The End of “Minnesota Nice"
Violence Took Our Innocence. We Decide What Comes Next.
When I redesigned my home office to record my podcast, I wanted the decor to reflect my love of politics and my deep roots in the state of Minnesota. I knew exactly what I wanted on my wall: a pristine copy of TIME magazine from August 13, 1973. On the cover stands Governor Wendell Anderson, proudly holding a northern pike with the headline "The Good Life in Minnesota.”
That image meant something. It was more than a tribute to a leader or a slogan. It captured a time when Minnesota stood apart as a place of civility, stability, and decency. A place where politics could be passionate, even fierce, but never violent. A place where neighbors disagreed and still waved across the yard.
In the background of every podcast episode I record, you can see Gov. Wendell Anderson proudly holding a northern pike on the cover of TIME.
But today, I have to be honest: that Minnesota is gone.
Minnesota is not the same. And it never will be again.
What happened to Speaker Emeritus Melissa Hortman, her husband Mark, and Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette was unimaginable—until it wasn't.
A month later, we're still struggling to find the words.
As I discussed on my podcast, here's the truth we need to confront: "We've lost some of that Minnesota Nice. Some of that Minnesota exceptionalism that we think we all have."
A line has been crossed. We are in new, darker territory. I noted, "It's not as simple as just answering the door anymore when you think it's law enforcement." That kind of fear has no place in a state that once prided itself on openness, civility, and trust.
Let's stop pretending this was some isolated moment of madness. "This situation—if we don't find a way to humanize it and talk about it in real terms… this could have a real impact on where this state goes.”
And if we don’t take action now, more good people—legislators, staff, and citizens—will walk away, deciding it's not worth the risk. And they'd be right.
Social media has shown us what we've become. In the immediate aftermath of the shootings, I expressed disgust as "social media became an absolute cesspool of misinformation and ugliness, the likes of which I've never seen before.”
We had lawmakers' lives stolen and shattered—and instead of pausing to mourn, too many used the chaos to score cheap points, push conspiracies, and fuel division.
I wrote an op-ed for MinnPost, which highlighted that at a time when it would be easier — and politically safer — to stay silent or deflect blame, a few voices rose above the noise to offer moral clarity in the face of social media’s ugliness.
But we should have known better and done better.
I talked on my podcast about what happened in the aftermath of the tragic plane crash that killed U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone. "When Paul Wellstone died, we shut things down. We prayed. We grieved. We didn't go out and figure out how we could weaponize and politicize the situation." We had the decency to be human.
But today? "I can't imagine being a DFL staffer… and having to answer media calls based on rumor, gossip, and ugly innuendo that's being fueled by social media." This is what we've become.
I've seen the bravery, too—the lawmakers who stood in public, some of them on the target list, at a candlelight vigil. "The psychological strength it took and the bravery it took for people whose names were on the list to show up and stand in public... it was pretty remarkable."
The bravery was repeated when the same lawmakers paid their respects to Speaker Emeritus Melissa Hortman, her husband Mark, and their dog Gilbert, as they lay in state in the Minnesota State Capitol rotunda.
However, courage shouldn't be a prerequisite for showing up and serving. As I further said on my podcast, "Any legislator and anyone who serves in public office making a decision about whether they need to think about this type of nightmarish situation… that's now reality."
That's what the end of Minnesota Nice looks like.
It's ugly. It's violent. It's dehumanizing. And if we don't course-correct now, it will only get worse. "We all have a collective responsibility to dial our rhetoric down, make sure we're contributing and engaging civilly."
Let's stop waiting for someone else to fix it. Let law enforcement do their work. Let the grieving do so in peace. "Think before you post. Be thoughtful and considerate...imagine if your family member was assassinated.”
Minnesota Nice may be gone for now, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. What replaces it is up to us. Tomorrow, I’ll share thoughts on how we begin the work of bringing it back.
In the meantime, if you’re looking for a way to help, fundraising links to support the victims are included below.
The GoFundMe pages shared by @CeriEverett to support the victims' recovery are just shy of their goals. If you can, please consider contributing to help these families.
Hoffman family -> http://gofund.me/3cbcb4d3
Hortman family -> http://gofund.me/04065cf2