Voter ID or National ID: A European perspective

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As a German citizen studying at Hamline University, I was very surprised to hear Minnesota’s debate about Voter ID. I didn’t know that the US has no common national ID. As a German citizen I have a national ID since I became 16 and we are required to carry it with us all the time. I never questioned this law and the whole idea of a national ID until now. The people in Minnesota will vote in November on whether it should be required to show a government-issued photo ID on Election Day or not. I thought that all U.S. citizens already would have at least one proof for their identity, whether a state ID or a driver’s license or a student ID.What can people do when they do not have any kind of ID? Continue Reading

THREE ISSUES – Marriage Amendment, Saint Paul schools, Voter ID

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Kari Richtsmeier lives and works in Saint Paul and is very enthusiastic about politics — she loves to discuss and analyze what is going on in the world. Kari is an open-minded person who carries the German and American identity in her heart, as she has both German and American citizenship. She is an active member of the DFL and used to work on the election campaign but can’t help this year because she is too busy with her work as the Director of the International and Off Campus Programs at the Hamline University and German language teacher.Her first issue is the Marriage Amendment:“I absolutely believe that we should not put something like this in the constitution. The only thing it does is to allow discrimination to be embedded in the constitution. The only thing the amendment does is make discrimination legal. Continue Reading

Hip Hop Harambee celebrates the Minneapolis music scene

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You could hear the beat from far away; you just had to follow the music. Last Saturday, September 15, the Nomad World Pub parking lot was the mecca of all hip-hop enthusiasts.It was the perfect day for the all-day block party: the weather was hot, the sun was shining and the people were happy to join what was probably the last outside concert this summer. The event started at 2 p.m. with Lizzo and Larva Ink who prepared the first guests for the upcoming line-up. The crowd grew with every hour and every artist. In the afternoon, Duenday, Sean Anonymous and Grittee Committee rocked the stage with outstanding beats which got the crowd going.The whole line-up was a nice mixture of known and new local hip-hop artists and non-rapping musicians like the band Bomba Umoya. The highlight of the Hip-Hop Harambee was the performance of the headliner Talib Kweli who set the crowd on fire.Meta, a well-known Twin Cities artist really enjoyed his performance and the vibrating atmosphere. Continue Reading