Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes a mix of commentary online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.
•••
Cheers to Dr. Frank Benjamin Wilderson Jr.
... for his extraordinary life of service and career in higher education, mostly at the University of Minnesota, where he championed special education, mental health and equity. Wilderson was the first Black tenure-track professor at the U after earning his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in educational psychology. Wilderson was also the first Black vice president at the U, overseeing student affairs for 14 years. Wilderson died last month at 94 in Minneapolis. In 1969, Wilderson served as the intermediary between the administration and 70 students who had taken over Morrill Hall in a historic protest of hostile treatment of Black students. The students demanded the creation of an African American studies program. Wilderson encouraged the students to seek the creation of a department rather than a mere program. The administration agreed to the demands and Wilderson chaired the panel that created the U’s first African American studies department.
Jeers to U.S. Bank Stadium overseers and Live Nation
... for breathlessly luring us in for the announcement of “one of the biggest shows in Minnesota history.” RSVPs were required for the news conference hosted by “Voice of the Minnesota Vikings Paul Allen” at the public stadium. Turns out it was none other than former Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney. Now if Ringo were sitting in on drums, that would be worth Allen barking about a really big show, but this didn’t meet the hype. An extra jeer for referring to McCartney by one of the most overused, and thus meaningless, words in our collective lexicon: iconic.
Cheers to the often reticent Department of Justice officials
... especially Acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson, for repudiating and denouncing the letter written by the accused assassin of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. Thompson made clear that the letter, addressed to FBI Director Kash Patel, lacked grounding in reality. Thompson outright denied the assassin’s attempt to blame Gov. Tim Walz for his actions. Thompson made an extraordinary statement to reporters about the unhinged letter. “Was it a delusion that he believes, or was it a delusion that is designed as an effort to discredit our investigation, or, to frankly, excuse his crimes? Well, that’s a good question,” Thompson said. “It certainly seems designed to excuse his crimes.” Thompson’s candor is most welcome.
Jeers to Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
... a native of Forest Lake, for everything in general, including early rumors that he’s considering a run for statewide office in Minnesota. But at least he’s helping expand our vocabulary as national political writers seek inventive ways to describe the many ways he’s failing. Maureen Dowd of the New York Times sent me scurrying to Google with this line: “The Pentagon’s puer aeternus, Pete Hegseth, was sitting right beside Trump.” A puer aeternus is an archetype suffering from failure-to-launch syndrome, according to my online research. In case that’s not clear enough, Dowd provided more familiar context, referring to Hegseth as a “perennial screw-up.” Her musings came a week after retiring Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he regretted voting for Hegseth’s confirmation. “With the passing of time, I think it’s clear he’s out of his depth as a manager of a large, complex organization,” Tillis said. To put a final fashion point on this jeer, no one can deny that Hegseth has a knack for virtue signaling as he usually has a U.S. flag pocket square peeking out of his suitcoat pocket — even when it clashes with his tie.
Cheers to a brilliant, kind and brave retired Hennepin County Judge
... Mark Wernick, 75, who died early this week from pancreatic cancer. Wernick, who hung up his robe in 2015, was appointed to the bench in 2002 by Gov. Jesse Ventura after a career as a criminal defense and crusading environmental attorney. Among other efforts, Wernick unsuccessfully fought to end storage of nuclear waste at Prairie Island. He also represented the protesters of a Paynesville bank’s foreclosure policies in 1984. As a judge, he made the hard decisions that many others wouldn’t dare. In 2009, he set aside a jury’s verdict in the high-profile murder of a Minneapolis bicyclist because prosecutors and police had failed to turn over evidence favorable to the defense. After a second trial with the newly obtained evidence, the defendant was acquitted.
Jeers to Duluth City Council President Terese Tomanek
... for confronting a former political rival at his place of employment. Tomanek is now rightfully barred from the Duluth Coffee Co. At the cafe counter, Tomanek told Brandon Parker, who had already suspended his campaign for City Council, she was disturbed by something he had written online related to a citizen-led right-to-repair ballot measure that goes before the voters in November. Cafe owner Eric Faust wrote that “Having a city councilor approach one of my staff while working in front of his peers and patrons is inappropriate and unacceptable.” Tomanek and Parker have since agreed to meet for coffee to chat. That’s a promising development. May I suggest decaf?
