TRIBUTE TO SPEAKER-EMERITA MELISSA HORTMAN
As I write this, it has only been a few days since I got up on Saturday morning and learned that Speaker-Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband were murdered, and State Senator John Hoffman and his wife had been shot in their homes by a lunatic.
The following days were filled with mostly shock and sadness.
This is an unthinkable tragedy for the State of Minnesota. Politics should not operate this way. Sometimes it’s difficult for people to remember that lawmakers are human too. We all have families. We all have feelings. No sane person would wish this catastrophe on anyone.
Representative Hortman sat roughly 10 feet away from me on the House floor and no matter our party differences she always had a genuine smile and greeting. It was apparent she was a woman of grace and kindness. I appreciated her quick sense of humor, which is a great tool to possess when politics get tense. Melissa was a highly intelligent and gifted legislator. The Democrat House caucus tragically lost a great leader.
As many now try to process this horrific event, there is one thing we all agree on and that is there is no place for political violence in Minnesota.
I want to thank law enforcement agencies from across the state for working day and night to find and arrest this assassin. I’d also like to thank the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office who had a squad car in our driveway and have been patrolling the area by our home. Their presence meant a lot to my family!
This month I was set to give you an update on special session, but instead, I’d like to use my column this month to share the words given by the Hortman children, Sophie and Colin, after learning their parents had lost their lives. Hopefully, you will be moved by their message as much as I was. Please pray for them, for the continued healing of the Hoffmans, and pray for our state and for our country!
“We are devastated and heartbroken at the loss of our parents, Melissa and Mark. They were the bright lights at the center of our lives, and we can’t believe they are gone. Their love for us was boundless. We miss them so much.
“We want everyone to know that we are both safe and with loved ones. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support we have received, and we appreciate your respect for our family’s privacy as we grieve.
“Our family would like to thank law enforcement for their swift action that saved others and for the coordination across communities that led to the arrest of the man who murdered our parents. We especially would like to thank the officers who were first on the scene to our parents’ home and their heroic attempts to rescue our mom and dad.
“Our parents touched so many lives, and they leave behind an incredible legacy of dedication to their community that will live on in us, their friends, their colleagues and co-workers, and every single person who knew and loved them.
“If you would like to honor the memory of Mark and Melissa, please consider the following:
- Plant a tree.
- Visit a local park and make use of their amenities, especially a bike trail.
- Pet a dog. A golden retriever is ideal, but any will do.
- Tell your loved ones a cheesy dad joke and laugh about it.
- Bake something — bread for Mark or a cake for Melissa, and share it with someone.
- Try a new hobby and enjoy learning something.
- Stand up for what you believe in, especially if that thing is justice and peace.
“Hope and resilience are the enemy of fear. Our parents lived their lives with immense dedication to their fellow humans. This tragedy must become a moment for us to come together. Hold your loved ones a little closer. Love your neighbors. Treat each other with kindness and respect. The best way to honor our parents’ memory is to do something, whether big or small, to make our community just a little better for someone else.”