Jack- I love your voice today. Personal. Touching. Deep. They picked on Minneapolis because it’s deep blue and they sought to use Somalis as a wedge. What they found was a community that cares about everyone, every color, every neighbor, every nationality. They will lose. Fuck trump. Fuck ICE. Fuck DHS.
Tom, thank you. I felt exposed writing it...and I mean that as a compliment to the moment.
And...you’re right about the wedge. This is an old play: pick a “deep blue” place...pick a visibly targeted community...try to provoke fear...resentment...silence.
But what showed up in Minneapolis...wasn’t silence.
What showed up was BELONGING.
People who could’ve stayed home...didn’t. People who don’t share a language...still shared a sidewalk. People who don’t agree on everything...still agreed on the one thing that matters: you don’t get to carve up a city and call it order.
And now...with the DOJ opening a civil-rights investigation into the killing of Alex Pretti...the official story is already wobbling under the weight of the footage and the truth.
They came looking for a crack. They found a community...that closes ranks around humanity!
Minneapolis people are so brave and their story of today’s trials, strength and love for neighbors brought tears to my eyes. I stand with Minneapolis and agree with Fuck trump, fuck ICE, and fuck DHS.
Sylvia, thank you for saying that. What you’re responding to...the bravery...the care for neighbors...the refusal to let fear define the moment...that’s exactly what moved me too.
There’s something deeply powerful about a community that meets pressure with love ...instead of retreat.
Minneapolis showed that strength today...not as a slogan...but as lived behavior. Standing with one another. Protecting one another. Refusing to let anyone be treated as disposable.
That kind of courage leaves a mark. And...it deserves to be SEEN.
Tim Schell, what a wonderful description of Jack! I am a big fan, too.
Somehow, Substack sent me a form recently, and they, not I, changed the way my name appears on Substacks! Again, I had to wait for a code to be able to write on here and to answer you!
Let’s just hope the surveillance society isn’t messing with you because you wrote to me. One look at my profile and you’ll understand my caution/paranoia. 😊 That aside I appreciate your compliment.
I do have that concern but do not know what to do about it. They tried to make me jump through hoops (sign in, go to email for a code, sign in again,…) and sign in still again to write this response to your message above. Although I was not able to open again, I could come back and write here. They keep trying to make me open an app which I must not add and do not want. (It takes up space and is too visually noisy plus causes other problems.) Meanwhile, I feel fortunate to have gotten in here.
Substack is doing this today and tonight for my various Substack subscriptions. Thanks for reading if you got to this point.
Mo, thank you. I hope that too...and...I think they already are, in ways that don’t always show up in headlines.
What’s happening there feels less like a reaction...and more like a remembering. Of who they are. Of what kind of city they want to be. Of how communities survive moments like this by choosing each other...again and again!
If this piece reaches even a few of the people who were out there...cold...tired...standing anyway...then it’s done its job.
A favorite observation - “the presence of unity” is quite powerful. Unity of all ages and backgrounds. They’re speaking to all of us to preserve what is just and sacred and to allow that to remain for our children.
Yes. And thank you for naming it so clearly, Pamela.
What you’re describing...unity across ages...backgrounds...life stories...is the part that doesn’t just protest something.
It protects something. It reminds all of us that what’s “just and sacred” isn’t an abstract idea...it’s something we hand forward...like an inheritance.
And...when people show up together like that...it sends a message that reaches far beyond one city: we’re still here...we still recognize one another as neighbors...and we’re not surrendering the future our children deserve.
Thanks, Jack. This brought me to tears but they weren’t tears of grief or sadness… but emotions that sit just below the surface pretty much all the time lately.
They’re brave and strong and we’re going to all need to be this strong… together… if we’re going to get through this. This was, for me, a reminder of the resilience of the human spirit.
I needed this and appreciate that you took the time to write it.. IT MATTERS!
I know exactly the kind of tears you mean. Not grief. Not despair. More like…pressure ...finally finding a safe place to leave the body. The emotions that live just under the skin lately...waiting for one honest moment to let them breathe.
And yes: what Minneapolis showed isn’t just bravery. It’s collective strength. The kind that only happens when people stop imagining they’re alone in what they see..and what they feel...and start moving as a “we.”
Your line about resilience is the heartbeat of it. The human spirit doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it just…refuses to disappear. It stands. It links arms. It keeps choosing neighbor over fear.
Thank you for saying it mattered. That means more than you know.
History doesn’t turn because people are comfortable. It turns when power overreaches ...and ordinary people...REFUSE to normalize it...when the contrast becomes too stark to ignore.
What you’re remembering from 1963 wasn’t just brutality...it was the moment the country could no longer look away. Minneapolis carries that same moral clarity right now.
Not because people want conflict...but...because conscience finally outweighs fear.
That’s how movement happens. Quietly at first. Then ALL AT ONCE.
Thank you Jack! I’ve needed a break and this was perfect. My hometown had a rally and I went with my adult son in below zero weather and it was such an emotional event! So many People hugging, sharing stories, handing out handwarmers and cupcakes. I definitely was moved by it.
Barbara, that sounds like a beautiful moment...thank you for sharing it.
Going with your son...in that cold...and finding warmth in people instead… that’s exactly what I was trying to put words to. Exactly.
The handwarmers...the cupcakes...the hugs...those small acts are how resilience actually shows up in real life. Not as slogans...but as care passed hand to hand.
I’m glad you took that break. And...I’m really glad you went. Those are the kinds of memories that stay with us...and quietly strengthen us...for whatever comes next.
Your humanistic side is a nice change. I think we knew it was there to sustain you when you have to turn on the automatic paragraph sequencing and everything has to make sense.
You’re right...the analytical...structured voice is a tool. A necessary one...especially when things are chaotic and clarity matters. But...it’s sustained by something underneath it... the human part that feels first...that notices when a moment deserves to be met with presence...instead of precision.
This was one of those moments.
I appreciate you recognizing that balance...and sticking around for both sides of it. I do.
Jack, this shimmers and aches with beauty and hope even in the midst of tragedy (maybe because of it?). Inspiring, hopeful and deep.
As I read this, I could see a possible future where not only the citizens of Minneapolis come together like this but all communities in all states and eventually all nations. Citizens that lift each other up, care for each other no matter who they are, what abilities they have, what they believe because we, as humans, finally get exactly that. We’re humans first and we all deserve respect and dignity. Individualism is great…. and it cannot be at the expense of community.
I’m not sure just how we get from where we are currently to the world I see or if I’ll even be on the planet long enough to see it come to pass. I certainly hope so.
Thank you for a stunningly beautiful article and the vulnerability to write it. 💕💖💕
Thank you, Jack. I have extended family in Minneapolis. I know they have been involved and I'm waiting to hear from my daughter, who is keeping track of them. This affects all of us, doesn't it? No one is exempt from what is happening in Minneapolis now.
A beautiful, moving tribute those brave, beautiful people who stood and continue to stand together, despite the hardships, challenges, and threats to their own lives. Those wretched thugs who confront, harass, intimidate, attack them with pepper spray, beat, injure, and even kill them, will never know the love of spirit, of each other, of other humans, of nature, animals, beauty, or love of one another those in Minnesota have demonstrated with their actions.
Jack- I love your voice today. Personal. Touching. Deep. They picked on Minneapolis because it’s deep blue and they sought to use Somalis as a wedge. What they found was a community that cares about everyone, every color, every neighbor, every nationality. They will lose. Fuck trump. Fuck ICE. Fuck DHS.
Tom, thank you. I felt exposed writing it...and I mean that as a compliment to the moment.
And...you’re right about the wedge. This is an old play: pick a “deep blue” place...pick a visibly targeted community...try to provoke fear...resentment...silence.
But what showed up in Minneapolis...wasn’t silence.
What showed up was BELONGING.
People who could’ve stayed home...didn’t. People who don’t share a language...still shared a sidewalk. People who don’t agree on everything...still agreed on the one thing that matters: you don’t get to carve up a city and call it order.
And now...with the DOJ opening a civil-rights investigation into the killing of Alex Pretti...the official story is already wobbling under the weight of the footage and the truth.
They came looking for a crack. They found a community...that closes ranks around humanity!
-Jack
I’m so proud of the people of St Paul and Minneapolis. They exhibited the values we all hope to embody when called upon.
Absolutely!
Minneapolis people are so brave and their story of today’s trials, strength and love for neighbors brought tears to my eyes. I stand with Minneapolis and agree with Fuck trump, fuck ICE, and fuck DHS.
Sylvia, thank you for saying that. What you’re responding to...the bravery...the care for neighbors...the refusal to let fear define the moment...that’s exactly what moved me too.
There’s something deeply powerful about a community that meets pressure with love ...instead of retreat.
Minneapolis showed that strength today...not as a slogan...but as lived behavior. Standing with one another. Protecting one another. Refusing to let anyone be treated as disposable.
That kind of courage leaves a mark. And...it deserves to be SEEN.
Thank you for showing up. Seriously.
-Jack
Tom Schell, your description of Jack’s writing tonight and of the wonderful people of Minnesota is beautiful! Thank you!
Why thank you Judy! Jack is a rock star, I’m a huge fan. I’m originally from Chicago so I’m wedded to Midwestern people.
Tim Schell, what a wonderful description of Jack! I am a big fan, too.
Somehow, Substack sent me a form recently, and they, not I, changed the way my name appears on Substacks! Again, I had to wait for a code to be able to write on here and to answer you!
Let’s just hope the surveillance society isn’t messing with you because you wrote to me. One look at my profile and you’ll understand my caution/paranoia. 😊 That aside I appreciate your compliment.
Wow glad you figured that out! Strange deal!
I do have that concern but do not know what to do about it. They tried to make me jump through hoops (sign in, go to email for a code, sign in again,…) and sign in still again to write this response to your message above. Although I was not able to open again, I could come back and write here. They keep trying to make me open an app which I must not add and do not want. (It takes up space and is too visually noisy plus causes other problems.) Meanwhile, I feel fortunate to have gotten in here.
Substack is doing this today and tonight for my various Substack subscriptions. Thanks for reading if you got to this point.
Thank you Jack. Said from the heart and I just hope the people of Minneapolis see it, and thrive because of it.
Mo, thank you. I hope that too...and...I think they already are, in ways that don’t always show up in headlines.
What’s happening there feels less like a reaction...and more like a remembering. Of who they are. Of what kind of city they want to be. Of how communities survive moments like this by choosing each other...again and again!
If this piece reaches even a few of the people who were out there...cold...tired...standing anyway...then it’s done its job.
-Jack
Thank you Jack! While you were writing this note I was on ICE patrol in St. Paul. I feel seen.
OUTSTANDING! I salute you. I'm grateful.
-Jack
You are inspiration.
Thank you CLF!!! My hubby and I in MI send ALL of you our hearts❤️❤️
#HoldFast
We love you, we admire you, we are with you!
A favorite observation - “the presence of unity” is quite powerful. Unity of all ages and backgrounds. They’re speaking to all of us to preserve what is just and sacred and to allow that to remain for our children.
Yes. And thank you for naming it so clearly, Pamela.
What you’re describing...unity across ages...backgrounds...life stories...is the part that doesn’t just protest something.
It protects something. It reminds all of us that what’s “just and sacred” isn’t an abstract idea...it’s something we hand forward...like an inheritance.
And...when people show up together like that...it sends a message that reaches far beyond one city: we’re still here...we still recognize one another as neighbors...and we’re not surrendering the future our children deserve.
-Jack
Thanks, Jack. This brought me to tears but they weren’t tears of grief or sadness… but emotions that sit just below the surface pretty much all the time lately.
They’re brave and strong and we’re going to all need to be this strong… together… if we’re going to get through this. This was, for me, a reminder of the resilience of the human spirit.
I needed this and appreciate that you took the time to write it.. IT MATTERS!
#HOLDFAST
~Susan
Susan, thank you.
I know exactly the kind of tears you mean. Not grief. Not despair. More like…pressure ...finally finding a safe place to leave the body. The emotions that live just under the skin lately...waiting for one honest moment to let them breathe.
And yes: what Minneapolis showed isn’t just bravery. It’s collective strength. The kind that only happens when people stop imagining they’re alone in what they see..and what they feel...and start moving as a “we.”
Your line about resilience is the heartbeat of it. The human spirit doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it just…refuses to disappear. It stands. It links arms. It keeps choosing neighbor over fear.
Thank you for saying it mattered. That means more than you know.
#HOLDFAST
-Jack
Susan, you said that so beautifully, and I share those feelings.
#Holdfast for sure!
This is the Stuff that moves a nation.
Violent excess by the government.
I'm remembering Theophilus Eugene “Bull” Connor. May 3, 1963.
We moved then.
We are moving now.
Yes, Julien. That’s EXACTLY the throughline.
History doesn’t turn because people are comfortable. It turns when power overreaches ...and ordinary people...REFUSE to normalize it...when the contrast becomes too stark to ignore.
What you’re remembering from 1963 wasn’t just brutality...it was the moment the country could no longer look away. Minneapolis carries that same moral clarity right now.
Not because people want conflict...but...because conscience finally outweighs fear.
That’s how movement happens. Quietly at first. Then ALL AT ONCE.
-Jack
1955 December 2 Rosa Parks arrested
1963 May 3. Dogs & fire hoses
1964 July 2. Civil Rights Act
1965 August 6. Voting Rights Act
Yes. Quietly. Then all at once.
We will as a nation see this through.
Thank you Jack! I’ve needed a break and this was perfect. My hometown had a rally and I went with my adult son in below zero weather and it was such an emotional event! So many People hugging, sharing stories, handing out handwarmers and cupcakes. I definitely was moved by it.
Barbara, that sounds like a beautiful moment...thank you for sharing it.
Going with your son...in that cold...and finding warmth in people instead… that’s exactly what I was trying to put words to. Exactly.
The handwarmers...the cupcakes...the hugs...those small acts are how resilience actually shows up in real life. Not as slogans...but as care passed hand to hand.
I’m glad you took that break. And...I’m really glad you went. Those are the kinds of memories that stay with us...and quietly strengthen us...for whatever comes next.
-Jack
Your humanistic side is a nice change. I think we knew it was there to sustain you when you have to turn on the automatic paragraph sequencing and everything has to make sense.
Lynne Revis, that made me smile...thank you.
You’re right...the analytical...structured voice is a tool. A necessary one...especially when things are chaotic and clarity matters. But...it’s sustained by something underneath it... the human part that feels first...that notices when a moment deserves to be met with presence...instead of precision.
This was one of those moments.
I appreciate you recognizing that balance...and sticking around for both sides of it. I do.
-Jack
#HoldFast in action. Thank you for this story. 👹
You're welcome, Rachel. Thank YOU.
#HoldFast in action....YES.
-Jack
Beautifully written Jack. 🩷
Lori R, thank you. Truly.
-Jack
Jack, this shimmers and aches with beauty and hope even in the midst of tragedy (maybe because of it?). Inspiring, hopeful and deep.
As I read this, I could see a possible future where not only the citizens of Minneapolis come together like this but all communities in all states and eventually all nations. Citizens that lift each other up, care for each other no matter who they are, what abilities they have, what they believe because we, as humans, finally get exactly that. We’re humans first and we all deserve respect and dignity. Individualism is great…. and it cannot be at the expense of community.
I’m not sure just how we get from where we are currently to the world I see or if I’ll even be on the planet long enough to see it come to pass. I certainly hope so.
Thank you for a stunningly beautiful article and the vulnerability to write it. 💕💖💕
Thank you, Jack. I have extended family in Minneapolis. I know they have been involved and I'm waiting to hear from my daughter, who is keeping track of them. This affects all of us, doesn't it? No one is exempt from what is happening in Minneapolis now.
Jan Moon, I wish the best for your family there and for everyone!
#Holdfast!
We stand with the brave Minnesota People. Hold Fast
Excellent piece of writing today. You touched my heart.
A beautiful, moving tribute those brave, beautiful people who stood and continue to stand together, despite the hardships, challenges, and threats to their own lives. Those wretched thugs who confront, harass, intimidate, attack them with pepper spray, beat, injure, and even kill them, will never know the love of spirit, of each other, of other humans, of nature, animals, beauty, or love of one another those in Minnesota have demonstrated with their actions.
“. . active love.”
Yes, please.