Friends, I watched the events unfolding in our nation’s capital last week not just as a Governor, but as a former high school history teacher. The last time our nation’s capital was under siege was more than 200 years ago when our country was at war with the British. Last Wednesday, it wasn’t a foreign nation that seized the capitol building and attempted an insurrection. It was citizens of our own country, incited by our president and enabled by many political leaders—some of whom, right here in Minnesota—who made a direct assault on our democracy. In my classroom, I taught my students to see moments like this in a greater historical context. This moment calls for the same reflection. That is why this week I am visiting American history monuments across Minnesota to call for calm, civility, and peace. We must recognize that democracy cannot be taken for granted. We ask our soldiers to endanger their lives to defend our democracy abroad—we all have a duty to protect it here at home. That means toning down our rhetoric, bridging divides, and upholding our Democratic ideals. President Trump has fanned the flames of hatred and undermined the sacred American institutions he swore an oath of office to protect. And whether it was through the support or silence of other politicians, he didn’t do it alone. History is being written. What will our future students read about this moment in their textbooks? It’s on us to ensure today is the end of a chapter. And marks the beginning of when America stood up and stood together. Thank you, Tim Walz
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