Breaking News

Letters to the Editor

Remember benefits of charitable gaming

Don Santer, CGAND Vice President, Grand Forks Charitable gaming has come under attack recently, making it easy to lose sight of the true and tremendous value it brings to the table, both for the charitable organizations themselves and for the state. Gaming provides a significant source of revenue for non-profit organizations. These organizations use the funds to support a wide range of causes, including underserved populations, veterans, social services, and youth. They raise awareness of important issues and help to build support for their causes, like those who serve the ...

Beware the strongman

Jarrett Wold, Minot The past years have seen a rise in the appeal of the strongman in politics. Globally the ashes of previous strongmen churn constantly, leading to the repetition of past mistakes and atrocities. Strongmen arise from a desire of people to escape freedom. This escape is fueled by the realities of a free society. This reality is that others’ views may conflict with personal and religious beliefs, leading to a fear that the mores of society are at risk, when this is almost never the case. Societies churn, grow and progress. In America we no longer hunt ...

Thank you to state legislators

Birgit Pruess, Fargo Thank you to all the senators and house representatives of the North Dakota State Legislature for passing SCR4014 in support of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park horses and longhorn cattle. The horses and longhorn cattle are an integral part of the history and culture of this state and a major tourist attraction, contributing to the economy of the areas surrounding the south and north units of the park, especially Medora. Thank you Governor Burgum for supporting the horses and longhorn cattle and offering help to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Thank ...

Is this your Republican Legislature?

Warren Larson, Bismarck Is this your Republican Legislature? What bills have they passed on property tax, fentanyl epidemic, school safety, homelessness? SILENCE. They claim to be Pro Life. However, they’re really PRO BIRTH. After birth, they wash their sanctimonious hands and walk away, leaving some children a questionable future. Have Republicans funded improved adoptions? Have they passed State/Business partnerships for daycare funding? Have they increased suicide prevention programs? They blame parents for hungry school kids and walk away. The innocent child still goes ...

Here come the ‘experts’ again

Andrew Allis, Granville Recently in this Letters section some “experts” multiplied names, as if counting heads is the way to determine truth (argumentum ad populum), and posted their self-perceived impressive credentials and degrees in an argument from authority or supposed expertise (argumentum ad verecundiam). They did so in a transparent attempt to present the indisputable trump card in any given debate, “we’re the experts, you’re not, so you must shut up and listen, obediently accepting all we say as gospel truth for, after all, we have letters after our names.” Given ...

Setting record straight on schools

Sen. Don Schaible, Mott There’s been a few headlines lately criticizing the legislature for bills related to school lunch and school choice. I want to set the record straight on those issues and the work the legislature has done to ensure the best possible education for all children in North Dakota. First and foremost, I want to stress that no child should ever go hungry in this state. Good nutrition is essential to learning and I care very much that students in our state don’t go hungry. While a bill to provide some students with free school lunches (HB 1491) did not pass ...