Cavlan steals show at Fifth District forum
Rochelle Olson, Star Tribune
Three Fifth District congressional candidates gathered at Patrick Henry High School Thursday for another forum, but Green Party Senate candidate Michael Cavlan stole much of the show with a warning about military recruiters.
Cavlan, who grew up in Northern Ireland, told a couple dozen high school students at an after-school forum to be wary of military recruiters and “do not allow them to tempt you with their toys and gifts and trinkets” because “they will never tell you the brutal, ugly realities of the conflict of war.” … Several students in the audience acknowledged they had been approached by military recruiters.
Republican congressional candidate Alan Fine, who teaches at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School, told Cavlan his speech was inappropriately graphic for the students. Cavlan shot back, “That’s your opinion.”
Fine later was the target of comments from a parent, Lisa Cannon-Ratliff, who told him to stop attacking state Rep. Keith Ellison, the DFL nominee, because Fine’s statements are “extremely offensive to our children and our state” and
“If we look closely, there’s an association we all have that may not represent our views.”
Fine has accused Ellison of having joined the Nation of Islam, which Ellison denies. He hadn’t raised the issue in the one-hour forum Thursday, although he has done so in other recent meetings. Fine told Cannon-Ratliff it was fair for him to question Ellison’s “character.”
The candidates made statements and answered an array of questions from students ranging from whether they can make a difference (yes) to why Cavlan moved to the United States (! a job).
Ellison: “I really believe we’ve got to change the political dialog and refocus the country quite a bit.”
Fine: “I don’t want there to be wars. I want to find peaceful ways to solve our world’s problems.”
Independence Party candidate Tammy Lee: “I want to go to Washington to actually serve in Congress and make a difference.”
Rochelle Olson • 612-673-1747 • raolson@startribune.com
[To all supporters of Peace and Justice, please feel free to contact Rochelle Olson and thank her for this article and her journalistic integrity. Michael Cavlan RN]
