Dear Minnesotans,
The tragic Annunciation Church shooting on August 27, 2025—where two children were killed and 17 injured during a school-year Mass—has been overshadowed by irresponsible headlines like the Star Tribune’s “Transgender Minnesotans on Alert.” These narratives exploit grief to deepen divides, pushing agendas that harm rather than heal. As a father navigating the cultural hype and chaos of identity issues in my own family, I’ve held to a Christian ethos: unconditional love paired with calls for personal accountability, respecting free will while praying for peace. It’s a model drawn from my faith in Jesus—ever-open, non-coercive, and rooted in truth over affirmation of delusion.
But let’s face facts without the hype: Shooter Robin Westman, 23, who identified as transgender and expressed transition regrets in writings, fired with intent for mass harm, obsessed with hating children. The FBI deemed it domestic terrorism fueled by hate ideology. Robin carried excess ammunition and died by self-inflicted gunshot. Data from the Gun Violence Archive shows trans individuals account for just 1.1% of mass shooters over the past decade—aligning with their population share—with no evidence of an epidemic. Yet, trans people endure high victimization rates, including over 40% suicide attempt rates linked to stigma and trauma.
The real outrage? Unhealthy, intellectually dishonest, and morally broken figures here in Minnesota—politicians, advocates, and media voices—who exacerbate these issues for political clout and financial gain. Think of leaders like Gov. Tim Walz, who signed the 2023 Trans Refuge Act amid broader policies that conservatives argue enable harm by deflecting from mental health roots. These actors willfully amplify anxiety and backlash fears to expand agendas, fundraising off division while ignoring adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) that breed narcissism and violence. As I detailed in “Facing the Truth: Minnesota’s Leaders Exploit Tragedy to Perpetuate Harm—It’s Time for Real Change” (August 28, 2025), this externalizes blame, eroding accountability and deepening social decay—shocking, unacceptable, and in cases of deliberate misinformation, bordering on criminal ill intent to destabilize communities.
In “The Irony of Broken Crusaders: Narcissism Masquerading as Justice” (May 30, 2025), I exposed how unresolved grievances masquerade as progress, lowering standards and harming families. We see it here: Lazy headlines and psyop-like tactics that pit us against each other, profiting off pain instead of uniting for solutions like trauma-informed care and gun reforms that address causes, not symptoms.
Enough exploitation. Let’s dialogue honestly. Join me in guided discussions with these questions:
1. How do we focus on victims without weaponizing identities for gain?
2. What drives Minnesota’s leaders to prioritize agendas over healing—and how do we hold them accountable?
3. How can faith, free will, and personal responsibility bridge our divides?
4. Are policies truly protective, or do they willfully cause more harm?
Share your thoughts in comments. Together, let’s build a Minnesota of courage, forgiveness, and endurance—multiplying our talents as the Parable calls us to do.
In faith and hope,
Phillip C. Parrish
Candidate for Governor, 2026
###