Josh Latimer
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| Birth name: | Joshua Paul Latimer |
| Title(s): | Guide of the Minnesotan Revolution, Father of the Nation |
| Political position(s): | President of the Free and Independent State of Minnesota, President of the Minnesotan Revolutionary Front, Supreme Commander of the Minnesotan Defense Force |
| Military rank: | Field Marshal (since October 1, 2006) |
| Term of office: | December 26, 2001 - present |
| Predecessor: | None |
| Successor: | Incumbent |
| Birthdate: | September 19, 1966 |
| Place of birth: | Coon Rapids, Minnesota |
| Religion: | Lutheran |
| Spouse(s): | Suzanne Latimer |
| Profession(s): | Politician, career soldier |
| Ideology: | "Authentic Minnesotan nationalism" |
| Languages spoken: | English, French, Spanish |
| Estimated fortune: | unknown |
His Excellency, Marshal Josh Latimer, President of the Free and Independent State of Minnesota, has dominated the political scene in Minnesota since he seized power via a bloodless coup d’état and wrested the state's independence from the United States. Since then, he has successfully fended over an ill-fated invasion by the U.S. federal government, consolidated all power in his own hands, implemented a repressive police state propped up by a vast and highly efficient security apparatus, and overseen a period of peace, stability, and high economic growth, while acting ruthlessly to suppress dissent. In spite of his heavy-handed methods and autocratic style of rule, he is immensely popular with the people for bringing the dream of Minnesotan independence to fruition, giving them a robust and thriving nation-state to be proud of, and pursuing a lenient domestic policy of allowing most civil liberties and a foreign policy of "positive non-alignment and indiscriminate open-mindedness to the world."
Early life
Born in 1966, Latimer held lofty ambitions from an early age. Tall for his age, outspoken and assertive, he was popular with his peers for his straight-forward, no-nonsense approach to life and his overriding sense of justice and compassion which compelled him to stand up strongly for the weak against their oppressors. He was a bit rambunctious and caused trouble on more than one occasion in school, but was committed to his studies and was a favorite of his teachers. He showed a penchant for history and social studies, but abhorred math and science. The one dominant characteristic, however - the one that would shape his outlook his entire life - was a deep and unshakeable pride in all things Minnesotan. He exhaustively researched Minnesotan history with zeal and passion, and with his elephantine memory, could easily recall even the most obscure facts and figures. The belief to which he stood most firmly was his belief that Minnesota was unique among American states, had a character of its own, and could and should throw off the mantle of "colonialism" (i.e., subordination to the federal government) and become an independent nation-state.
In high school, he tried his hand at sports, but disliked them. Instead, he dabbled in journalism, and penned articles for both his school newspaper and local journals and papers, under a pseudonym. He also wrote a short book titled Minnesotan Independence: Prospects for Liberty, but it failed to find a publisher. He took an interest in politics, but found all parties equally disillusioning. "They are nothing but gangs of retrograde toadies of the establishment in Washington, D.C. All of them, left and right, are tools of the imperialists. None show any demonstrable loyalty to their homeland, to Minnesota."
At the age of 17, while in his junior year of high school, he founded - with his best friend, Calvin Cyprian, Jr. - the Minnesotan Independence Party, a party which proclaimed "authentic Minnesotan nationalism" as its ideology. Utilizing his considerable oratory and charisma, Latimer quickly established a popular following. However, shortly after graduating high school, Latimer ran for local office, but was accused (falsely, it later turned out) of misappropriation of campaign funds and vote tampering, and sentenced to five years' community service in the Minnesotan National Guard - a sentence which would later prove to be a godsend.
Adulthood
Military life
Latimer advanced steadily in the National Guard. He was bright, inquisitive, attentive, and had both a phenomenal memory and an unusual capacity for hard work, both assets which paid off immeasurably. He performed his tasks with efficiency and enthusiasm, got along well with his peers, and never caused trouble.
His community service ended in the summer of 1989, yet to his surprise, he had grown to like military service so much that he stayed. It was around this time that he married his high school sweetheart.
In 1991, during the Gulf War, Latimer's unit was assigned to Iraq; in spite of his revulsion to fighting for "the colonialists," he served with great distinction, receiving numerous citations for bravery. One escapade in particular - the diversion of the enemy's attention to himself so several wounded allies could be evacuated - nearly garnered him a Congressional Medal of Honor. During a fierce firefight on the Iraqi-Kuwaiti border, he was severely wounded, for which he won the Purple Heart. Though he survived the wounds, to this day he walks with a slight limp, and is often seen walking aided by a cane.
After recuperating from his wounds, Latimer once again found himself being whisked abroad to serve in a foreign land. He served, again with distinction, during Operation Restore Hope in Somalia, although this time the bulk of his duties were non-combat ones; mostly, they consisted of administering aid to Somali refugees and providing security for NGO officers.
Civilian life
Upon his return, he temporarily retired from military life, dabbled briefly in journalism (he had several political articles, most with a vehement anti-communist slant, published in military magazines),
