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It Could Be So Much Better Than This
Friends, this week’s podcast episode is not for kids - meaning please don’t listen if you have kids within earshot. I want to give you a content warning because I talked about SA and all kinds of current events that aren’t easy for any of us, so if you need to pass on this one, please take care of yourself. There’s nothing you can’t read below, however.
I feel like I am in a world that is becoming harder to comprehend by the day. I know I am not alone in that experience, and I know this is painful for all of us. I don’t believe anyone wants a world full of this much chaos, violence and vitriol.
There are a lot of enraged, volatile people out there, and a lot of hurting, exhausted people. I don’t particularly want to talk about Charlie Kirk anymore - I talked about him in the essay this week and in the podcast - but I will say this once more so it’s very clear: political violence is never okay, and no one should be assassinated for expressing their views. Ever. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about people whose views we agree with, or views we abhor. When it happens in our country - and it does - it is never a thing to celebrate. It is never a thing to take lightly. It makes all of us less safe. It is not the sign of a healthy republic.
For those of you who feel devastated because you are in agreement with his views, perhaps you might be able to understand what it felt like when Melissa Hortman - Minnesota House of Representatives Speaker Emerita - her husband Mark, and their dog Gilbert were assassinated in their home back in June by a MAGA Trump supporter. Vance Boelter dressed up as a police officer and knocked on their door in the early hours of the morning on June 14th. When they answered, he shot and killed them in the doorway of their home. My heart hurts thinking about the last seconds of their lives - the terror, the panic, the confusion and the violence.
He had already been to Senator John Hoffman’s house and shot him nine times, and also shot and wounded his wife, Yvette. Their grown daughter Hope was there as well. They survived, but Senator Hoffman has a long and difficult recovery ahead, and no doubt all three of them will be dealing with the trauma of what happened for a very long time.
Boelter had a list of 45 additional Democratic politicians he intended to kill. This was premeditated and devastating. I am someone who agreed with Melissa Hortman’s feelings about the country and ways we can make things better. I was dismayed to see that her assassination - along with the other horrendous details of this man’s rampage that morning and his further murderous plans to wreak havoc - did not receive the attention they warranted. Not by a long shot.
The President refused to call Governor Walz to express his condolences. “I could be nice and call, but why waste time?” That’s what he said when a journalist asked if he’d spoken to the governor. He did not “waste his time” calling to express his condolences to the Hortmans’ grown children, either. Flags were not flown at half-staff, he did not attend the funeral, nor did the Vice President. Vance did not even acknowledge their deaths.
Please try to remember the President and Vice President are supposed to be the leaders of the entire country. They are public servants and they work for the people - our tax dollars pay their salaries, whether they need the salaries or not. The job of President and Vice President is not to care only for the people who vote for them. It would seem that someone should let them know immediately, and the rest of the administration while they’re at it.
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Published on 1 month, 3 weeks ago