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The Minnesota GOP congressional delegation of Hagedorn, Stauber and Emmer voted in favor of urging Americans to overthrow by force the constitutionally elected presidential vote. Does this mean the Minnesota GOP accepts being labeled the party of sedition? Locally? 

I went to witness what the GOP folks were up to at their 2019 Minnesota State Fair booth. An 11-year-old boy was standing in the front of a life-size cardboard cutout of Trump and Pence. Both of this child’s thumbs were enthusiastically pointed up while his smiling father took the picture. I saw a father and his boy in teaching and learning mode.

Had this boy been catechized to covet becoming a celebrity so that he can approach women and physically abuse them, to believe the white race is the superior race to be led by white race authoritarian rule over all other races, to believe that loving same sex couples are an abomination, and to believe the Arab peoples religions must be demonized?

This boy is in need of a responsible society to teach him truth, empathy, to covet intellect over ignorance and especially to reject his learned racism. To teach this boy that our U.S. government judges saved democracy by ruling time and time again against erecting an ethno-nationalist and fascist state. 

It is fair to write this boy was taught to deny the science. Taught to not heed DFL Attorney General Ellison’s words for those who openly violate our Governor’s Executive Order 20-99: “Unfortunately, a very small handful are threatening their customers, their workers and their communities by refusing to comply and violating the law. Their insistence on violating the law is simply prolonging the pain of the pandemic for everyone.” Openly super-spreading the virus is a bad example for 11-year-old girls and boys.

Democracy saved us. The presidential vote outcome is real. The reality for 11-year-old girls and boys, plus soon to be 18-year-old voters, is the reality of starting Jan. 20, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be sworn in as the democratically elected president and vice president of the United States of America.

To all of the local GOP leaders — you are very very welcome. Voters and government judges rejected sedition.

Ted Hinnenkamp

Albert Lea