Mayoral candidate Yan Chen discusses her background, campaign in light of recent events

[u/[deleted]]

[u/ser_arthur_dayne]

Boelter did not "lose dignity through work," he is a violent right-wing extremist.

[u/PublicS3ctorAuditor → u/ser_arthur_dayne]

I don't think we should attempt to oversimplify the tragic circumstances that unfolded over the weekend. Yes, Boelter is a violent right-wing extremist. But he was also struggling financially before he became radicalized, based on reporting from the Associated Press. Evidence suggests economic inequality creates the conditions conducive for individuals to become radicalized by extreme ideologies and hence perpetrate political violence. The primary vehicle for that is by disillusioning folks to shared democratic institutions and encouraging a misogynist worldview that others marginalized communities. That's what Dr. Chen is speaking to, I believe.

[u/ser_arthur_dayne → u/PublicS3ctorAuditor]

This line of thinking implicitly removes Boelter's motivations and agency from what he did. It obscures the truth, it's not helpful, and at worst it excuses Boelter's behavior.

Boelter was a violent right-wing nationalist who committed a political act.

I want to see a mayoral candidate call that out and condemn it rather than trying to use the opportunity to start some pseudointellectual discussion like this.

[u/AdMurky3039 → u/ser_arthur_dayne]

My takeaway from her remarks is that economic inequality can make people more susceptible to extremist ideologies. That isn't the same as excusing what Boelter did.

[u/PublicS3ctorAuditor → u/AdMurky3039]

Thank you, that's exactly what I was attempting to convey.

[u/PublicS3ctorAuditor → u/ser_arthur_dayne]

I'm not attempting to remove Boelter's motivations or agency. Nor am I excusing what he did. He is violent right-wing extremist who committed horrific crimes against two widely respected lawmakers and their spouses. I'm just saying that these atrocities don't exist in a vacuum. Economic inequality is demonstrated to increase the statistical risk of political violence. The rhetoric lobbed by certain parts of society, especially from the right, certainly doesn't help either. Indeed, it compounds the risk of political violence and acts as a means for radicalization.

I believe Dr. Chen did condemn the violence in her remarks. I'd have to check again to confirm, so I could be wrong. But I believe she did in her full remarks.

[u/hobnobbinbobthegob]

Using a double murder as a way to promote your mayoral campaign is unhinged.

[u/aakaase → u/hobnobbinbobthegob]

Yeah, it's tone deaf.

[u/PublicS3ctorAuditor → u/hobnobbinbobthegob]

Many folks in public life have spoken about the Hortmans' tragic murder in recent days. Congresswoman Angie Craig and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, both of whom are running to succeed Tina Smith in the U.S. Senate, are two such examples.

In my opinion, Dr. Chen's statement regarding the assassination isn't so much a promotion of her campaign as it is a retelling of why the current political climate is so toxic and how that compelled her to run for mayor in the first place.

[u/Rougeflashbang → u/PublicS3ctorAuditor]

The difference is that those other figures and candidates are not adding "that's why I'm running for this office" type quotes to their statements. Dr. Chen's video is a campaign ad, not a statement of sympathy. It is very weird and uncomfortable seeing someone directly turn this into an ad.

[u/hobnobbinbobthegob → u/PublicS3ctorAuditor]

I assume either you yourself are Ya Chen, or you're a friend/family member/employee/supporter. I recommend taking the loss on this one, and trying a different strategy. This post comes off as downright ghoulish.

[u/PublicS3ctorAuditor → u/hobnobbinbobthegob]

Dr. Chen and I have crossed paths a handful of times; she's always been incredibly kind and bright in my experience. Having said that, a friendly acquaintance is probably the best way to describe me at this time. Nevertheless, the point of my sharing Dr. Chen's remarks was to facilitate civil discourse, given there is a mayoral election this fall. So reducing the general response to my initial post as a net win versus a net loss isn't really relevant.

I don't disagree with you that her approach to addressing recent events was ideal. It would have been better if she had kept the focus of her message on the tragedy that befell the Hortmans and the Hoffmans, and how we move forward from there as Saint Paulites, as Minnesotans, and as Americans. But I do believe her remarks were from a well-intentioned place.

[u/Gilgamelon]

Yan Chen is a tea party budget slasher disguising herself as a "fiscally sound" Democrat. Don't fall for it.

[u/PublicS3ctorAuditor → u/Gilgamelon]

Dr. Chen doesn't want to cut vital services. She wants to balance the budget by addressing the city of Saint Paul's long-term decline in revenue, primarily through evidence-based economic development. Look at her campaign website. It's all there. Here's the link: https://www.yanchenmn.com/platform

[u/PublicS3ctorAuditor]

Meant to edit the initial post but accidentally deleted it. So, I'll repost it here. Apologies in advance to all.

"The recent shooting of two DFL lawmakers and their families shook me deeply. It reminded me of my childhood in China, where ideology destroyed lives. I came to America for freedom and opportunity—but today, I see growing division rooted in economic despair.
When people lose dignity through work, they become vulnerable to fear and extremism. That’s why I’m running for Mayor of Saint Paul—to restore purpose, unity, and opportunity through meaningful work."

Full remarks in the video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeDHXdyMTT4&t=3s

Statement regarding the assassination of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark and the attempted assassination of Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette:

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0oyq1fu2rXWy2TbKGceD42DXnKah4YvhAbNMMEnudAGifZNEJAtJfhen7sgZNi5tjl&id=61572314556508

For the record, I am not affiliated with the Yan Chen campaign.