Getting political

Thumbs Down: With the presidential election nearly two months away, it is impossible for things that shouldn’t be political to get dragged into the campaigns. One of those is racial inequity and the violence that it produces. These are problems that have been around for a long time, and they have flared up again this summer. These are issues that could use a unified search for a solution, but being a campaign year they are wedge issues. We have competing approaches working for justice to stem the violence, or suppressing the violence with “Law and Order.”

Both of these approaches have value, and each will work better in combination with the other. But until the election is decided, there’s not much chance of that happening.

Back to school

Thumbs Up: Back to school supplies used to be fairly simple to pick out. Pencils, pens, notebooks, rulers, crayons, glue and so on. But today kids also need to be supplied with face masks, hand sanitizer and wet-wipes. The lessons they learn in the proper use of these items, and in maintaining social distance, will be important ones for them.

We wish all our students and teachers a safe return to school this year.

Hospitality checks

Thumbs Down: The Minnesota Department of Health and the Department of Labor and Industry have sent a letter out to hospitality businesses, announcing a plan to increase compliance checks at bars and restaurants, to see how they are keeping up with the state’s executive orders relating to use of face coverings, keeping proper distance between customers and maintaining allowable capacity.

Most restaurants and bars are doing a good job, but some aren’t, the DOH said. This makes it tough on compliant businesses when customers complain, or point out that another business down the street aren’t so strict.

It is sad that it comes to this. But the health and safety of the customers and employees of the establishments, and of the surrounding community, depends on it.