That other Range writer is OK, I guess

Writers are a jealous lot, myself included. For some time the Duluth News Tribune has been running the columns of Gilbert writer Joseph Legueri under the banner “The Iron Range View.” And my reaction, petty and shallow though it may be, was always “What? Excuse me? I’m sorry, don’t they know that I do the Iron Range shtick around here.” And when Mr. Legueri would file some “slice of life” column instead of earnest Iron Range analysis I would throw my hands up in righteous indignation, until I realized that I had filed a column about babies and puppies that week and shamefully returned to the paper.

Today I declare there to be room for two at the table of Iron Range mercenary columnists. Legueri knocks one out of the park with his assessment of the seemingly benign issue of dental care for low income Minnesotans. He takes a small item from a budget and shows the real ramifications for people and our society as a whole. Here’s the second-to-the-last paragraph:

In his defense, Pawlenty is not totally to blame for this self-serving, cruel and heartless proposal. We are, too. Ordinary people allow such things.

As long as ordinary people don’t express anger at the people who think it’s OK to deny dental care to low-income people, to kill babies, to underfund schools, to bilk young homebuyers and to rob old people of pensions, we’re going to see more proposals aimed at the disposable members of our society: the weak, the mute and the vulnerable.

Check out the full column. As a child and young adult I was dependent on MinnesotaCare for dental care. This issue has flown under the radar for too long.