r/minnesota

I’m a Somali American Minnesotan, and I’m disturbed by the reports of teenage gun violence in our communities. Violence is unacceptable. Victims deserve justice, neighborhoods deserve safety, and anyone responsible should be held accountable, regardless of their background.

But accountability and collective blame are two different things.

When someone commits a crime, that person is responsible. Their ethnicity does not make everyone who shares it a suspect. Yet in discussions about fraud and now teenage violence, “Somali” too often becomes the headline, the explanation, and the accusation.

Minnesota deals with crimes committed by people from many backgrounds. We generally understand that an individual’s actions do not define an entire ethnic community. Somali Americans deserve that same basic fairness.

I’m not asking anyone to hide facts or avoid discussing difficult issues. If there are gangs, investigate them. If people commit fraud, prosecute them. If teenagers are carrying guns and hurting people, intervene and hold those responsible accountable. Discuss the failures and circumstances that allow these problems to grow.

But attaching “Somali” to every discussion of crime does not explain what happened or help prevent the next incident. It encourages people to associate an entire community with criminal behavior.

And when that framing comes from elected officials, prominent public figures, media outlets, or law enforcement, it carries weight. I worry about what it means for ordinary Somali Americans going to work, raising children, attending school, and living their lives. They should not have to answer for strangers’ crimes or wonder whether someone sees them as a threat because of their name or appearance.

Our community can be horrified by violence, demand accountability, and reject prejudice at the same time. Those positions are completely consistent.

The victims must remain central to this conversation. Their suffering should never become a tool for stirring up hostility toward people who had nothing to do with it.

Let’s demand safer neighborhoods, serious prevention, and equal accountability. We can fight crime without creating more hatred between neighbors.

Hold the people responsible accountable. Don’t put an entire community on trial.

Join Doug for an r/Minnesota AMA October 8 from 11:00 am CST to 1:30 pm CST

Doug Chapin, candidate for congress in CD6 against Tom Emmer, is taking over our account tomorrow!

Ask Doug anything from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm on October 8 right here!

If you want to learn more about Doug before the AMA: https://www.chapinforcongress.com

Eight U.S. doctors, including two Minnesota physicians, were mistakenly identified as dead in letters sent to patients last month by health insurer UnitedHealthcare.

A UHC spokesman confirmed the total this week after the Minnesota Star Tribune received a copy of a letter that incorrectly notified some patients of the death of Dr. Geoffrey Fasen, a Fairview Health Services surgeon. The wording of the letter was largely identical to one sent last month to patients of Dr. Richard Johnston, an Edina ophthalmologist.

Both letters were dated Sept. 11. Two weeks later, the patients received a second UHC letter acknowledging the mistake, and stressing that the doctors were still in-network providers — and presumably alive.

“You may continue to see them at network costs,” the correction letters stated.

UHC apologized in a written statement for the initial, erroneous letters, adding, “we have updated our processes to help prevent this type of error from occurring in the future.” A spokesperson did not elaborate on the breakdown that caused the problem in the first place.

>HSS quickly drew people looking for fast cash, though, according to federal prosecutors who have charged over a dozen people in fraud cases involving at least $26 million. Prosecutors have said that the shuttered program was so easy to scam that it attracted “tourists.” In one striking example, two Philadelphia men heard HSS was “easy money,” traveled to Minnesota, enrolled their companies into the program, returned to Philly, submitted fraudulent claims from there, and received $3.5 million for doing so, prosecutors say.

The Shoe's annual warehouse sale is this weekend. There can be some good deals on footware and other RWS items.

Parking in the American Legion lot or MAYBE at Knudsen's Carmels (across the street) is possible.

Do NOT park in Behrens Auto lot even though it's completely empty and has not been used in a decade and is right next to the RWS sale site. The Berhens family live to have cars towed out of their empty lot.

Is there any plan in place to hand recount all the votes? I am worried that people either don’t know or don’t care about their capability and intention to access and manipulate voting machines, and I’m worried that the Democratic Party would rather lose the election than admit that it was compromised. I hope I’m totally wrong and concerned about nothing, but I also hope there’s some sort of contingency in place if not