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Cheers to Twin Cities law enforcement
A number of law enforcement leaders called out the “endless” civil rights violations by federal agents, specifically their profiling of off-duty officers of color. Brooklyn Park Chief Mark Bruley detailed how one officer in his department, a woman of color, was stopped and questioned by agents who demanded her papers. The agents knocked a phone from her hands as she tried to record the encounter. They released her only after she told them she was off-duty police. Standing with Bruley and others at the Capitol, Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt exhorted political leaders, “now is not the time to be quiet.” She’s right. Soon, there will be a reckoning for those who participated or sat silently as constitutional protections were shattered.
Jeers to Greg Bovino
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection commander at large held a fake-folksy news conference in which he falsely blamed Mayor Jacob Frey for fomenting trouble. He also inscrutably referred to the notion of protecting “Ma and Pa America.” Bovino was unwilling, however, to acknowledge inappropriate ICE tactics, claiming that “everything we do every day is legal, ethical and moral.” As if. He deflected when asked about the concerns raised by Twin Cities law enforcement officials, saying “many of these police chiefs work for the Mayor Freys of the world.” Bovino also claimed without a shred of supporting foundation that Minneapolis Chief Brian O’Hara disagreed with Frey. But Bovino, a wannabe strongman, didn’t even bother to get the chief’s name right. Not once but twice, Bovino referred to the chief as “Chief O’Brian.” The screw-up is emblematic of the entirety of Bovino’s nasty, slipshod operation: Shoot from the hip and fail to ask questions later.
Cheers to state Rep. Marion Rarick
The Maple Lake Republican acted on a plea from law enforcement leaders and called for immigration agents to follow the law. Rarick demanded on social media that ICE “stop racial profiling and violating civil rights as has been experienced and documented by law enforcement. Full stop. No excuses. Just stop. ICE must follow the Constitution.” The unwillingness of her fellow Republicans, including the state’s congressional delegation, puts her courage into sharp relief. This is what moral leadership looks like. Thank you.
Jeers to ICE & Customs and Border Protection
Their enforcement has been reckless and ruthless overall, but especially so in two recent incidents that reveal the depths of their depraved indifference to the law and fellow human beings. On Jan. 14, four ICE agents ate lunch at El Tapatio, a Mexican restaurant in Willmar. They returned at closing and detained the two owners and a worker, eyewitnesses reported. It takes a particular kind of cruelty and grotesque moral disfigurement to carry this out. Also, agents handcuffed a half-dressed ChongLy Scott Thao at his home in St. Paul and drove him around for an hour before releasing him. He has been a U.S. citizen since 1991 and has no criminal record. This is not organized immigration enforcement; this is the federal government stoking indiscriminate terror and assaulting an American.
Cheers to the St. Paul mayor
Kaohly Her was born in a Laotian refugee camp and is now the capital city’s first Hmong mayor. She took office this month, a tough time to transition to a new job with ICE agents crawling the city, spreading fear. But in Her’s first month, she’s led prominently with wisdom and compassion. Her recently announced she would postpone her inaugural celebration because of the ongoing federal enforcement actions. It was the right move, and Her has not missed a step as she grabbed the reins during one of the city’s most challenging stretches.
Jeers to Brad Kohler
The GOP gubernatorial candidate recently threatened violence against transgender individuals in a so-called joke. At recent candidate forums, Kohler, a long-shot candidate, has introduced himself as a former UFC fighter and told the friendly audiences that he’s got two beautiful daughters. Then he delivers the line, “If there was a trans that followed them into a bathroom, I would help them become a woman immediately without insurance. Thank you.” The crowds and his fellow candidates smile and laugh, but the threat of criminal violence from a trained fighter is not the least bit funny. Minnesota is looking for a governor, not a bathroom bouncer. A suggestion: Instead of going for the cheap laugh, Kohler should dig deep and challenge himself to offer a plan to make health care affordable and accessible.
