complete control of one man.

What I am describing here is an evolving full-scale dictatorship where all personal freedom is lost and where the labels Republican and Democrat are becoming meaningless.

Look at a country like Russia where the standard of living is very low and where nobody speaks out against their government without fear of disappearing.

Is democracy in America gone forever? We have a narrow window in which to choose. We can protest loudly right now. We can also vote small “d” for democracy or we can be quiet like in Russia. The choice is open to the people.
Jack Pick
Grand Rapids, Minnesota

Missed opportunities with West Skyline ‘demonstration’

While I appreciate the efforts made by transportation planners and City of Duluth leadership to address authentic public safety concerns with the West Skyline Parkway Twin Ponds Loop, I am deeply concerned with the designation of the route revision as a “Demonstration Project”. This implies that the new infrastructure could be altered by a future administration or developers. An example of a recent demonstration project was the protected bike lane on Michigan St. in Downtown Duluth, which failed to produce lasting change while our urban environment continues to be a hostile space for alternative transportation modes. 

At a public presentation by the city on March 20th we learned that the new West Skyline/Twin Ponds infrastructure demonstration will make the lake-facing side of the loop a one-way (from east to west) for motor vehicles and create a dedicated pedestrian path. There will be plastic delineators (not permanent and sturdy bollards) separating the new path from motor vehicle traffic. 

Also, there will be very limited lane width narrowing from 12’ to 11’ when there was plenty of opportunity to go as narrow as 10’ or even 9’ (per MNDoT’s design requirements for traffic lanes). A study by Johns Hopkins School of Public Health shows narrowing lanes of motor vehicle traffic prompts drivers to go slower and is therefore much safer for roads adjacent to recreation routes. In addition to these adjustments the city has already closed off (permanently) the blind spot intersection at 5th Avenue West and Skyline Parkway.

It was incredibly disappointing to see that were are no plans with this project to lower the motor vehicle speed limit from 30 mph to 20 mph. Studies show the likelihood of severe injury or death upon impact by a reckless motor vehicle decreases from around 45% @30mph to less than 10% @20mph. There also won’t be any speed humps installed which would have encouraged drivers to go slower along the byway. It’s long overdue for Duluth to adopt a “slow streets” model, not just for Skyline Parkway, but for high density neighborhood streets all around Duluth as well.

Another huge disappointment from the presentation was that the city is relying on subjective citizen feedback as the only metric to measure satisfaction of the demonstration which is an abdication of their responsibility to measure quantifiable data such as motor vehicle speed or pedestrian/bike traffic numbers.

Finally, we learned that there are no considerations nor vision for change for other areas of Skyline such as blind curves around Chester Bowl where a lot of people walk and recreate along the shoulder. If the city is willing to take action on West Skyline in response to crises of motor vehicle recklessness then why aren't they taking preventative measures and precautions in other areas along the scenic byway to ensure that we don't have pedestrian deaths along the route again because of core infrastructure design flaws? Why not seize the opportunities to improve quality of life for those recreating along this path rather than react only to outrage over crises of deaths by motor vehicle collisions?

The West Skyline Parkway revision ought to have served as an opportunity to boldly envision and steer our city toward a paradigm shift in transportation planning. The city should either offer permanent and proactive changes to our shared environment or they should simply stop teasing us with narrow incremental changes and “demonstrations”.

Brandon Parker
Duluth, Minnesota

The Great Prevaricator, or, er, um, Liberator?

Donald Trump will go down in history as the great liberator. His April 2 LIberation Day tariffs have liberated the United States and the rest of the world from prosperity. At the same time Trump has liberated our nation from our allies. Trump, his amazing cabinet, advisers and other clueless appointees are busily liberating us from our constitutional rights. Trump has liberated hundreds of thousands of federal workers from jobs serving the public. He has liberated many more workers in the private sector from their jobs. At the same time Trump has liberated the poor and middle class from social safety nets while liberating the rich from taxes. We have been liberated from science and knowledge as Trump advocates conspiracy theories in lieu of facts. How much more liberation can the world stand?

Truly Donald Trump is truly the Great Liberator!
Jason Maloney
Washburn, Wisconsin

Keeping it free

Thanks to The Reader for supporting free speech during these perilous times. 
David A Sorensen
Duluth, Minnesota

Editor's note: Thanks for reading, David. It all begins with the Bill of Rights:
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.