Jim Oberstar buried in Maryland today. This kind of hurts - is it just me? [View all]

[scarletwoman]

I'm Minnesota born and bred, and I've always been proud of it. Although I moved around in my younger years, and lived in a number of other states, by 1995 after 6 years in Alaska, I came "home" to Minnesota, because there was no where else I really wanted to be, but here where my deepest roots have always been.

Even though I grew up in St. Paul, Up North was always my favorite place to be, so when I moved back from Alaska, I headed north of the Cities to find a place to live in the woods. I ended up in the 8th District - Oberstar's district. I got active in local DFL politics, got to meet Oberstar and talk with him, and I admired him greatly. To my mind, he was a damn fine Minnesotan - smart, economically left, and very much in touch with the Union and populist roots of the DFL.

I honestly wept when he lost the 2010 election (yes, I voted), I was utterly heartsick. But events marched on, and by 2012 I focused on getting Nolan elected - I mean, FUCK that asshole Chip Cravack!

The thing is, I had no idea that in the meantime, Oberstar had moved to Maryland. I had assumed that once he was out of Congress, he'd be back home in Minnesota. It wasn't until his sudden and unexpected death was announced last Saturday that I found out he'd been living elsewhere.

And today I've just heard on MPR that he was buried in Maryland. I have to admit this makes me very sad. It's probably stupid, I know, but not having him buried here in Minnesota, his native land, makes me feel an even greater loss than just the loss of his living self. There will be no gravesite in the Iron Range where his longtime constituents can go to honor him and remember his many years of service.

Maybe it's stupid and ridiculous and absurd, but I feel cheated.