We have frequently commented on Rep. Bianca Virnig’s email updates, and with good reason: Virnig’s communications regularly parrot the progressive talking points du jour, with Virnig seemingly unaware how her policies impact people outside the insulated enclave that is 52B.
Virnig’s most recent email, however, gives one pause. She reports that her name was on the target list of the assassin who killed Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and shot and wounded Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, last month.
This revelation was moving in ways that are difficult to verbalize. The best way to describe it is an instinctual desire to protect. It’s akin to disputes between neighbors. Day to day annoyances can lead to resentment and anger. But if a neighbor experiences a crisis and needs assistance, petty differences have historically been quickly forgotten, with neighbors rushing to each other’s aid. Similarly, while we disagree with Rep. Virnig’s political views and will continue to hold her accountable, if she is threatened, no one is more outraged than her GOP constituents and we have her back.
It should be of tremendous concern that Americans are increasingly willing to take up arms against people with whom they disagree on political matters. But it’s hardly surprising, since the almighty algorithm provides an endless stream of angry voices amplifying humanity’s worst instincts. By all accounts, the Minnesota assassin’s motives were unknown by those closest to him. Very likely his extremism was fueled by someone(s) half a continent, if not half a world, away even as those nearest him were clueless. It’s an uncomfortable microcosm of the paradox of America 2025: 24/7 connectivity, but fewer and fewer connections. One begins to wonder if the above-referenced phenomenon of neighbors helping neighbors is a remnant of a bygone era, replaced instead by perpetual outrage and increased willingness to “other” those with whom we disagree.
Politics determines our finances, our culture, and our freedom. Screens can be a welcome distraction. But when either or both becomes all-consuming, an inescapable downward spiral can occur, leaving devastation in its wake. If there is any positive takeaway from the recent senseless political slayings in Minnesota, let it be a reminder that what matters isn’t who inhabits the statehouse or the White House. It’s your house, and the one next door. The person “liking” your social media post might not even be real. The person next door is, and they deserve your kindness.