“This is where our salvation lies: in our relationships in our communities, our love for our neighbors, and our hatred of bullies. There’s a suffocating amount of malice and evil out there right now. But there’s also a tremendous amount of good old-fashioned American moxie, compassion, and stubbornness.”
That’s from an article by Aaroon Regunberg in The New Republic, Jan. 23, 2026, the day before Alex Pretti was executed on the street in my old neighborhood in Minneapolis.
“Here’s Your Damn Playbook, Democrats” is well worth reading in full for it’s insight into how we are showing the nation, and the world, how to fight fascism. It is a reminder, and encouragement, for us to hold our representatives accountable, and — even though we are tired, battered and bruised — to never be demoralized or give in. It is an exhortation for us to continue fighting, because there are more of us (a lot more!) than them, and we are on the right side of history, and humanity.
“Americans Are Remembering Who We Are” Heather Cox Richardson reminds us that the fundamental, foundational character of America, of what truly makes us great, is our sense of community, of acceptance, of support for our neighbors, of the knowledge that we have all suffered, that we can see each other’s struggle and willingly, enthusiastically, extend our hand to help. The power of standing up for each other, of standing between oppressor and oppressed, as Alex Pretti and Nicole Good did, as so many have done and continue to do here, is our strength. We do it willingly, at great risk, with great cost, but we stand firm in standing up for those who cannot stand up for themselves.
It is paying off.
We made them blink, and we must continue to push back at them. We must continue to keep the pressure on. We must continue to call and write and shout at our representatives to represent us, and ALL Americans.
We must defund DHS and ICE and not back down. NOW.
To that end, tomorrow, 1/30, is another “MN Economic Freeze Out”.
Don’t buy anything. Don’t go to work. Especially make the Oligarchs and Corporate CEOs take notice, (lookin’ at you, Target and Amazon).
A key to our success is our non-violent approach. The fact that we are really pisses them off. It enrages them. It deprives them of validation for their lies, (and, not coincidentally, makes it harder to justify the Insurrection Act).
It makes them even more angry when we are able to show that we are strong and unbowed by them.
On Saturday, 1/31, at 3:00pm, here in Bridge Square in Northfield, we will have a protest and dance party. Officially, for about an hour, but we’re there for each other, for as long as we need to be.