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EDITORIAL: Students support mental health

Free Press - 11/28/2020

Nov. 28--Thumbs up to a group of Minnesota State University students who established a mental health initiative to educate college and K-12 students about the issues of mental health.

The Mental Health Mankato student group started two years ago with a goal to reduce the stigma of mental health. It has succeeded in getting more mental health resources for students at MSU and members recently went to Faribault to conduct educational exercises with middle school students.

Now calling their nonprofit CultureChange, they are recommending MSU adopt a plan to provide mental health first aid training to faculty and staff.

The group's plan is worthy of MSU support and these kind of trainings and services are needed now more than ever.

Munson obstructs

Thumbs down to state Rep. Jeremy Munson and his New Republican Caucus for their ill-timed attempt to block certification of Minnesota's votes.

The Lake Crystal Republican and his colleagues waited until Tuesday morning -- just hours before the scheduled meeting of the state canvassing board -- to ask the state Supreme Court to block the board from doing its duty.

The court wisely declined to do so. The board certified Minnesota's election results -- 10 electoral votes for Joe Biden, Democratic U.S. Sen. Tina Smith reelected, longtime DFL U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson unseated, and the state Legislature still split between the two parties. All of which had been known for almost two weeks and is now official.

Munson and company weren't raising new issues. They were just being obstructionist.

Good riddance

Thumbs down to the head of one of the largest regional health systems in the Midwest telling his employees he'd recovered from COVID-19, is immune for at least seven months and is back at work -- without a mask.

Wait, there's also a thumbs up here: He's out.

Ex-Sanford Health's president and chief executive, Kelby Krabbenhoft had sent a staff email saying he believes he's now immune to the disease for "at least seven months and perhaps years to come" and that he isn't a threat to transmit it to anyone, so wearing a mask would be merely for show.

Luckily, Krabbenhoft is not a physician. But he did run a huge health system and should have been setting a big example of how to act during a public health crisis.

He failed to do so and, fortunately, agreed to step down after the very bad publicity for Sanford.

As a leader of a health care system in the Midwest, where cases of COVID-19 and deaths are skyrocketing to be the highest in the nation, it's offensive Krabbenhoft would take such a cavalier attitude toward following safety measures and would bizarrely invent his own immunity guidelines.

It's a bit of COVID relief to know he's no longer associated with health care.

Dow a bright spot

Thumbs up to the stock markets hitting al-time record highs this week.

The continued growth comes from news of a COVID vaccine and that the presidential transition is finally underway. Traders also are still bullish on the underlying strength of the U.S. economy.

It should dispel the mantra that the markets and the economy will suffer under a Democratic president.

In fact, the market and the economy have always done better under Democratic presidents.

Multiple studies by economists and congressional committees all find the same results: No matter how you measure economic success, it has been stronger under Democratic presidents than under Republican presidents.

With all the economic challenges we face, everyone should hope that history continues.

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(c)2020 The Free Press (Mankato, Minn.)

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