Opinion: What happened to us? Is violence now the cost of public service in Minnesota?

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Like many Minnesotans, I reacted with heartbreak, horror and disbelief to the news that Minnesota House DFL Leader Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were assassinated in their home, and that state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were targeted in a separate, violent attack. But one reaction I didn’t have — and this is the part that haunts me — is surprise.

For years, I’ve said it wasn’t a question of if, but when something like this would happen. And now, that unthinkable day has come. Two innocent people are dead. Two others are seriously injured. And the state we all call home feels irreversibly changed.

As a school board member in Edina, I’ve seen the temperature rising for a long time. What used to be political disagreement has turned personal, even dangerous. I’ve experienced such vile social media posts, emails and implied threats that local law enforcement has increased patrols near my home multiple times during my tenure. I’ve seen my address — and my family’s schedule — shared publicly by accounts on both far-right and far-left platforms. I’ve had to be escorted to my car after public meetings. I’ve been warned that people know where my kids go to school. During COVID, I stopped letting my children open packages at home because I didn’t know what might be inside. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

None of this should be normal. And yet, for far too many elected officials across our state and the country — from local boards to legislatures — it is.

We’re living in a time when disagreement is no longer seen as a healthy part of democracy. Political opponents — and even public servants who simply hold a different view — are treated like enemies. Social media, despite its promise of connection, has amplified our worst instincts: It rewards outrage, spreads misinformation and makes it easy to dehumanize others from behind a screen.

We all need to take responsibility. Every person who posts vitriol online. Every elected official — regardless of party — who refuses to call out violent or inflammatory rhetoric. Every social media company that profits from dysfunction without accountability.

I am heartbroken for the Hortman and Hoffman families. But I’m also grieving for Minnesota and America. For the idea that public service could be noble, not dangerous. That debate could be civil, not fatal. That elected officials could disagree without fearing for their safety, the safety of their families and their lives.

So now, each of us must decide what kind of country we want to live in — and what kind of culture we’re willing to tolerate. One where violence becomes a routine response to disagreement? Or one where we recover the ability to solve problems together, with decency and respect?

I’ve made my choice. I hope you will, too. Because what happened Saturday cannot become our new normal. Our children deserve better.