Staff Reports
The swirling chaos that engulfed Minneapolis in 2020 is no secret to anyone who was paying attention, yet some facets of the story are so outrageous that they demand a second look. Enter Minnesota’s first lady, Gwen Walz, who decided that the best way to experience the anarchy was to keep her home’s windows wide open while rioters ran rampant outside. Apparently, with the flames of destruction illuminating the night sky, she thought it would be the perfect opportunity to take in the scent of burning tires and chaos while her husband, Governor Tim Walz, stood on the sidelines.
In June of that infamous year, as cities erupted in violence following the death of George Floyd, Mrs. Walz revealed her rather peculiar approach to the disaster unfolding outside her front door. While looters were busy ransacking businesses and setting fire to entire blocks, she opted for an olfactory engagement with the situation. Instead of closing the windows and retreating into safety—a common sense move—she chose to bask in the fumes drifting from the destruction. One might wonder if there’s a fragrance line in the works: “Tire Fire & Lost Liberties.”
The rioting period was particularly notable, not just for the violence but for the striking alignment of the governor with the so-called “protesters.” Instead of showing strong leadership to restore order, Walz seemed to play lip service to the chaos. Timing is everything, and his role as Kamala Harris’ running mate does little to dispel the notion that the Democrat leadership was more interested in pandering than protecting. It’s a move that appears to reflect the very nature of the Democrats today—more concerned with virtue signaling than with upholding the rule of law.
Walz House Windows Were Kept Open During 2020 Riots for a Disturbing Reason via @WestJournalism https://t.co/fKD7acp4on
— Michael Papier (@PapierMich47737) August 7, 2024
Gwen’s reflections on those nights, filled with sleeplessness and smoke, evoke a grim picture. It turns out the smoke wafting in through their windows wasn’t solely indicative of flammable tires, but could have very well included the scent of charred human remains. After all, a tragic reality of those riots was the loss of lives and property, with at least one death linked to a building being set ablaze by rioters. Her nostalgic musings on sensing the “touchstone” of societal upheaval stand in stark contrast to the real human suffering occurring outside her windows.
In a warped way, one has to appreciate the audacity. Instead of fleeing from the havoc—the very chaos that made its way into people’s lives and destroyed countless dreams—Mrs. Walz embraced it as a moment of introspection. While she savored the “experience” of the scent of destruction, countless residents suffered the consequences of an enraged mob enabled by leftist leadership. Perhaps if the governor and first lady truly wanted to engage with the reality of those days, they might have stepped outside, talked to the victims, or—heaven forbid—taken action to quell the chaos rather than giving it the green light through inaction.
In the end, the Walz residents may have left their windows open for the wrong reasons. Rather than being a powerful statement or an opportunity for reflection, this decision might just exemplify the disconnect between elitist politicians and the everyday citizens who bear the brunt of the disorder they allow to play out. The destruction wasn’t merely a backdrop for contemplation; it was a national crisis that required leadership. Instead, they turned a blind eye while they enjoyed a front-row seat to the downfall of law and order.
