PRE-NOTE: The content below the asterisk was written and published Jan. 16,  If you read nothing else, note paragraphs 9&10 (para beginning with “Wednesday”).  The City Council meeting is very powerful, in a positive sort of way.

As I think about the context of this outrageous national incursion on places, now our state, I keep thinking of the likely architect and enabler of this outrage – the current President of the United States.  He is fond of media manipulation, and is good at it.  I only knew of him as ‘star’ of “The Apprentice” and the phrase “you’re fired”.  The program (which I never watched, not once) was popular.

Succinctly, my view is that we are doing a huge, financed-by-ourselves, national Soap Opera.  The villains are portrayed as people like me, and the plan seems to be to highlight one Democrat labelled place after another, sending in masked hoodlums to punish and make an example which will promote fear from the rest of the populace.  This is just my thought.  Of course, if it doesn’t pass muster with the architects, it will be considered “fake news”.  But it is a thought I need to share.  What follows was written before I wrote this.  Also see POSTNOTE at the end.

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This is day nine since the killing of Renee Good at 34th and Portland Avenue South in Minneapolis.  Here in the Twin Cities we are anticipating a cold weekend and early next week.  The activities continue as front page news, and I expect it to continue for some time.

Minnesotans are on the court, and not asleep.  I think it important to note that the spotlight at this moment is on one city – my metro area of over 3,000,000.  Perhaps the Twin Cities will be target for a month or two, then the “show” moves on to the next, on and on.  The intention I believe is to intimidate we the people through daily televised violence from our own governments gestapo.  I hope it doesn’t work.  But it is certainly damaging.

Here is my very brief view from my vantage point – news you won’t see on national TV or in the big city newspapers.  There is immense amounts of information out there.  This is just a very small sample.

This afternoon I got my Passport from my safe deposit box.  Then I looked: it expired in November 2025.  In ten years there has been no use, and no international travel is anticipated at my age.  But I’ll get it renewed, just in case.  But by that time, if I’m in trouble, I’m out of luck.

Away from the televised locations the local streets remain quiet, but the undercurrent is restive.  People are communicating.  Much of the more important news is not being televised – it is happening act by act in the local areas.  For example, I went to the local McDonalds on Wednesday – it’s my alternate ‘watering hole’ often in the afternoon.  Wednesday a guy told me the dining room was closed: not enough workers.   Fair enough.  It’s a very busy place in normal times.  Yesterday we went by there in late afternoon.  There was drive through, but no dining room open.  Today the same.

Odds are the McDonald’s dining room closure is in direct relation to ICE in the twin cities.  Many of their employees and customers would be  suspect because of color and language preference,

The front page in the January 15 Minnesota Star Tribune had a stunning graphic with the headline “DHS’ Minnesota presence dwarfs largest metro police forces“: 3,000 compared to 2,482 officers total for the ten largest metropolitan police departments.

Wednesday our State Representatives and many others were among those who gave maximum 3-minute comments to our local city council on issues relating to ICE.  We were going to be there.  The swarm of public arriving there, and lack of parking made it unlikely we’d even get in, so we went home.  Here is a detailed account of the City Council meeting.  The meeting is accessible on YouTube.  The relevant content begins at about 40 minutes and is extensive (about an hour).  It is well worth your time.  It is “citizen speak”.  As I have noted, Woodbury is just east of St. Paul and just west of the Wisconsin border along I-94.  It is a town of 83,000.

I did make my own input to that same Council last summer.  The letter is here: Woodbury ICE at HERO Center.  I was glad I sent the letter and had a very productive meeting with the city police chief, at his request.  Last week the local school district sent a letter to the parents/guardians of all its students.  It is worth reading: SoWashCo833 ICE.  Perhaps a third of the households have kids in school, so wouldn’t. receive this notice.

Last night we were scheduled for a show, Luminescence,  at Basilica of St. Mary.  I had purchased the tickets on Dec. 5.  We didn’t go.  I frankly felt guilty about taking advantage of this, and Cathy agreed.  It would have been a good show.  It was a good idea, but a bad time.  I have no idea if there is anyone else who saw this the same way as we did.  The Pastor and the Archbishop know who I am, and I am corresponding directly with them about my concerns.

Cathy has a good friend, native of Antigua, long-time citizen of the U.S., retired.  She worries about her friend, who lives in a small low income rental facility in St. Paul.  Many residents would fit the profile of ICE targets, so leaving the apartment is risky for them.  Apparently arrivals/departures from the Caribbean states are on hold.  Or at least so I’m told.

In the general area of communication, there is really constructive communication back and forth among ‘birds of a feather’ – people who have been conversing for a long time, know each other well.  While I was working on this, Cathy was talking with her sister in Arizona, who mentioned a demonstration going on in her senior community.  I’m honored to be part of some of these small groups, and if one speaks the others listen, and can and do disagree or modify points of view.  In the end analysis, this is how the struggle – and it is a struggle – will play out.

Personally, I’m an active Democrat, one of those people the President frequently and very publicly says he hates, seeking and probably getting the desired effect from his disciples.

A closing comment:

As an active Democrat, I see the party as it is, an inclusive group that is both enabled and disabled by its openness to differing points of view.  We can be a difficult rabble as we debate issue, but then, what unit of related and unrelated people sees everything the same way.  We all need to find ways to work through disagreements.

Speaking of which, the first and very important political act in our part of the world will be Precinct Caucuses on February 3, followed by assorted conventions at progressively higher level, leading towards the 2026 election, and the 2027 Congress  swearing in Jan. 6, 2027.

DO NOT DISCOUNT HOW IMPORTANT YOUR PARTICIPATION IS TO THE END RESULT.  Check with your local political party for specific dates and events in your area.  The long and short, if you are not involved, you cannot effectively impact.  It’s up to you, not to anyone else.

Also, recognize that a key tactic of the powerful is to simply out wait the powerless.  You need stamina to make change.  It is more than one meeting, or one protest.  Stick with it.

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POSTNOTE: In the PRE-NOTE, I mention I never watched “The Apprentice”.  I do watch TV, and two of my favorite shows are Dateline and 48 Hours.  This weeks Dateline was about Sarah, a very pleasant and attractive lady who abused her kids, and who attracted and in one way or another eliminated maybe five husbands (I lost count), and burned down a couple of houses, and finally took up residence for life in prison.  Granted, the subject was a little different, but not all that much.  The abuse of power ultimately will be punished.  But that’s a hard lesson for the already powerful to learn…it has worked so well for so long.

COMMENTS:

from Laura: Thanks very much, Dick.  Father Dan Griffith had a beautiful Mass for justice and peace that I just returned home from, after visiting with a number of people at the reception downstairs afterward.Good to have community support during these dark days.

from Carol: Speaking of the National Soap Opera…  A part of me has to be amused by photos of the ICE agents falling down on the ice, getting their vehicles stuck in snowbanks, being pelted by snowballs, beaten by snow shovels.  Today I understand the (dozen or so) counter-protestors from out of town, led by that pardoned thug from Jan. 6th, were hosed with water at their lame protest.  Sometimes ya gotta think Mother Nature has a sense of humor.  (Wonder if they’ll still be here for the finale of the Winter Carnival.  I mean, they could arrest all those Vulcans with the blackened faces…)