Like many Southern Minnesotans, I spend time on Facebook. I look at pictures from friends and family members, I find events happening in my area, and I see the news on my feed. I also see, however, the negativity and division that’s perpetuated on the platform. There’s no better example of this negativity than Congressman Hagedorn’s official and campaign pages.

I would have hoped that, as an elected leader, Rep. Hagedorn would rise above the fray and promote a healthy dialogue; I was unsurprisingly disappointed. Congressman Hagedorn has demeaned and belittled his constituents, calling constituents who disagree with him “fools,” “confused,” and “harassers.” Whether he agrees with someone’s political preferences or not, I would have hoped he would demonstrate greater respect for his residents across the district.

Rep. Hagedorn’s behavior doesn’t represent that of a true leader and it also raises the question: why does he have so much free time to monitor the comment section on Facebook? He was sent to Congress to write legislation and improve our country. After four runs for Congress, I would expect some ideas as to how to improve the lives of Southern Minnesotans.Instead, he has only sponsored three bills (compared to an average of 11 from the other Minnesota freshmen). The good congressman’s time could be better spent working on behalf of our district in Congress instead of insulting his own constituents.

Time to log off and do some work Congressman.

Forrest Andres-Beck
Rochester, MN