If nothing else, we are finding out the voices and institutions that have our backs.
Bonus points to Garden Party here in town also being the family our state rep comes from.
Category Archives: Comments and Observations
Other nations danced for joy at the World Baseball Classic. Team USA played toy soldiers
It takes a concerted effort to destroy goodwill. You have to be blind to the obvious, do performative bullshit for no reason other than to piss other folks off. Then you gotta be an asshole in public to destroy any good feelings folks might have had about you coming back from adversity.
The US baseball squad managed all of this over a two week stretch. Even them tying the championship game in the eighth inning became a groaner moment when Bryce Harper (who has never served in uniform) rounded third and gave some dickish salute to the crowd.
They lost in the ninth. It made me happy that a team from a nation we recently both invaded and kidnapped their leader did that.
Thanks to an art class and his trusty iPad, editorial cartoonist Steve Sack is back
It is good to have Steve Sack back as an editorial cartoonist. Injury cost us a voice in dark times and it is nice to see he has found new way to express himself. If you want to follow along, his Substack is here.
‘This isn’t living, right?’: Minnesota immigrants share their stories while in hiding from ICE
Local NPR is – sort of – doing the work. Their social media person is gawdawful but here and there a reporter remembers who their community is and who actually funds their labor. Here are some insights from the folks literally under seige from masked government goons.
How the Rebel Loon became a symbol of resistance to ICE
One of the symbols going around these parts in recent weeks is the rebel loon. Which, I am sort of ambivalent about since we aren’t actually in open rebellion (nor would I recommend it without resources). Either way, here is a bit of background on that.
‘Do’s and don’ts’ if you monitor ICE agents, immigration actions in Minnesota
Once again, masked insurrectionist racists can do whatever they want to harm people, but YOU have rules to follow. And even then they can kill, arrest, harass and harm you.
‘Ice Out for Good’: Art and censorship in the Minnesota snow
Too many cowards are gatekeeping and allowing horrible acts by institutions but muting reactions by the public.
Minnesota parents look for ways to help kids cope and process ICE trauma and chaos
After Covid, after the George Floyd assassination, we really didn’t need the Feds invading our state to damage our children and their already low lack of faith in our institutions to not actively harm them.
The impacts of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown
Another of the recent MPR reporting that gives you hope they might figure out their role again.
The history of activism and protest in Minnesota
I have been hell on MPR and NPR in general. And I don’t apologize for that even in the slightest. They have knuckled under to MAGAts for no freaking reason. On their knees and STILL lost their federal funding. You think that would cause them to grow a spine, but no, not really.
That said, some reporters still do the work, even if they still give air time to awful people. So, with ALL those caveats in mind, I am gonna post some recent stories and forums hosted on MPR lately.
Here’s a bit of a history lesson on how things work up here.