I am writing in response to Jennifer Vogt-Erickson’s recent opinion column, as well as her rebuttal to Aaron Farris’s. First, I just don’t see how Jennifer’s letter in response to Aaron Farris’s opinion column is a rebuttal at all. It fails to mention any part of his column. To me, it seemed as if she was only trying another failed tactic to delegitimize and defame Aaron (like so many other Democrats have, from here in Freeborn County to Woodbury). Also, Jennifer should not question Aaron’s civility when she and other Democrats are the ones spreading horrible lies about him. When I asked Aaron what he thought of her column, he said “She has her opinion, and that’s OK. There’s nothing wrong with that, we simply disagree.” That’s the kind of person who’s civility she is questioning. Aaron refuses to write anything outright negative about anyone in the community because he respects that the Democrats have their opinions, and Republicans have theirs. We need more people with that kind of mindset.

As for her more recent opinion column, why does she mention Congressman Hagedorn’s wife? Why does she feel the need to bring someone’s family into the political fray? Congressman Hagedorn himself, who is the only person that should matter in her argument, grew up on a farm in Truman and currently lives in Blue Earth. That’s all that should matter. Does she not know why the Congressman’s wife does not live in Blue Earth? It’s because the Congressman’s wife is a successful woman herself, something that I thought the Democrats supported. Clearly, they act as if they only support successful Democratic women. The Congressman’s wife does not live in Blue Earth because of her jobs, which include running and owning two boutique shops, running a statewide political party and serving on the president of the United States’ Commission for Asian American and Pacific Islanders. These duties take a lot of her time and require her to do a lot of her work in the Cities. It makes no sense for her to live in Blue Earth and make that drive seven days a week.

I respect that Jennifer has her opinions, but she shouldn’t make personal attacks and put others down and bring family into the nasty political fray to try to prove a point.

Thomas Broskoff

Albert Lea