Is Minneapolis Dying?

"As an American, I am ashamed of our big, blue cities these days. Who in the world would want to come visit here? Minneapolis has gone from a city of life and zest, to a hell hole. It has gone from a city where everything and everyone works, to a dysfunctional dystopia."

I have told this story before. As a young lad, I often times would ride the bus downtown with my Mother, when she would do some shopping. It was a thrill for me to do so - not that I loved to shop, but Mom always managed to buy a little something special. Plus, from time to time, she would take me to lunch at the Sky Room, which was on one of the top floors at Dayton's.

As time passed, I went from a little kid to Jr. High School. My Mother got a part time job working at Dayton's business office. In the summer time, I would often take the bus downtown, visit Mom, and then hang around. All totally safe. 

As most clear thinking folks know, the Minneapolis of yesteryear, looks NOTHING like the Minneapolis of today. In fact, parts of Minneapolis look more like war torn Beirut, than the city I grew up next to. In just a few short decades, it has gone from a model city most could be proud of, to something that resembles a "no man's land". It is currently a place of anarchy, lawlessness, and paganism. It is run by socialists who do not know a dit from a DUH, and there is no hope on the horizon.

Yesterday, there was yet again another protest in the Uptown area. It was about a police involved shooting of a black man in an uptown parking ramp. The specifics of the shooting are sketchy, as it involved law enforcement who were not wearing body cameras. To make a long story short, somebody, for some reason, drove his car into a group of protesters. Two were injured, and one person died. These days, incidents like this, are just a day in the life. Tragic - yes, rare - not so much.

As crime continues to spike, and more and more innocents are forced to move out of the city, the City Council is still dedicated to defunding, and blunting the effectiveness of the MPD. Social Justice Warriors have allowed crime to rule the day in certain parts of the city. Streets which were at one time safe for families to walk down, are now hunting grounds for predators. Driving around town in a nice car, is inviting carjackers to look upon you as a target. Where people at one time were proud to say they were from Minneapolis, now many are happy they live FAR from Minneapolis. 

I never thought I would see the day that Minneapolis would become "hollowed out", like Chicago, Baltimore, St. Louis or Detroit. Minneapolis was too classy for that. The people who lived in Minneapolis, were too smart for that. Well, things changed. Socialism replaced good and sound governance. Love of self, replaced love of God. Even minor disputes went from talking it out, to shooting it out. 

As an American, I am ashamed of our big, blue cities these days. Who in the world would want to come visit here? Minneapolis has gone from a city of life and zest, to a hell hole. It has gone from a city where everything and everyone works, to a dysfunctional dystopia. It is a place where most people from outstate and Greater Minnesota, gladly stay away from. 

Is there any hope for this once great city? Not so long as the voting electorate remains monolithic. This is now a one party town, with that party sliding further to the left every election. It is like having a slice of Venezuela tucked into the middle of our state. No, Minneapolis is dying. A slow, and painful death. Some are grieving its loss - yet others simply shrug and say, "kick some dirt over it, before it starts to stink."