Northern Lights

First a little history: Stoker grew up in Iowa but spent several years in St. Paul Minnesota. She got her Library Science degree at the University of Minnesota, then went to work to support her first husband while he worked on his PHD.

When we got together in DC I used to get on her case about all those kind, decent, caring liberal Lutherans who belonged to the DFL political party. That is the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party, which is what Democrats in Minnesota call themselves. In 1984 Minnesota was probably one of the least diverse states in the U.S. Blonds, Scandinavian last names, and Lutherans. They were also the only state not to give an endorsement to a very popular sitting president.

In 1980, Stoker voted for the incumbent, along with 16 of the 18 people working at our consulting firm. One secretary and I were the only dissidents. The majority was probably partially self motivated, since our firm did some lobbying (not me; I was just a junior analyst) and had really good connections at USDA who would be replaced if Reagan won.

You would think that love could not conquer such a wide gap in political views, but marriage is about compromise. I rant and rave and then we do what Stoker wants. Over years of observing the economic and regulatory realities of farming, along with realizing that the government was confiscating an increasing percentage of our growing income, she made a kind of spectrum shift towards the red.

But feel-good liberalism is alive and well in the North Star State:

Minnesota lawmakers are mulling a change to state law, House File 181, that would log alleged bias incidents even when they aren’t considered a crime.

The bill, introduced in January, would allow people to report perceived bias-related incidents such as alleged slurs and verbal attacks that would fall outside the hate crimes compiled annually by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, according to the St. Cloud Times.

When asked if opining that the Corona virus leaked from a Chinese virology lab could be considered a ‘bias related incident’ a sponsor of the bill had this to say.

Samantha Vang (DFL) argued that while not all incidents are considered violent or criminal, this sort of rhetoric is “bias motivated” therefore “it can be considered a bias incident.”

Ms. Vang was also asked if wearing a J.K. Rowling t shirt could be considered a bias related incident, and she demurred.

Shoplifters ply their trade with impunity. Violent felonies are reduced to misdemeanors and perpetrators released from custody. Rioters smash windows and burn cars and assault innocent people trying to enjoy a dinner downtown, and very little happens to them unless they are protesting from a non-woke point of view. But in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, ‘bias motivated rhetoric’ is a reportable offense.

So if you engage in a modern tea party protest by dumping cases of Bud Light as a show of disgust at their choice of spokesperson, be advised that Minnesota has you on their radar.

My blog is definitely bias motivated. I am biased against stupidity and hypocrisy. There is plenty of both of these around so I never lack for material. I imagine my blog would make Minnesota’s bias incident registry if any of my readers want to report me. Go ahead; reporting me means you read the entire blog, which is all an author can ask for.