Blackduck mayor resigns over Facebook post about running over protesters (Minneapolis: racism, privacy)

[Ghengis]

The Mayor of Blackduck (not a made up name) has scuttled his once promising political career.

Mayor Gomer Knuckledragger (made-up name) announced his resignation shortly before the city council's emergency meeting yesterday.

Rudy Patch, until Monday night the mayor of the small town of Blackduck, Minnesota, has the dubious honor of becoming the second Minnesota city official to resign over his Facebook posts in as many weeks.

Patch says his was taken out of context.

The first was Vadnais Heights City Council member Craig Johnson, who had a cornucopia of memes targeting Muslims, ***** people, and trans people all over his page until Tuesday, when he adjusted his privacy settings and abruptly stepped down.

Patch, meanwhile, undid his career with a single meme appearing on his Facebook page in the wake of protests spurred by George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police. It pictured what appeared to be a blood-soaked silver Jeep and the caption, “I don’t know what you mean by protesters on the freeway; I came through no problem.”

Blackduck, Minnesota mayor resigns over Facebook meme about running over protesters | City Pages

As part of his resignation letter he wrote he’d like to “get training available to myself and anyone who has interest in learning more about racism,” and that he is “accepting the responsibility of his mistake.”

Probably seemed funny at the time.