By Charles Samuelson, Executive Director ACLU-MN
In 1978 I chose to move to the Twin Cities rather than Boston, Toronto or San Francisco. I made this choice despite the fact that the Twin Cities area is in the middle of the United States and is hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Most of my friends and relatives teased me about that decision, but it was the second best choice I made in my life.
Last Fall, a group of businesses and public officials held a rally to announce a campaign to promote the greater Twin Cities area. They found that Minneapolis/St. Paul is one of the country's best kept secrets, and they felt the need to make the Twin Cities less secret. Their plan highlights all the factors that we have created to make Minnesota a good place to live and work.
There are things we can control about Minnesota, and things we cannot; like the weather. We have the greatest control over the human environment of our State. To the extent that we have created an environment that welcomes educated young people, we will prosper. To the extent that we have created an environment that welcomes diversity, we will prosper. To the extent that we have encouraged education, we will prosper.
However, there have been disquieting signs that we are becoming less interested in attracting and retaining the best and brightest people who are willing to brave our winters. We are facing two votes to amend our constitution in a discriminatory manner. If these measures pass, they will imbed discrimination into the very DNA of our State.
Research shows that welcoming diversity makes communities more economically resilient. Tolerance helps recruit and retain talent . Confidence in the people around you helps to foster innovation, investment and hiring.
Research also shows welcoming educated young people to vote and volunteer strengthens their attachment to a community. Attachment, in turn, strengthens the economy of the community. Young talent can choose to live in places without temperature swings of 130 degrees. But they can also choose to live in a place where it is easy to vote.
Minnesota is a land of innovation. Cargill. General Mills. 3M. Our Human Rights Act stands as a model of tolerance and protection of diversity. This is the home of Hubert Humphrey, the champion of our nation's civil rights laws. It is no coincidence that a state with innovative government policies is also a place of innovative businesses.
We support the goal of aligning business and government goals of business development and job creation. We also encourage everyone working towards those goals to remember that diversity, bright young people and education are vital elements to growth and prosperity. That is the Minnesota I found in 1978, and I hope that is the Minnesota we keep in 2012 and beyond.