Glued to my laptop, when I heard the word “guilty” read three times in a row, a lot went through my mind. “Hell yes” was my first thought. “Screw you, Derek” was probably my second. Then, I began to think more broadly: Does this mean we are actually starting to see change in our justice system? What will come next for reform in the policing system? Will the police loot Target in response to the verdict? I could not fully come up with all the answers at the moment, but after sleeping on it, I decided it was finally time for me to collect my thoughts and reflect on the historic moment that transpired yesterday in Minnesota.

Let me start by making one thing clear: I 100% am happy, relieved and excited that Derek Chauvin was found guilty on every charge made against him, which included second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. It was the right — nay, practically indisputable — choice. I want to say all this as a preface to my next statement because it will sound incredibly contradictory to my explanation. Because you see, while I agree with what the jury decided, what we saw yesterday was not justice. It was accountability.

We (mostly white people) need to understand that the jury’s delivery of a guilty verdict to Derek Chauvin for murdering George Floyd showed accountability. In my opinion, that was not justice. Justice would be having George Floyd alive today and his family living without trauma and grief. Justice would be having a world where Black citizens do not have to put their hands on their dashboard and hit record on their phones every time they get pulled over in traffic. Justice is having a nation where we do not have a young man named Daunte Wright killed little more than a week before a jury delivered a guilty verdict for Chauvin — yet another innocent Black man. What we saw when Chauvin was sashayed away in handcuffs was accountability. In my opinion, accountability means that we are holding people like Chauvin responsible for committing murder and seeing that he faces due processes of the law instead of being let go without consequences because he was a part of an established, powerful and systemically corrupt institution like the police system. And we needed to see accountability. It was most definitely a right first step in addressing the police brutality and racism that are so prevalent in our country. But the fight is not over, so do not mistake Tuesday for justice.

And listen, I’m not telling you not to celebrate. Black people in this country especially have been burned so often by the justice system that they deserve a win. In cases like Philando Castile’s, Breonna Taylor’s and so many more, we should have seen more accountability and punishment laid out for officers who ended up walking away scot-free. So, I hope people were able to find some solace and jubilation following yesterday’s court proceedings. Or, I hope they were able to react the way they wanted to. Whatever people in the Black community were feeling, it was justified, and I hope my community members take care of themselves. But for people who think this verdict solved everything and that it is complete and swift justice, you are as ignorant as someone who thinks it is a good idea to become a cop in 2021.

Convicting a despicable and delusional former police officer for murdering in broad daylight, a murder filmed on multiple cell phones, does not mean we have fixed our nation’s policing system. Scrolling through Twitter last night, I read a tweet that said, “The work and trauma that went into getting justice for just one man still means this system is broken,” and honestly, I think that sums up the situation pretty well. Derek Chauvin being found guilty was not a solution to systemic racism, which is the bedrock upon which our damning and destructive policing system was built upon. The United States still devalues Black lives daily. This trial was a crucial stepping stone in moving our country in the right direction, but it was not a be-all and end-all solution. So, how do I suggest we move forward? There seems to be only one clear solution: It is time to dismantle the policing system.

What do I mean when I say, ‘dismantle the system?’ Easy. The end goal of dismantling the United States police system is to restructure and reimagine policing, an establishment in our nation with far too much power and systemic problems — you know, like killing innocent members of our Black, Indigenous and people of color communities. You start with steps like defunding or allocating most funds we use for the police to other community needs or programs. For example, there are talks in Minneapolis of funding local community mediators or traffic patrol officers to take the place of responsibilities usually held by the police. I think this makes complete sense because why on earth should someone be armed with a gun and various other lethal weapons when they are pulling someone over for a broken taillight?

Speaking of alternatives like community mediators leads me to the next part of dismantling, which is disbanding the police and reimagining the system. We need to take apart the policing structure after we have substantially weakened it (defunding) and essentially start from scratch. We build new rules, like banning the use of chokeholds. We develop new standards, like having only unarmed traffic officers respond to traffic needs, and create specialized departments for varying needs and situations in our communities so police are not the ones who go to every scenario from armed robbery to a cat stuck up in a tree. Finally, we start new training to build a “policing” system that will actually benefit and serve the entire community and not result in the deaths of more innocent Black people. I mean, for crying out loud, even the Justice Department is coming to visit Minnesota to investigate our policing practices. Is that not a red flag to anyone else that we have clearly let the police run rampant and destroy our communities for too long now?

There are many obstacles to dismantling the police, such as conservative policymakers, police unions and lots of other bureaucratic bullshit, but I do not really want to talk about that. I don’t want to dedicate any time in my column to the people who think we should not dismantle a corrupt institution. I only want to talk about what we can do moving forward to make things right in our country. To me, this means continuing to fight the status quo and systemic structures in our society that continue to oppress minority groups. It means continuing to protest and question common practices. It means continuing to educate ourselves and listen to one another to innovate new ways to change our policing system.

It may not mean much, considering they are probably just trying to find peace and solace after a terrible and traumatic year of life, but with the last few words of my article, I would like to express my love to the family of George Floyd: He deserved better. You deserved better.

Students at the University of Minnesota need to look no further than our own backyard to see that hate-based crimes are on the rise. Racists, white supremacists and extremists are emboldened, violently attacking minorities. Those of us who are part of a minority community cannot help but see ourselves in the victims of these hate crimes. Could that woman who was attacked have been my aunt? Could the man who was sucker-punched have been my grandfather? Could I be next? These are thoughts that have crossed the minds of many fellow students from minority backgrounds at least at some point in their lives.

As Jewish students, these are the terror-based thoughts we face on a daily basis, and they are not just a product of catastrophes and traumas of the past. These fears are ignited by real-life events happening here and now in our country and in this state. Hate crimes in the United States rose to the highest level in more than a decade in 2019. According to a New York Times article dated November 2020, the overall increase was attributed to a rise in attacks against Jews and Hispanics. In 2019, there were 953 antisemitic crimes, an increase of 14% from the previous year; 527 hate crimes against Latinos, an increase of 9%. The FBI reported that Black people are targeted at twice the level that they represent in the American population, and now we’re seeing a dangerous rise of hate crimes against the Asian American community.

Over and over again, we have witnessed the dangerous intersection of white supremacy and hatred of minorities. Not too far from the University, George Floyd was murdered by those who had sworn to protect, and, most recently in Atlanta, eight Asian women were slaughtered in their places of work. For many of these hateful individuals, anti-Jewish animus, constructed on wild conspiracy theories, forms the foundation of their hatred. This insidious hatred drove a man to murder 11 worshippers at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018. According to the murderer’s manifesto, he targeted the synagogue for having donated to HIAS, an organization that works to protect refugees who have been forced to flee their homelands. In the same vein, antisemitic hostility inspired the Charlottesville rioters to chant “the Jews will not replace us” and “blood and soil,” a Nazi rallying cry. And insurrectionist t-shirts lauding that 6WME, “6 million wasn’t enough,” and boasting “Camp Auschwitz” point to a frightening renaissance of Nazi-inspired Jewish loathing.

In Minneapolis, a bus stop outside a synagogue was vandalized with swastikas and the words “Seig Heil, Heil Hitler, Trump 2020.” In St. Paul, the words “Free Palestine,” “Fuck Zionism” and “Solidarity STP-Palestine” were spray-painted on the pavement outside a synagogue. And at the University, it is not uncommon for Jewish students to be aggressively questioned on the basis of their religious beliefs and ostracized from social groups. Many of our peers hide away Jewish identifiers like their Star of David or yarmulke, a skull cap, to escape inevitable harassment.

But this is not the way that things should be in 2021 or at the University of Minnesota. That is why we urge the students here at the University to join the 31 countries, including the United States, the dozens of U.S. colleges and universities, the countless Jewish organizations, and non-governmental bodies such as the Global Imams Council in adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism in the upcoming campus-wide referendum on March 22 through March 26. The IHRA Definition of antisemitism is a non-legally binding educational tool to prevent hatred against the Jewish people through identifying and understanding how antisemitism can manifest. Passing the IHRA Definition of antisemitism is the first step in a long road to eradicate anti-Jewish hatred and will signal to Jewish students — and other minority groups — that the University of Minnesota will not stand idly by in the face of rising hate and discrimination.

The authors of this OpEd submission include Abby Flekier, Vice President of Engagement – Hillel Student Board; Eliana Smelansky, Engagement Chair – Chabad Student Board/Hillel Council Member; Sophie Shapiro, Vice President of Programming – Hillel Student Board; Anna Casey Vice President of Campus Relations – Hillel Student Board; Kelsey Bailey, President – Hillel Student Board; Shaina Kravetz, President – Chabad Student Board; Allen Shofman, Vice President of AEPi; Sam Schachtman, Hillel Council/Sammy Member; Luke Scheid, President of Sigma Alpha Mu; Ethan Rosenthal, Hillel Council/Chabad Campus Communications Chair; and Naomi Kaplan, Hillel Council.

We are a group of Jewish and allied students, faculty and alumni who care deeply about the Jewish community. We write in opposition to Minnesota Hillel’s referendum for the upcoming campus elections, which encourages the University of Minnesota to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism. Antisemitism is an increasingly dangerous threat to Jews and democratic values worldwide and should be taken seriously. However, the IHRA definition does not lessen the threat of antisemitism and, concerningly, has been used to conflate legitimate criticism of Israel with antisemitism, obstructing political and academic freedom.

For an educational institution that prides itself on free intellectual exchange, the referendum’s proposed adoption of the IHRA definition is extremely problematic and effectively shuts down free speech and academic freedom. We join hundreds of academics, (including more than 50 academics specializing in antisemitism, Jewish and Holocaust history), Jewish, civil rights and academic organizations, and the Union of Reform Judaism in opposing the IHRA definition’s legal use and codification. Although Minnesota Hillel’s referendum is nonbinding, we believe the IHRA definition has no place at the University since it has already been wielded against free speech at other universities to distressing effects. 

In spaces where the IHRA definition has been codified, it has been used to silence those, especially Palestinians, who are critical of Israeli human rights abuses and violations of international law. Independent Jewish Voices Canada documented 38 instances of the IHRA definition being used to criminalize criticism of Israel in North America and western Europe. In addition, under former President Trump, the State Department weaponized the IHRA definition to declare the groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch as “antisemitic.” The danger of the referendum lies in the broad nature of the IHRA definition, as well as a clause that defines antisemitism as “denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of the State of Israel is a racist endeavor.” While individuals who support oppressive policies toward Palestinians may feel uncomfortable listening to condemnations of structural racism and colonialism in Israel, to say that such speech is antisemitic is outrageous. Since more than half of the 11 examples of antisemitism in the IHRA definition are about Israel, we remain concerned that it will be used to silence all criticism of Israel — not just in regards to its treatment of Palestinians, but also in regards to its asylum policies, arms sales and the fact that, under international law, the current state of Israel has been an occupying power for over half a century.

The IHRA definition suppresses free speech, a First Amendment right. The lead author of the IHRA working definition, Kenneth Stern, has stated publicly in multiple op-eds and testified in Congress that it was not written to be an official hate speech code and that its use as such by the Trump administration and campus groups “is an attack on academic freedom and free speech, and will harm not only pro-Palestinian advocates, but also Jewish students and faculty, and the academy itself.” After Florida State University adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism, one professor reportedly stopped teaching about Israel-Palestine for fear of repercussions. We are concerned about a similar muting of academic discourse at the University of Minnesota. Where the IHRA definition is codified into policy, it discourages students and professors from discussing Israel and Palestine, and from investigating issues of nationalism and world conflict more broadly. Former President Trump’s Executive Order 13899, based on the IHRA definition, prompted condemnation from the editorial boards of three major newspapers, showing this issue has repercussions beyond the academy.

The IHRA definition also ignores threats to Jewish safety, historically and structurally posed by white supremacy, which are of urgent concern. According to renowned Jewish-American scholar Judith Butler, “if the charge of antisemitism is used to defend Israel at all costs, then its power when used against those who do discriminate against Jews — who do violence to synagogues in Europe, wave Nazi flags or support anti-semitic organizations — is radically diluted.” The IHRA definition fails to specifically focus on white supremacists, even though they are some of the largest sources of antisemitic threats and violence in most recent years. By making criticisms of Israel a focal point instead, it does not effectively protect the safety of Jews or our allies. After the events of January 6 at the Capitol and the recent upswing in anti-Asian violence, it is more important than ever to address antisemitism in a way that clearly connects with all other forms of racism, oppression and discrimination.

Regardless of Minnesota Hillel’s intentions in introducing this referendum, the IHRA working definition will cause more harm than good and not alleviate antisemitism. Students should vote against this referendum.

The authors of this OpEd submission include Kenza El Abdallaoui, a CLA undergraduate student; Tamara Walsky, a MS Water Resources Science candidate; Mikaela Ziegler, a Master of Public Policy candidate; Josie Slovut, a CFANS undergraduate student; and Josh Spitzer-Resnick, a CLA undergraduate student.

Note: As of 4:47 p.m. on March 19, this open letter was signed by at least 182 University of Minnesota community members. The full list of signatories and original OpEd can be found here.  

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INTRO MUSIC

MEGAN PALMER: Hey everyone, and welcome back to In The Know, a podcast by the Minnesota Daily. 

From early morning voting to the Democratic and Republican results parties, our team of reporters covered the 2020 Election Day top to bottom. The day was filled with anxiety and anticipation for Minnesotans as they cast their ballots in many key races. The day began quietly, with voters lining up outside of their polling places before precincts opened statewide at 7am. As the sun rose in the east, reporter Ava Kian began her day speaking with voters at Marcy Open School. 

NAT SOUND 

AVA KIAN: I’m currently near the exit of the polling area, where they are having voters enter from one side and exit from the other. It seems that people are in a bit of a rush this morning, getting in to vote before their days start and their meetings start.

NAT SOUND — CARS WHOOSHING BY — (FADE UP AND UNDER)

KIAN: Did you — was it easy? Pretty quick?

LARRY FOWLAR: Yes.

KIAN: Yeah.

FOWLAR: Faster than I thought it was, thought there was going to be a line. Yeah because I went past- when I got off work yesterday I went past the Urban League, they had a line up around the corner. That’s why I came early today instead of coming in when I got off of work.  

PALMER: Several voters explained the importance and necessity they felt in casting their ballots. 

MADELINE WALL: Oh gosh! I mean I think it’s a civic duty. I think I really would’ve regretted it if I hadn’t come. I voted in 2016 and it was a big deal, it was my first time voting. And… I’m really excited to see if things might turn out differently this year. I just graduated from the U, so it’s my first vote as a citizen outside of college and I think… I think that’s important to me. 

ROBIN EVANS: I wouldn’t say it was a good time, but it was the most satisfying chore I’ve done in years.

JENNIFER SCHULTZ: I vote in every election, in this particular election I have a keen interest in seeing us change to new leadership. 

PALMER: As expected in Minneapolis, many of the people Ava interviewed were voting for Democratic candidates, for one uniting reason — to remove Donald Trump from office.

JEFFREY CARDENAS: So I voted for all the Democrats, so Biden, Tina, all of them. 

FLORA HSU: Me too. 

KIAN: Any particular reason why you voted for them?

CARDENAS: I don’t like Trump.

HSU: I think it’s just the policy and the view against the other party.

JOAN ELDARD: If it’s not obvious, it’s more against Trump than for anyone. 

I don’t actually have a job, I did have a day program that I attended. Thanks to COVID, it’s not only closed for the duration, it may not be opening at all. So that’s basically my offline community, just gone.

JOSEPH MILLER: If we don’t elect Joe Biden today, that that’s like taking us more steps towards authoritarianism. This is pretty unprecedented in how close Donald Trump has brought us, and so yeah, this is one part of the process of trying to move away from that.

PALMER: As Ava reported in Marcy-Holmes, reporters Megan Germundson and Yoko Vue were talking with voters at the Brian Coyle Community Center in Cedar-Riverside. 

NAT SOUND — BUZZ OF ELECTION DAY INSIDE BRIAN COYLE COMMUNITY CENTER

MEGAN GERMUNDSON: It’s about 7 o’clock in the morning and Yoko and I just arrived at Brian Coyle Community Center.

YOKO VUE: Good morning! This is Yoko.

GERMUNDSON: We’re feeling good, Election Day!

It looks like we have several people, walking into the polling place.

CINDY BURNS: There’s probably about 30 people inside already to vote.

NAT SOUND — OUTDOOR CONSTRUCTION

GERMUNDSON: Security or election officialing?

SECURITY OFFICER: Security.

GERMUNDSON: Just security?

SECURITY: Yeah, it’s my first time with the election, but just security.

PALMER: After fears of voter intimidation spread around the country, Minnesota hired security to staff precincts that were most likely to be targeted.

SECURITY: So like, whoever runs the election, the state or whoever it is, hired our company to kinda just oversee it and make there’s nothing kinda going on, intimidation or stuff like that.

GERMUNDSON: How many security people do they have here?

SECURITY: Just myself.

GERMUNDSON: Okay.

SECURITY: Then there’s a bunch of us at different spots around different polling places.

PALMER: Megan and Yoko had to move across the street near a construction site, in accordance with the polling officials’ requests. They were still able to catch plenty of people on their way in and out of the precinct.

NAT SOUND — BALLOT TRANSLATION INSIDE BRIAN COYLE CENTER

GERMUNDSON: So you’re headed to vote today, how are you feeling?

ROSHIN GELLE: Pretty good, I hope.

GERMUNDSON: Why do you say you hope?

GELLE: I’m hoping the end is going to be good too. Right now I feel good so … I’m hoping for the best, I’m voting for the best.

We’re family people, so I mean, really the person who cares about the people is really what’s important to me…. It’s all about family and not just about money all the time, you know.

GERMUNDSON: And I see you brought your son here… hi! 

SON: [stating name]

GERMUNDSON: What’s your name?

SON: [stating name]!

GERMUNDSON: How old are you?

SON: Six and one equals…

NAT SOUND — INSIDE THE BRIAN COYLE CENTER

GERMUNDSON: So, what are you doing here today?

MIKE CHRISTENSON: I’m a poll watcher.

GERMUNDSON: Oh, okay.

PALMER: Poll watchers showed up to challenge anyone who tried to intimidate voters and help people get their ballots cast.

CHRISTENSON: This is a great community, I work in Cedar-Riverside a lot. I helped found the Opportunity Center, the Cedar-Riverside Opportunity Center. 

I’m just handing out some masks, making sure people are voting safely. 

GERMUNDSON: Why did you vote this election? 

CHRISTENSON: I always vote. I’ve never missed an election. It’s a… that’s what citizens do, they vote.

NAT SOUND — INSIDE BRIAN COYLE

GERMUNDSON: Are you nervous about going in, are you excited, how are you feeling?

FATIMA HASHI: I’m feeling good. I’m feeling good- everything, I’m feeling good!

PALMER: Some people even came to the Twin Cities from far away, like Rick Malinchoc-Devoe, who hoped to curtail voter suppression and rally against Trump.

RICK MALINCHOC-DEVOE: I’m actually here from Red Wing. I own Fair Trade Books, an independent bookstore there. We’re part of a kind of wave of independent bookstores across the country that are concerned about the election, we’re kind of under the banner of refused fascism. I came up here because of the effort on the part of the Trump campaign, they’re calling it Trump’s army. That- what concerned me in an attempt to harass or intimidate voters. So, that’s why I came up, just to see what’s going on.

GERMUNDSON: What are you going to do while you’re here?

MALINCHOC-DEVOE: It’s been very clear, it’s been stated that these quote poll watchers that have been recruited by the Trump campaign are gonna go to minority precincts and you know, attempt to intimidate voters. It’s basically voter suppression.

There’s a rally tomorrow night that I want to tell people about. 

PALMER: Before Rick goes any further, I want to clarify that this rally already happened on Wednesday.

MALINCHOC-DEVOE: It’s at 6 o’clock, I’m getting some flyers made. So I wanna kinda let people be aware of that. I think it’s pretty clear that if the election is close that the Trump administration is poised to suppress the vote with court challenges to keep all the ballots from being counted. 

NAT SOUND — INSIDE BRIAN COYLE CENTER

PALMER: Despite the heavily Democratic crowd, a couple of voters said they were voting for Trump because of his track record and his stance on communism. 

GERMUNDSON: Why did you vote for Trump?

XUAN: Oh, because I see he already [won] four years ago, [and he’d] be okay with everybody. He just cares. I pay attention about that. I want four more years.

LINH CAO: I am Vietnamese. We came here because of the communists. We escaped here. 

All the people living here, they have everything all right within good reason, to take care of their kids. 

PALMER: Others made last minute decisions, thinking about who could best solve the issues in their community, such as Adnan Abdirahman.

ADNAN ABDIRAHMAN: There was a lot of problems, people didn’t know who to vote for, people were confused. And I also didn’t keep up with the elections, so I didn’t make up my decisions. So I decided today is the last day so I just need to put my vote out there. 

GERMUNDSON: And what sort of problems do you face in your community?

ABDIRAHMAN: We face a lot of division problems race-wise, religious problems. We need to break that bond.

For now we just need to find the right person who can come out and talk to people about this problem and change it. 

PALMER: Polls closed across the state at 8pm. In the evening, the “In The Know” team attended the state Democratic and Republican election parties to see candidate reactions as results rolled in. Yoko and I attended the DFL party in downtown St. Paul, where no spectators were allowed this year as a pandemic safety precaution. The evening was filled with speeches from a range of politicians, such as Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and Governor Tim Walz. 

TIM WALZ: Much has changed with the global pandemic, much has changed as a state, as we started to confront long decades-old questions of racism, the inequities. 

PALMER: This is Governor Tim Walz giving a rallying speech at the results party.

WALZ: But what I can tell you is, is that every time we come to election night and every time we get to make these choices, We find out who we are, and I’m proud that we’re having these conversations. I’m proud that we’re ready to start thinking about moving this state forward in a way where everyone is a part of it. And let’s be very clear, no matter what happens tonight, COVID-19 needs to be addressed tomorrow morning. And what we’re seeing in Minnesota is absolutely predictable, horrific, unacceptable, totally avoidable.

It’s not about what’s in it for me. It’s about what we can do together. Our children are watching. Our children are watching election results tonight, and our children are watching how we respond. And I can tell you in Minnesota, we will respond with vision, compassion, with science and with a sense of hopefulness that when we talk about One Minnesota, we truly believe it. So DFLers, we’ve got a long night ahead of us, but I can tell you what the sun will rise tomorrow morning. The work will still be there and our opportunity to make lives better will still be in front of us. Thank you all.

PALMER: Early victories were celebrated as results rolled in declaring Representative Ilhan Omar and Representative Dean Phillips had won reelection in their respective districts. 

ILHAN OMAR: We shifted the narrative of who can serve in Congress. We change, we changed rules so that a Muslim woman with a hijab can vote on the house floor… We invited people, not corporations or special interests, to set the agenda and change the politics of what is possible. We centered marginalized people in our politics. We did not allow fear and hatred to defy us because, because we know that my destiny, your destiny and the destiny of workers around the world is linked… This is all possible because we’ve met people where they are. It’s about building relationships and trust with people, not transactional politics, but transformational politics that create transformative change. 

PALMER: Other closely watched races, such as the U.S. Senate race between Democrat Tina Smith and Republican Jason Lewis were too early to call. While Yoko and I were in St. Paul, Ava and Megan covered the Republican watch party in Bloomington, where there was a very different atmosphere. Spectators were allowed, with a cap at 250 people. There was no firm consensus on pandemic safety practices at the party, with about half of attendees wearing masks. 

AMANDA LUCAS: We were told that there would be measures taken and there have been, I feel very comfortable, I have no concerns. I’ve traveled throughout the country during the pandemic. Not worried.

GERMUNDSON: And what about you?

JENNIFER WERNER: I’m not worried. I’m looking forward to all of this ending soon. I wish we had a more red state and we’re hoping that happens tonight.

NAT SOUND — INSIDE THE DOUBLETREE BALLROOM

GERMUNDSON: So it’s sort of like the threat of COVID isn’t scaring you?

JOHN MACLENNAN: I’ve been a Republican since 1936 … really. And I only have a few years left to go so I think I’ll stay Republican. 

I do this every four years.

NAT SOUND — Inside the DoubleTree ballroom

GERMUNDSON: What local races are you looking forward to hearing about tonight?

WERNER: Our local ones, Bob Dettmer, Karin Housely and our senator we hope to be Jason Lewis.

GERMUNDSON: What sort of issues are top of mind for you in this election?

WERNER: I vote primarily pro-life. And then after that, security, defense, legal immigration.

WOMAN: I don’t want the socialists taking over America, that’s my concern.

MAN: It’s a really clear choice between Trump’s vision for America, which is freedom, and the government running everything, that would be a terrible idea.

PALMER: Hannah Smith was particularly outspoken about the political issues that matter most to her.

HANNAH SMITH: Safety and security and just ensuring that our government, our country stays on this path of success. Because I think a lot of the policies that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and their government people want to put in place are just not American policies, they’re not things that really are going to put forward the common good of our country so I’m just hoping for all of the pro-America, pro-safety, pro-law enforcement, pro-business, all of the kind of Trump economy things that our president is running on, that all of that continues in the next four years.

SMITH: In general, I’m feeling good. I think nationwide, Trump’s going to win in a landslide. My prediction in like my family we made bets, mine’s at like 330 electoral college votes. We’ll see, bold prediction, but yeah. I’m feeling good tonight, I think a lot of places are going to have some unexpected switch to red so we’ll see.

PALMER: Attendees rallied around Jason Lewis as he took the stage to give a speech supporting his fellow Republican candidates.

NAT SOUND – CHEERING BEFORE LEWIS’ SPEECH

JASON LEWIS: And now we’re talking about our principles. About the difference between freedom and tyranny. About what it means to be a free citizen and not an oppressed subject. If these people, on the other side of the aisle, get more power, they will be beholden to oppress even more. You see what they’re willing to do… 

PALMER: Megan and Ava were able to track the former representative down after his speech for a brief interview, asking him about his decision to not wear a mask indoors. 

LEWIS: Look, I, my view on the virus is simple: that our health authorities should make public recommendations. That’s what we did an H1N1, what we did in the Hong Kong flu, what we did and the Spanish flu. And if people are worried, they should wear a mask. If people are concerned or have underlying conditions, are elderly, they should stay home.

LEWIS: I think we’re feeling a lot of good energy, instant karma is what, like we like to call it. I think we’ve basically resonated with a lot of Minnesotans that didn’t have their voices heard, especially in greater Minnesota, where we spent a lot of time in this campaign. it’s too early to tell, obviously, polls just closed.

PALMER: Tina Smith won reelection for her senate seat later that night. Though most smaller races have been decided, the country is still waiting to hear the results of the presidential election, despite Trump falsely claiming victory late Tuesday night. Between poll watchers attempting to intimidate election officials counting remaining absentee ballots in Michigan, to anti-Trump protesters taking to the streets, citizen reactions to the election are already making headlines. We’ll cover some of those post-election reactions next week. See you then.

Exercising our right to vote as Americans is imperative to our systems of democracy. With the 2020 election as my first presidential election, and with issues of the environment and economics on the line, it was paramount that I voted early to ensure my vote was counted. With a good portion of Americans utilizing mail in ballots this year, we may not see our election results within 24 hours.

Every vote should count and deserves to be counted. However, due to COVID-19, it may take longer to get all votes counted. Absentee ballots take longer to count due to security measures and mailing delays. This means that we, as Americans, may have to wait longer than usual to learn the results of the 2020 presidential election. We are used to either going to bed or waking up to all votes having been counted and knowing the next president of the United States. Polling places may be understaffed and election officials are under significant pressure during these times, but they are persevering, as Minnesota is counting ballots that are postmarked on or before election day until Nov. 10th.

I ask that you, the American people, remain patient with me, as this election will look very different. Just because we may not have the results of the race right away, does not invalidate the election or its process. Minnesota has one of the safest and the most secure election systems in the country and is well-known for leading the nation in voter turn-out. Let us lead the country as we remain patient for the results of this election, and trust in our security measures as each vote is counted.

This guest column has been lightly edited for style and clarity.

This guest column was submitted by Lucy Keefe, an environmental studies and gender studies major at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University. 

When my son Scott was two years old, he suffered a severe brain injury. Today, he’s 49 years old and requires round-the-clock care from me, my husband and a team of dedicated home care workers. This is my story, but it could happen to anyone, and it shows the crucial importance of home care workers, who most Americans will need if they become disabled or want to age in their own homes with dignity. Joe Biden has a groundbreaking plan that ensures quality home care services for families like mine and would create good caregiving jobs to rebuild our economy.

I love my son deeply and am committed to making sure he has the best life possible. It’s important to keep him at home where we can provide him with the specialized medical care and attention he needs. But my husband and I are 75 years old and cannot do everything ourselves, so we rely on home care workers to support our son’s care.

Both our home care workers and my husband and I are compensated for the care we provide through our state’s Medicaid program. Because of our union, we have been able to make some substantial progress toward improving home care jobs, including wages of $13-15 an hour, paid time off and job training.

But with the rising cost of living, home care wages are still too low in Minnesota. Conditions are even worse for other home care workers throughout the country, with a median wage of just $11.52 an hour, and a majority lacking healthcare, paid sick time or any job training opportunities at all. In 41 states, most home care workers don’t even have the basic right to join a union.

During the pandemic, like other home care workers, we’ve been left to fend for ourselves. We have to pay for masks and gloves out of our own pockets. Disinfecting supplies are difficult to find, so we make our own sanitizing wipes by placing folded paper towels in an old coffee jar and adding liquid Lysol.

There has been an historic devaluing of caregiving work in our country, which has been compounded by sexism and racism. Almost 90% of home care workers are women, and the majority are women of color. The Trump administration has continued to keep home care workers down, by excluding us from paid sick leave provisions in the coronavirus relief bill, pushing for funding cuts and failing to create any comprehensive plan for distributing personal protective equipment.

As the population rapidly ages in our state and throughout the nation, there’s skyrocketing demand for home care, but poverty-level jobs and the lack of basic protections have led to a severe workforce shortage. Here in Minnesota, we’ll soon have more seniors than school age children, and we’ll need 68,000 additional home care workers in coming years. It’s already extremely difficult to find caregivers for my son, and there’s very high turnover as workers leave for higher-paying jobs elsewhere.

Joe Biden is facing this crisis head-on and has created a plan to make sure every American family has access to the affordable, quality home care services they need. His plan would create a million and a half new long-term care and community health jobs to solve the workforce shortage and heal the economy. Biden’s plan would also transform home care jobs into family-sustaining careers by increasing wages, benefits and job training opportunities. Finally, he would make sure all home care workers have the freedom to join a union. I’ve been so grateful to have the strength and support of a union so I can advocate for my son, his caregivers and myself, and I want all home care workers to have this fundamental right.

This plan shows that Joe Biden cares deeply about the struggles of seniors and families who have loved ones with disabilities. I’m talking to everyone I know about the importance of voting for Joe Biden, because I want to live in an America where we care for one another, lift each other up and come together to solve our most pressing challenges.

This guest column has been lightly edited for style and clarity.

This guest column was submitted by Delores Flynn, an in-home caregiver for her son and lives in Roseville, Minnesota. She is a member leader of her union SEIU Healthcare Minnesota.