State Visits-Communique’

I travel a lot, I see lots of people and places. I see 10 times more than the average person, I have met between two and three million people in the last twenty years. Few people you know have met that many people.

Tomorrow the president is coming to my state. He has chosen this state because of our appreciation of diversity.

He has decided this is where he wants to spread more discord and division.

He realizes that a politician in our state is a threat to him.

She happens to be Muslim and educated.

Though she is not from my community, she happens to be the face of my community.

She has borne the trials and tribulations of being an “immigrant”.

She has also achieved exactly what we as a nation wanted her to achieve, an education and become an integral part of our society.

She reflects all of the noble aspirations of our State and also of our immigrant communities.

She is new at politics and she will occasionally stumble and fall. I respect her more not less.

She is exactly what our forefathers wanted to bring forth.

Smartness, articulation of those around her, reflection on our society and on humanity.

Her main adversary is none other than the most powerful man in the United States of America.

He has come to degrade her and put her down.

Though he may be popular in the world of Grade B TV celebrity, he will have a harder time convincing my educated Minnesota friends.

We seem to have a broader view of humanity and don’t respond to dog whistle fear mongering.

Muslims don’t scare us, Africans don’t scare us, Mexicans, Nicaraguans, Hondurans, Guatemalans don’t scare us.
In small communities throughout this nation they have come to be seen as our Salvation.

They have filled our vacant houses, they have purchased new cars at the local car dealership, our grocery stores are busy.

They are our new found SALVATION.

My old friends of white privilege seemed threatened, they have no reason to be.

These people are carrying on the age old tradition of the American Spirit, embracing the spirit and promise of the Statue of Liberty.

They bring new life, they bring new hope, they bring new ambition…..wild ambition to the shores of this nation.

The tired, the old, the privileged, the worn out, need replacing. These people have always and will always rise to the occasion.

I see it in my own community every day, week, and month.

I can introduce you to immigrant children that have become our doctors, soldiers, officers, military, teachers, educators and numerous other professionals.

It all happened in the blink of one generation. If you didn’t notice, it was because you weren’t paying attention.

The biggest bully in the nation has come to our state to intimidate one of our own.
The new hope of our state, our immigrant society, the society that will push us into the next prosperous generation.

I trust that we are more understanding and more educated than most other states.

We won’t allow those people to intimidate our duly elected officials.

We need to stand by those that are willing to represent us, we have every reason to stand tall and proud.

A novice, perhaps inexperienced public servant, Ilhan Omar has stepped forward to reflect the desires of the people of our state.

She is the face and aspirations of my community and my State, and I salute her.

Goliath is on his way to destroy her.

Conjure up some strength and show her that in this State, WE ARE ONE!
Bill Keitel