Category: Society

by Dave Mindeman

I grew up in North Dakota and graduated from North Dakota State University. That's why the story about the "black face Obama lap dance skit" caught my attention.

Some things you have to know about North Dakota. The state has a total population of about 600 to 700,000. It is over 90% white and most of the minorities are American Indian. NDSU is an agricultural college that very much reflects the state population. North Dakota residents are largely agricultural and to be truthful, we don't get out much.

Strange as it may sound, the first time I saw an African-American was when I got to college. The vast majority of students were white but the college recruited heavily in football and about half of the team was black. They were also small college national champions for about 3 years in a row.

The black athletes were sequestered with the rest of the scholarship athletes. There was never any trouble because, well, these guys were big!

Over the years a few more African-American students would come to NDSU for various reasons, but the school has still maintained a decidedly white majority. Now, like a lot of colleges, NDSU has an extensive Greek system and a sizable "drinking for recreation" problem. And as you might expect, the "black face" skit happened in one of the off-campus groups that leave little to the imagination at times.

But, I would venture a guess that the people involved in this little "comedic" enterprise still don't understand what they did wrong. It's hard to be racially sensitive when you don't get the full perspective. North Dakota doesn't have any "black" issues because they just don't have any exposure to black culture.

I'm sure the people involved were thinking they were "just having some fun" and offensive behavior was the last thing on their mind. But it should be a lesson to the University. If they want their students to move into society with a fully developed background, they need learn about diversity as something real and not just something you hear about.

I hope that NDSU takes the opportunity to connect with the "real" world. Living in agricultural isolation may work for those students who continue to run their family farms but North Dakota demographics indicate that most of their young people are moving out......and it might be a good idea to prepare them for a little "diversity" shock.

Just a thought from one alumnus.

Category: Minnesota Politics

by Dave Mindeman

Hometown Source had an interview with Rep. Kathy Tingelstad. The paper quoted her with this:

As for crystal ball gazing, Tingelstad predicts the Democrats will win her district in November.

DFLer Jerry Newton ran a close race for the Senate seat in District 49 and now is running for the House seat in Tingelstad's district. She said:

All Newton needs to do is run as good of a campaign as the last one, explained Tingelstad.

If, indeed, that happens, the Republican caucus will be scrambling to maintain enough votes to sustain Pawlenty vetos. The Minnesota GOP has been showing a lot of "righteous" indignation and anger over this one transportation vote. But purging your party when it's in a decided minority seems a little counterproductive.

Tingelstad hinted that her political career might not be over.

Her interest in public service is not over, Tingelstad indicated. Indeed, she speaks of a possible future run at the Minnesota Senate after redistricting in a few years time.

But will the elephants ever forget?

Category: Minnesota Politics

by Dave Mindeman

As I watch the snow fall today, I can't help but connect today's snow with the fact that today is also the Twins home opener. Don't you wish we had that open air stadium?

When we had the old Met stadium everyone clamored to build that weatherproof Dome. When we got the Dome, everyone clamored for the nostalgic days of outside baseball.

Geez, how stupid are we?

Here we are with a major league baseball team who has the richest owner in baseball....yet we are classified as a "small" market team with public financing involved in our stadiums.

Maybe that's why Carl Pohlad is so damn rich.

Even though Pohlad could buy and sell free agents of any caliber, he puts the Twins on a tight budget that he almost never deviates from. Johan Santana didn't have to leave... Pohlad could have signed him with one signature on his Steinbrenner like checkbook. Torii Hunter could have stayed as well....if Pohlad was really willing to compete on the scale he is clearly capable of doing.

The organization plays the poor "small market" card every time they come to the state for a new stadium or upgrades. So the Twins are willing to compromise common sense in order to get that public money. Pohlad could have added a roof...he could afford it...but then if he did that, the questions about why he needed the public money would have come. And the "small market" facade would have crumbled.

So we will sit in the cold and snow come April 2010....and if the Twins, by some miracle, should make it the October (closer to November) classic...get out the parkas!