zlacker

"With all that's happening the last few days, please don't associate Minnesotans with the riots that have captured the attention of everyone. The peacefulness of the protests and gatherings has been overshadowed by the violence. There are countless examples of Minnesotans standing up to those who choose to loot and destroy. Those images are being overlooked."

MPLS homeowner here (although I no longer live there).

I hear what you are saying and I am sympathetic to it - especially given my broad experience with all facets of Minnesotans all over the state.

However this violence should reflect on Minnesotans, including my own many years of residence there. We failed to make investments in the built and the social infrastructure - including policing - that would have made it impossible for bad actors like this to carry a badge.

It's very easy to look romantically at the Prairie Home Companion caricature of the Good Lutherans that quietly get the job done - and I wish that it were true. The fact is, we let I-35 drop into the river just like any other bunch of assholes.