On the first day of the session on Jan. 2, 1973, Hubert Humphrey spoke to the Minnesota Legislature about citizenship, character and leadership. | KARE 11

In 1973, Minnesota Senator Hubert Humphrey laid down a truth we still need to hear. He reminded lawmakers of something we tend to forget: they’re not saints, geniuses, or somehow separate from the rest of us. They’re representatives. A reflection of the people who send them there. The quality of our politics is tied to the quality of our civic culture—how we argue, what we reward, and what we’re willing to tolerate. When power is exercised without consequence, it exposes not just leaders, but th