The Minnesota State Capitol feels forever changed. The flowers and photo of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman remain as a memorial on her desk. Chief Clerk Patrick Murphy shared in our interview on Twin Cities Public Television’s Almanac how in his grief for his friend and colleague he created the immediate memorial that turned into an honor that remained during the legislative session as a reminder to all lawmakers to tone down their rhetoric. After 48-years in nonpartisan service in the House, Murphy shared how first he put out a couple of tables for the public to add their flowers and remembrances which soon grew to more than a dozen of tables with thousands of notes from people from all over the world.
The grief is still there even after the massive public memorials are gone. Many in politics returned to tears this week, some didn’t want to talk. Others wanted to share how Hortman had unique qualities of smarts, humility, ambition, strength, kindness, humor, toughness. She proved almost impossible not to like—on both sides of the aisle. Majority in the Middle and Hortman’s Metro North Chamber of Commerce took a stand passing a formal resolution on civility explaining on our emotional episode of The SpinSisters Podcast which we launched to provide solutions, conversations and information after the political violence that hit so close to home.
U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) delivered a speech from the floor of the United States Senate honoring the life and legacy of Melissa and Mark Hortman, who were tragically assassinated in a politically-motivated attack almost one year ago. “I am better for having known her. Minnesota is better because of her,” said Senator Smith. “And we would all do well to follow the advice of their children, Sophie and Colin, who wrote last year: ‘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.’
Following a guilty plea agreement for the gunman for life in prison the Hoffman family who survived the same assassin’s bullets said: “There is no justice for Mark and Melissa Hortman, and there is not justice when our family and our state will never truly heal. While the legal process may provide accountability, true healing requires something more from all of us. The choice we’ve made is to go forward with public service and being present for our community. The opportunity to justice is for Minnesotans and Americans to serve is to treat people with respect, to stop de-humanizing each other, and to stop dividing our country with hate and rhetoric.”
