Well, presumably it's safe to once again open the mailbox fearful of only bills, and not explosive devices.

I gotta say it was a little unsettling to approach the box a few days earlier in the middle of the week when one of Minnesota's finest was still on the run.

Personally, I took the advice of a Nebraska sheriff and tied a string to the box and hid behind my truck when I pulled it open. The next day I threw a rock at the box and then figured when it didn't explode it was OK.

By day three I was getting weird looks from people driving by and decided to brave it.

What's the world coming to when we have to worry about whether it is safe, or not, to open one's mailbox? What's more innocent than a rural farm family taking a leisurely stroll out to the mailbox at mid-day?

It makes you wonder what 70-year-old women in rural Iowa have to do with some whacko's problems with the government.

The crimes of Lucas Helder are perhaps even more appalling than the atrocities committed against the World Trade Centers. Injuring someone's grandmother because you have issues is sick.

Everyone has problems. Everyone has issues. Apparently Helder's convictions ran so deep he wasn't brave enough to even confront the people he had differences with. No, instead he wanted to gain attention by harming innocent people.

Sure someone could have, perhaps should have, noticed warning signs and intervened. But talk regarding this case shouldn't focus on why, it should be about being accountable for one's actions.

Now Helder is behind bars and is apparently showing no remorse, only amusement. He's coined himself &uot;the smiley face&uot; bomber. Well, someone needs to knock that smirk off Helder's face in a hurry and hold him accountable.

In the weeks to come, the attention will certainly turn away from the victims of these bombings and toward Helder. We will be told how Helder is mentally ill, needs help, and is truly the victim. There will be calls from family and friends that he's really a &uot;nice&uot; person. That's hogwash. The game should be up for this 21-year-old Pine Island native. The book should be thrown at him and the public should never have to worry about this sick individual again.

Helder should be made an example of what happens to individuals who commit domestic terrorist acts. With so many threats coming at us from outside, the last thing Americans, especially grandmothers, need to worry about is one of their own.

Legislative session

Another legislative session nears its end and it's another embarrassment for Minnesotans and its representatives. The state's political triangle has resulted in two wasted sessions and will leave Minnesotans holding the bag when the next session comes around.

The inability of the state's leaders to reach decisions crucial to the future of the state, will eventually impact Minnesotans hard when even tougher conditions, force tougher decisions.

The stalemate should be evidence enough for voters to nix any idea of sending Gov. Jesse Ventura back for a second term. If Ventura were to win again, and the current Democrat, Republican split of the two legislative houses remained, we'd be left with a continuation of the current inefficient state government.