We Can't Afford to Miss a Beat: Honoring Melissa Hortman by Strengthening Our Fight

The Jack Hopkins Now Newsletter #366

Over the weekend, the political world was shaken by the senseless, targeted murder of Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in what authorities are calling a politically motivated act of domestic terror.

The attack left Minnesota reeling and the country on edge.

But grief alone is not enough. If we are serious about resisting the forces of political violence and authoritarianism that made this possible…we must turn heartbreak into strategy…rage into organization…and mourning into momentum.

Name the Threat, Don’t Soften It

We do ourselves no favors by pretending this was an isolated incident or the act of a lone disturbed man.

This was a political assassination. A deliberate act of terror aimed at silencing a voice for democracy…justice…and reproductive freedom.

The alleged attacker wasn’t confused. He was radicalized…emboldened…and methodical.

We must say that plainly. We must connect the dots. If we don’t, others will step in to write the narrative—with euphemisms…distractions…and dangerous indifference.

This is part of a pattern. When elected officials—especially women, especially those defending abortion rights—become targets for violence…and when that violence is justified or downplayed in partisan media ecosystems, it becomes not just an individual tragedy but a national emergency.

Silence is complicity. Clarity is power.

Action Makes the Grief Matter

It’s not enough to say “Never Again.” The only way to make Melissa and Mark’s murder mean something is to take focused…visible…sustained action. That means channeling heartbreak into work—strategic…hard-nosed…persistent work.

1. Protect the Vulnerable, Loudly

Demand that local, state…and federal governments create and fund real protective measures for elected officials…especially at the state and local levels.

This isn’t paranoia—it’s urgent infrastructure for democracy. Threat-assessment units. Safe housing policies. Secure communications. We know how to do it. Now we must demand it.

2. Tie Her Legacy to Tangible Goals

Melissa Hortman was a fierce advocate for reproductive rights…voting access…and public education. Use her policy priorities as organizing anchors.

For every cause she championed, start a campaign in her name.

• Introduce the Hortman Reproductive Freedom Act in your state.

• Turn petitions into door-knocking drives. Turn hashtags into budget allocations.

3. Humanize Her, Over and Over

Do not let Melissa’s life be reduced to a statistic. Tell her story. Share the joy…the toughness…the sarcasm…the wins…the losses.

Every organizer…every voter…every legislator needs to know who we lost. Grief without humanity fades. But humanity galvanizes. Use video. Use testimony. Use her voice to recruit new ones.

Multi-Front Pressure: Street, Screen, and Statehouse

We must attack this moment from all sides. The far right operates on a multi-front strategy: online radicalization…legislative sabotage…voter suppression…and now…open violence. Our response must be just as layered.

In the Streets

Organize vigils that double as rallies. Make the grieving public—and make it impossible to ignore. Every candlelight vigil should end with a QR code to register voters or fund security for women in office.

Online

Use digital ads to amplify her legacy and keep her name trending. Drive traffic not just to stories, but to action steps—donation links…volunteer shifts…legislative campaigns.

Use visuals that confront the violence directly. Do not let people look away. Grief is not comfortable…and it should not be easy to scroll past.

In the Statehouse

Every elected Democrat in the country should be using their platform to push for structural protection against political violence. If they’re not…call them. If they stall…protest. Melissa’s name should be on the lips of every lawmaker who claims to defend democracy.

Stay Measured, Stay Focused

Anger is fuel—but only when focused. Not everything is urgent. Not everything is equally effective. If you are organizing:

• Prioritize what will change budgets, legislation, and safety protocols.

• Keep track of what gets results—petitions, calls, in-person meetings, or pressure campaigns.

• Don’t waste time on performance. Let others argue on TV. You build power.

Track your wins. Celebrate your milestones. Share the metrics. People want to feel that action means something. Prove it.

Don’t Let the Shock Fade

The public attention span is short. That’s by design. We move on quickly to protect ourselves. But we cannot afford to let Melissa and Mark’s murder fade into memory.

One week from now…hold a second event. One month from now…push a second campaign. On the 100th day…hold a memorial and a voter drive. In November…pass something with her name on it.

Make it impossible to forget.

This Is a Line in the Concrete

We’ve crossed a line. If we allow political violence to become normalized…it will become a permanent feature of American life.

This is not the time for civility fetishism or lukewarm calls for “unity.”

This is a time for courage.

Let Melissa Hortman’s life and death remind us what is at stake. Democracy is not a given. It is a fight—one that we can win…if we’re willing to show up…stay focused…and never let them scare us silent.

So stand up. Speak clearly. Get organized. And most importantly—don’t stop.

Not now. Not ever.

Before I go…one more thing….

Up Next for Paid Subscribers Tonight: The Unfiltered Tactics That Could Save Your Life

If you found this guide useful, you’re only seeing the surface.

Paid subscribers tonight will get the follow-up that goes deeper—grittier, more specific, and built for when everything breaks bad.

Tonight: “Fortify Your Castle: How to Harden Your Home and Survive a Break-In”

• What to do if a loved one has already been shot—and you’re next

• Close-range, mid-range, and long-range tactics that give you a fighting chance

• How to respond second-by-second when the shooter is in your home

• What real attackers actually look for—based on law enforcement case studies

• The Emergency Home Defense Protocol Sheet (printable, zero fluff, ready for your wall)

This isn’t about fear. It’s about preparation that actually works. Because when the worst happens, hope is a liar and hesitation is a death sentence.

“What Does Jack Hopkins Know About This?”

Fair question. You shouldn’t take advice on life-and-death topics from people who’ve never been in the fight—or at least trained the ones who have.

Here’s the truth: I’ve spent years behind the scenes-I’ve been in over forty (40) hand to hand combat situations; doctors didn’t think I was going to survive one of them- and trained law enforcement agencies on how to think like attackers and sharpen their awareness to notice pre-attack indicators much faster.

I’ve consulted companies and institutions on how to make workplaces safer by understanding how violence starts…how it spreads…and—most importantly—how it can be stopped.

If you don’t understand the psychology of a would-be killer…it’s complicated know what to do.

I don’t teach theory. I teach tactics that work under pressure…when chaos has already started and seconds count more than policies.

I’ve dissected real attacks.

I’ve helped people build plans and protocols to stay alive when their homes…their jobs…or their families were suddenly under threat.

That’s what I bring to this conversation. Not fear. Not paranoia. Preparedness. Experience. Clarity under pressure.

So when I say you need to fortify your home like your life depends on it…that’s not a metaphor. It’s a lesson written in blood by the ones who didn’t.

Upgrade now. Because surviving a home invasion requires more than just reading about it—it demands a plan, and that plan drops tonight.

I’ll be back soon…with even more.

Warmly,

-Jack