Minnesota is a national leader in the burgeoning field of palliative care, a holistic approach to medicine, and should seize its current momentum to strive toward further improvements.

Individuals with disabilities have been historically underserved, underrepresented, and the programs to address their needs underfunded.

Growing up in the St. Paul public school system, I only remember “zero tolerance” as the standard operating procedure for discipline. Obviously, this went for major offenses, such as weapons or drugs on school grounds, but it also applied in many situations that were not so immediately applicable, leading to suspension for acts like fighting or even disrespecting teachers. Police officers were a common sight in school (I even knew one by name), and officers on horseback were present for about a week following a rather large fight that ended in 16 arrests. My experience seems to echo what is happening across the nation, as zero tolerance has led to huge, and racially imbalanced, suspension rates, a “school to prison pipeline” that leaves students stranded on the fringes of society and has no measurable effect on school violence.