Community Corner

Ellison Writes About Libya, Braves The Fair On Crutches

Southwest Minneapolis representative writes a column for CNN about the U.S.'s involvement in Libya.

On Friday, Rep. Keith Ellison wrote an opinion piece for CNN on the U.S.'s role in Libya. He laid out the reasons why getting involved was the right thing to do.

"Without U.S. and NATO engagement, Gadhafi would have hunted protesters, as he threatened, 'house by house' in Benghazi. He would have squashed the rebels and sought revenge against those who dared to question his rule. A Gadhafi victory would have been tragic for the people of Libya, and it would have dimmed hopes for greater freedom in the Middle East."

He acknowledged the contributions of NATO and the U.S., but ultimately praised the Libyan citizens.

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"The success of the revolution belongs to the Libyan people. … It was the Libyan people who fought, died and freed their country of Gadhafi. Regular people—mechanics, doctors, street vendors—joined the fight, sacrificing everything for the promise of a better country. We should continue to play a supportive role, but it is up to Libyans to build their future."

And he praised President Obama's actions.

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"Finally, the events in Libya should remind us of Obama's speech in Cairo in June 2009, where he framed a new vision of the U.S. role in the Middle East. Some members of Congress have been critiquing the president on Libya, but he provided an effective foreign policy framework that should be continued."

Also on Friday, Ellison was using crutches to slowly get around the . He is recovering from knee surgery. Fridley Patch Local Editor Chris Steller was waiting for Ellison to make an appearance and tweeted:

Tweet from @FridleyPatch:

@keithellison is late AND I can't find a proper corm dog?? #mnstatefair #MinnStateFair

Soon after, Ellison responded:

@FridleyPatch I am comin'. Still on crutches, movin' as fast as I can.

Chris Steller took the pictures with this article at the fair.


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