Here is some pretty eloquent commentary on the subject from the Minnesota Public Radio website's "Soapbox":

In considering the Wellstone memorial
Midmorning, Oct. 30, 2002

I admit I was somewhat taken aback by the highly partisan nature of some of Mr. Kahn's comments; we do, however, need to consider that he was speaking from a deep and profound grief that we cannot, perhaps, understand. Every one of the speakers was at risk of being overwhelmed by emotion to the point of tears; I think Rick Kahn was overwhelmed, as well, but his emotions and his particular relationship to Paul led him in another direction. This was how he felt about Paul, and he expressed it honestly. Bless his breaking heart.

I also know that a group of 20,000 liberals, when gathering to remember the amazing life-force that bound them together toward a common goal would simply explode from the sheer, pent-up energy that had been stopped up by these tragic deaths. This event, far from being a political rally, was a healing event, and it was expressed in a way that was in keeping with the man we had known and respected - charged, a bit dramatic, perhaps even a bit over the top, but honest, raw, and true.

My husband and I talked about what we thought a memorial to any Republican Senator would have been like, and we agreed it would have been quite different. That's just fine with us.

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Last night, we were mourning our beloved hero, urging each other to pick up the slack left in his absence, reassuring each other that his work will continue through us, and making sure political leaders heard our cries: we will not let the spirit of the Wellstones die.

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Some people in this forum and elsewhere have criticized Wellstone's children and Tom Harkin for making political stump speeches, but these criticisms lack justification. Wellstone's children and Harkin only exhorted the listeners to carry on Paul's fight. Wellstone's whole life was about fighting for the things he believes in, and I can imagine no more fitting tribute to his memory. I'm sure the Republicans will make similar speeches when Reagan dies. I hope my children make similar speeches when I die. The fact that these speeches made the memorial sound like a pep rally is an unfortunate consequence of the fact that Paul died just days before an election.

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At the memorial, I had a needed opportunity to cry and grieve and face the reality of Wellstone's death. That was my mood. I felt embarrassed by some people booing in greeting when several well-known people entered. I know Paul would have felt the same way. Those were shameful moments and far beneath Paul's spirit. Later, as I drove home, I struggled a little with the fact that part of the memorial was very campaign oriented and political. This was at odds with my personal sense of grief. But then I remembered that we go to memorials to honor the dead, to affirm their lives and what they've left us and to find hope for the future. For me all these were met.

Paul Wellstone lived for me as a political person. What a lie and how artificial it would have been to be silent about his philosophy and ideals and how we could show respect to his life and memory through carrying on his work.

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The idea that the Republicans should be sitting in judgment on what is "proper" for the memorial of a sitting Democratic senator is just plain vulgar.

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I am almost stunned by those who criticize the Wellstone memorial service for becoming what they perceive as a political rally. This was a service for six people who died while all working together for one goal: to carry on Paul Wellstone's work in the U.S. Senate, and to retain the slim Democratic majority which now exists there.

If the Democrats lose the election now, many people feel that the deaths of all those on board the plane will have been in vain. You cannot separate that feeling from the grief that all Wellstone family, friends, and supporters are experiencing. Anyone who watched the memorial service, held for one of this country's most passionate and vibrant political figures, and attended by thousands on a college campus, certainly couldn't have expected that the urgency of continuing the Wellstone legacy would not be expressed.

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There is no need for media outlets to feign shock and outrage about this past Tuesday evening's memorial for the six individuals who died in the 10/25/02 plane crash near Eveleth. Our family was on hand at the memorial, and we wholeheartedly approved of the way the memorial unfolded. So, apparently, did the other 30,000+ people present as well as hundreds of thousands across the U.S. The memorial service helped to heal the broken hearts of families and friends. Just as important, it inspired and re-energized Minnesotans and Americans to remember ordinary folks and move forward on their behalf. Media outlets who make money as the result of their coverage of this and other events might wish to think twice before crying 'foul.' Political foes who wring their hands and then come out swinging might wish to ponder the thunder of the thousands of Minnesotans and other Americans who will not accept politics—or business—as usual any longer.

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