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Minnesota’s immigration story never ended, we just lost the plot
Today’s column (gift link) tells a story of a beloved children’s author from Minnesota, but not the one that most people know about. Of course, like many, I grew up hearing the stories of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her semi-autobiographical “Little House on the Prairie” series. It was practically required reading. My mom read a…
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A bad bet for our future
Like some of you, I yearn for relief from the stressful condition of our world today. Quite often, this comes from sports. Because of my job, I am constantly engaged with the news, but when I feel the familiar pangs of anxiety, I switch to sports. Sports, sports broadcasting and sports talk are gleefully, unapologetically…
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The language of a culture renewing itself
I grew up on the historic land of the Anishinaabe, though that certainly wasn’t something discussed. After a few generations, the past becomes a story told to the teller’s liking. My family lived an immigrant story. My grandfather bought the 40 acres of swamp that would become our junkyard, and that was all we needed…
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And now we’re arresting journalists
Journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort were arrested this week after documenting a protest that took place in a St. Paul church on Jan. 18. The indictments of the protesters and journalists implied that there was some real threat to the church-goers there. This is a dubious claim, but regardless, the arrest of journalists covering…
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What ‘the battle for Minnesota’ means to the world
I took the job at the Minnesota Star Tribune in part because these are historic times. I thought that being a columnist for a large media organization would allow me to make a difference. Not even a year in and I’ve had enough history to last me a while. But even with last summer’s political…
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Fear and loathing at your local Walmart
For reasons explained in today’s column (gift link), I spent about six full days of my life at the Hibbing Walmart last year — roughly 150 hours. We try to mix up our family shopping. We’re fortunate to be able to pay more for better products at other grocery stores, and shop at specialty stores…
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Time unites a divided reality
This moment in history will define our times. Federal agents scooping people up, clashing with protestors in the streets of my home state. Not just in Minneapolis, but across the state, including communities up north. Perhaps some legitimate criminals were arrested, but many innocent people were terrorized. And yet, I found myself frozen for a…
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Are we going to fix problems, or make them worse?
Today’s column (gift link) provides an example of the challenge facing opinion writers like me. To persuade, one’s argument must be clear. You also have to reach people who don’t agree with you. Today, we’re facing an unprecedented use of federal force to patrol a peaceful American state, my state. This action already caused needless…
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Protecting our last great institution
Today’s column (gift link) makes a simple argument for public libraries. And yet, it emerges from a mind boiling with frustration. I want to shake people. I want to tell them, “I know things are bad. We don’t have to make it worse.” As all the money in our substantial economy rushes upward like oil…
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Looking backwards and forwards at MinnesotaBrown
This post is for all you MinnesotaBrown readers who have stuck with me. I know things have changed since I took the new job at the Minnesota Star Tribune. A decade ago I was a veritable fire hose of Iron Range news and analysis. Then I started focusing on columns and long-form essays, and now…
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At hospitals, crisis abounds, and so does danger
We were at my dad’s place in Chisago County over the post-Christmas weekend when we heard about the security officer killed at a nearby hospital. It was close to home, literally. But it also resonated because I spent time researching mental health for a column series earlier this year. We don’t yet know all the…
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Bipartisan friendship finds the common thread
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Please enjoy this gift link to my Christmas column about a bipartisan friendship on the Iron Range. People often associate the Iron Range with its quirky political tradition, a northern gothic tableau replete with loud characters and a genial sort of corruption that somehow passes for lovable. I learned…
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Suppressing environmental debate is not winning
Today’s column (gift link) is another entry in my “observations that will please no one” series. Enjoy? On Dec. 2, U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber and two GOP colleagues tried to make a political issue out of meetings between environmental groups and the Biden White House during the last administration. I was pulled between two reactions.…
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Christmas count a good start for bird curious people
Longtime readers have watched my gradual transition from bird skeptic to avowed birder. Today’s column (gift link) tells you how you can follow this path, if you are ready. This year’s Audubon Christmas Bird Count was the first where I felt useful in identifying the birds we saw. Now, it was 25 below zero and…
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Can we grow film industry in these north woods?
A film is something fake that feels real. The film industry, as I’ve observed it, could be described as fake until it becomes real. The line between fake and real is practically invisible until money changes hands. As today’s column shows (gift link), the film industry could be a potent cultural tool and economic driver…