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Things are sad in America, but if you’re from Minnesota, where civil, sane politics predominate, it hurts a lot. This past weekend in the Minneapolis suburbs a former Christian pastor assassinated a state Representative and her husband. He shot another state Representative and his wife, but not fatally. He had a list of several dozen more planned for execution, including a United States Senator. They were Democrats.
Two months ago, a woman in Rochester, on camera, repeatedly called a young boy the N-word at a public park, without shame or self-consciousness. When challenged by the child’s father, the woman used it on him. Later people all over America sent her money through a hastily created crowd funding site. She raised $600,000 for using a racial slur. Rochester, home of the Mayo Clinic, a wealthy, educated, diverse city of 100,000.
Five years ago we saw video of a Minneapolis police officer kneel on the neck of George Floyd, a black man, until he died. Riots ensued all over America. You look at that officer’s face, staring blankly at the camera, and you wonder, “What was going on in his head?” Floyd had been subdued. The officer could have stood him up, yet continued for nine minutes.
I love my home state. Growing up in our St. Paul neighborhood you would find yard signs supporting liberal and conservative candidates. No one got mad. I remember Hubert Humphrey, a man of decency who made friends on all sides of the aisle. Same for Senators Dave Durenberger (Republican), Paul Wellstone (Democrat), and Republican Governor Arnie Carlson. It’s not hard to find more.
Something has gone wrong. Minnesota is a reliable, but still very sane blue, but with fissures as elsewhere in America. Fissures wide enough to bring out the worst in some, enough anger and hate to commit political assassination. I try to remember George W. Bush’s advice to stop judging others by their worst actions, and ourselves by our best intentions. It’s not easy.
l'Étoile du Nord. Star of the North. It can be cold, but I miss it. It's just a little less sane, a little less civil, than I remember. God bless Minnesota, and God bless the United States of America.
