I’m sure you all have access to the news. So you’ve likely heard about the mass shooting at South Minneapolis punk venue Nudieland. It happened on Friday night and left one person dead, six injured, and many traumatized. Nobody deserves to have to experience something so senseless and violent.
I have flitted in and out of various scenes for my entire life and all over the country. I can honestly say that folks in the punk scene tend to be among the kindest and most community-oriented people around. Whenever a community is in need, you are basically guaranteed to spot a punk or two at the front lines giving aid. In fact, you don’t even have to look any further than the community outreach/service they did here during the protests after George Floyd’s murder.
Members of the community (here in Minnesota, the Minneapolis Punk Community, the Punk Community as a whole, the Music Community, General Humanity) need help. Folks are hurting. They need to have the space and ability to focus on recovering from an even that is unbelievably traumatic. I know nothing will bring back the loss of a life. And nothing will bring back the peace of never having experienced this for those involved. But maybe we can all help some folks find their way toward healing. I know a GFM isn’t going to do that, but it may help alleviate some outside stressors, and that counts for something.
I guess what I’m saying is this:
If you can and are so inclined as to donate to help aid paying in the costs associated with recovery, support during August’s friends and family’s time of greatest need, it would be really fucking punk of you to do so. I’m not going to try to guilt you into it or anything, but this one hits close to home literally and figuratively for me, so I’m not going to just not mention it either.
Note: this is not my GoFundMe, nor am I in any way involved in it. I just care about the well-being of my neighbors, my community, and Minnesota’s consistently thriving DIY and music scenes.
And please – when voting time comes around again, vote for legislation and candidates that will most protect and benefit your entire community – not just yourself.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-victims-of-nudieland-shooting-in-mpls
