All posts in the topic Minnesota Values (Short link)

From: Wizard Marks Date: Aug 24 19:09 UTC Short link

MN values is an amorphous term, like "community." Community is a term that can
mean anything and is applied in a cavalier fashion. The "faith" community, only
applies to religious faiths (and only some of those). Community is applied to
protected classes, but it is also applied to various business interests, i.e.
the "community" of restauranteurs. It has become worthless as a term with any
clear definition.

MN values are also cherry picked to represent only the values (seldom stated)
of a speaker. So, for example, it appears that MN residents, from its status as
a territory down to today, value hatred and genocide of American Indians. Yet
that particular value is never mentioned by those who spout MN values like a
mantra.

Having the state support the wealthy also appears to be a MN value. Carl
Pohlad, a wealthy man, just got Hennepin County to pay the lion's share of the
cost of his new stadium, while his team, the MN Twins, already have a stadium.

MN also values having the federal government pay for the egregious mistakes of
private industry. The federal government paid for Eastman's mistake when he
misdug yet another tunnel under the Mississippi River, caving in the cap rock
of St. Anthony Falls.

MN values Northwest Airlines to the tune of $460+ million given to the airline
which promised to build a repair facility in Duluth, but then reneged on the
deal.

MN rabidly valued anti-Semitism with radio programs, newspaper coverage, and
vitriol in the years before and succeeding WWII and which still pops it's ugly
head up more than just occasionally.

MN values immigration, legal or illegal. MN values racism very highly and not a
day passes that another example can be found both in laws, practices, and
everyday nastiness toward people of various different "races." There are even
groups in MN, like the KKK and the Skinheads which recruit members for their
hatred of Jews and other protected classes

And, of course, MN really, really values its people, particularly those who are
GLBT. Gay men have been valued to death on many occasions over the short
history of "Minnesota" since it was stolen from the tribes present when the
whites arrived.

MN also values the rights of sport fisherman over the rights of tribal people
to survive, even with pitifully poor vestiges of once intricate and interesting
cultures.

I conclude from its history and its present day practices that "MN values" is
anything one wants it to be, but it's used to hide the obvious and deny its
existence.