Fact checking recent political rhetoric
Truth is a slippery devil. What passed for truth years ago, may not be true today. Space travel was not true for centuries. Now it is. The sun appearing in the East, death (temporary or permanent) and gravity still falls under the category of Objective truths.
Subjective truths, however, are more slippery as they clarify how we interact with the world. Many lists float online. Life is not fair. The 10 Commandments. Things aren’t black or white. Knowledge is power. Don’t eat yellow snow... absolute power corrupts absolutely.
A 2019 Oxford University Study found common “subjective truths” in 60 cultures despite other significant differences. They were help your family, help your group, return favors, be brave, defer to superiors, divide resources fairly, and respect others’ property.
These values or “subjective truths” were ingrained in our culture, however, the American Dream is fading quickly. The top 20% who have over $175,000 income per year are doing well with lavish spending.
The bottom 80% are working just to pay rent and buy groceries. Access to health care, food and shelter should exist as a moral obligation rather than be thwarted by political smear campaigns increasing the economic divide tearing this country apart.
The Minnesota 7th district representative emailed that the government shutdown is due to “Democrats showing their priority of funding healthcare for illegal immigrants...” This slippery untruth is contrasted by The U.S. Congress report in 2024 titled “Health Care Immigration” (Library of Congress R47351) stating “In general, unauthorized immigrants are not eligible for federal health care coverage programs.... Facilities such as emergency departments and health centers have obligations to provide care regardless of insurance status, though they may charge for the services they provide.”
Why are we at this place in our world? Evil greed plays upon naiveté and trust that people have based on positive experiences with most other human beings. If we succumb to fear and dare not walk the streets or help others -how much less will we be and how much less human will this world become?
The devil uses slippery truths, and the insects are waiting.
BILL RICHARDS WALNUT GROVE
It’s the far right perpetuating hate
In response to Roger Baumann from Wabasso in his letter to the editor of 10/16/2025. I agree with your assertion that we all need to stop the “hateful rhetoric” in our current state of political affairs. It seems to me that you have not done that in your letter to the editor, but I would fight to the death for you to exercise your First Amendment right to say what you did.
However, I find it irresponsible and strictly partisan MAGA politics for you to say, “Why do the Democrats appear so desperate to spew such hatred?” Apparently, you have conveniently ignored the words coming out of the White House and Congress that spew the very words and ideas you oppose, i.e. calling the 7-8 million peaceful No Kings protestors (no arrests for violence or disorder) a “hate America” rally, when it was a “love America” rally. My wife, daughter and I were at a “No Kings” rally in Chaska with 3,500 other protestors and saw it firsthand. Our signs were “We The People” and “We Love America.”
After the rally, Donald Trump’s social media account posted an AI-generated video showing Trump in a fighter jet with “King Trump” on the side. Trump is flying the fighter wearing a gold crown. Once in the air, the plane drops excrement on American cities. The excrement drenches protestors. “Historian Larry Glickman noted that media outlets make much of alleged Democratic disdain for ordinary Americans but have little to say about the disdain for Americans embodied by Trump’s video.” The right calling it satire? That is not satire. That’s disdain of America from a president of the United States.
You reference the violence but fail to mention the fact that over 2/3 of all political violence is perpetrated by the far right, i.e. the January 6, riots on our Capital, with calls to “Hang Mike Pence” and “kill the guards” with gallows set up in the courtyard, the Proud Boys and other para militia groups. Masked ICE agents who racially profile, arresting anybody of color, and military forced on blue states who insist they do not want or need them are examples of retribution.
I believe we should take care of our farmers before bailing out Argentina with $20 billion, and don’t consider it “socialism” to receive help from the federal government. I believe in helping people who need health care. I believe in funding FEMA. I believe in funding education, especially special education where I spent my life’s work. I believe “United We Stand.” My Catholic faith teaches me to believe that the job of the government is to help whoever is in need. That is social justice, not socialism.
I am a proud 83-year-old independent American, and I have many friends and relatives of both right and left political persuasion. I was born and grew up in Tracy and returned for several years to take care of my parents, so I know communities in southwest Minnesota and consider it home.
My father and all my uncles from Tracy and Currie fought against fascism in WWII. One of whom is still MIA and declared deceased. I am proud to join them in that fight today.
So, say what you will Roger, but be fair — no hate.
DENNIS L. HANSEN
BELLE PLAINE (FORMERLY OF TRACY)
