Letter to the editor: It's county fair time, be nice in Barnum

As I prepare for spending some time at the Carlton County Fair in Barnum, I am thoughtful about an encounter last year.

On Thursday of the fair, I was unprepared, mentally, for an angry, spite-filled dialogue loudly addressed at me while I was working at the DFL booth. The pointed diatribe was to me, but addressed “All you people.” To stop the verbal assault, I finally needed to point to the small gold star pin on my jacket and say, “You must know that Democrats are blue star and gold star families, too.”

I was briefly shaken by the unexpected vitriol. In retrospect, I wish that I had the presence of mind to remind the fair visitor that it’s Thursday at the best county fair in the state — you might want to pet a cow and buy some Tupperware and find (and spread) some joy.

So, I want to remind everyone that this is still a turbulent time in our community lives. Know that Democrats have good family values, faith, and community service lives too.

Come to the fair and bring your smile.

Diane Piette, Sturgeon Lake