My name is Jessica Rohloff. I've lived in Kandiyohi County my whole life, coming up on 45 years.
I grew up living by the seasons of the farm and got my first town job at a local café. I love to see the world but I love coming home even more. It is where my people came looking for a better life and it is where they are buried.
Every two or four years, political parties and politicians develop an interest in my part of the world. They come to the parades and shake hands. We love having people stop by. And our Norwegian, Somali or Mexican families, just to name a few of the varieties, will make sure you are welcome and well fed.
The problem comes when you bring with you all your stereotypes of who we are. When you can't get past the stereotype, you miss out on who we really are and what we really need. After you leave, sometimes we wonder if you heard us at all.
Yes, I had gun training at 12. And yes, I have been known to drive a truck. But that isn't all I am. The stereotypes of uneducated, angry people who vote only on scarcity, racism and fear don't fit me and don't fit most people I know. So put away the plaid shirts and hunting vests and just be yourselves. We don't need you to share our wardrobes or hobbies. We just need you to show up and learn who we are.
Come meet my friend Lydia. Lydia is a 16-year-old high school student who lives near me. Like most people her age, she worries about her friends, her homework and how she can go to college. But she's also worried about her own safety. She grew up in an era of school shootings. What may seem like TV news to adults is vivid and tangible for teenagers. It's a real fear. Lydia is tired of being told that gun control is not something we can talk about in rural Minnesota.
Or my friend Hamdi, who is a 20-year-old Somali-American woman who lives in Willmar. Hamdi is a faithful person. She is devoted to her Muslim faith and is dedicated to Willmar. She wants to earn a college degree, have a family and publish a book with her name on the cover, and she wants to do it here in rural Minnesota.
Rural Minnesota has farmers, packing house workers and miners. We also have brilliant young writers.