I strongly disagreed with the March 11 "Opposing View" column by Will Munger ("Reinert betrays values of the left"). Munger was critical of Democratic Sen. Roger Reinert's work with Republican Sen. Jeremy Miller of Winona to form a "purple caucus," enabling politicians from both the right and the left to talk about ways to work together.
Munger wrote, "Let's not be too quick to encourage our senator to compromise away his values. ... (The) 'purple caucus' may sound good, but its real value, unfortunately, will be to create safe elections for its members."
I do not like the current understanding that "compromise" means to betray or lessen one's principles. There is so much paralysis in today's world of posturing and constant online shouting that I really respect people who ask, "OK, if I can't get everything I want, and you can't get everything you want, then what can we do now with what we have?" It's so frustrating for so many citizens like me who see nothing getting done simply because people refuse to talk to each other. Business doesn't work that way, friendships and family don't work that way, and neither can our government work that way.
Sen. Reinert has shown himself to be a guy who thinks outside the box (recall his promotion of Duluth as the location for a new Vikings stadium). I commend Sen. Reinert and Sen. Miller for being brave enough to start a discussion to move Minnesota forward.
Mary Kay Bates, Duluth
