IT WAS THE FOURTH of July and we still showed up, 25-30 strong.
Some of us wore patriotic-themed shirts. We carried our signs. Susan brought mini American flags to distribute. One guy arrived with a full-size US flag. Matt came with his aging dog, Honeybun, who lounged in her dog bed on the sidewalk.
The week prior, we’d briefly talked about whether to gather on the Fourth of July. But we quickly decided that, of all days, we should meet to protest on the 250th birthday of our country. Just like we have every Saturday since January along one of Faribault’s busiest roadways.
Our love for America, our concern for America under the present administration, our love of freedom and democracy draw us street-side to publicly protest. Love for our immigrant neighbors brings us, too. There are hundreds of reasons to stand up, to rise up, to resist.
NOTABLE QUOTES ON PATRIOTISM
I reference this quote from a recent reader comment: “A love of country can coexist with a fierce criticism of it, and peaceful protest is arguably the epitome of patriotism. It is the work of those who love a country strongly enough to insist on trying to close the gap between what it is and what it could be.” (Steven B. Smith, The Atlantic, July 2026). That quote from Smith summarizes peaceful protest in a way that really resonates with me.
Another reader shared an equally insightful comment from a speech by Mark Twain: “Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, but your government only when it deserves it.” Oh, how true I find that to be.
PROTEST LINE OBSERVATIONS
Protesting in my community, which has voted Republican probably in forever (I’ve lived here 42 years), felt initially unnerving. It takes a bit of bravery to publicly stand along busy Minnesota State Highway 60 in this city of 25,000 and protest. You’re not anonymous like you would be among hundreds or thousands of protesters in a much larger city. But I got over that quickly as I found community among others, soon discovering that I am not alone in my viewpoints, my worries, my concerns.
In fact, during seven months of protesting, we’ve all noticed growing support from motorists passing the protest line. The verbal assaults, the rolling coal, the rage and other negativity directed toward us is declining just as support is increasing. The name-calling and bird flipping still happen, but not as frequently and with less intensity.
Now we have the numbers to back up those observations. My husband, Randy, closely watched passing motorists for the past two Saturdays, tallying results on the back of his protest sign. He noted reactions like horn honking, waving, thumbs up, middle fingers, yelling…in two overall categories of support and non-support.
SUPPORT IS GROWING
On Saturday, June 27, support was at 75 percent. On the Fourth of July, that number rose to 82 percent.
Things are shifting. And that began around the time of the Iran War and rising gas prices.
People passing by our protest line represent a cross-section of Faribault, lending validity to the unscientific street-side poll results. I hold hope. And hope is a powerful thing to hold when you love your country enough to stand up in protest.
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ON ANOTHER NOTE: Sam Temple, candidate for Rice County commissioner in District 3, is holding a town hall from 5:30-7:30 p.m. today, July 6, in the Great Hall of Buckham Memorial Library in Faribault. He intends to focus on data centers. One is being proposed for Faribault. Come, get informed, ask questions, meet Sam and also meet candidates running for Faribault City Council. All have been invited to this town hall. This will be a good opportunity to learn about data centers and about candidates running for local offices.
© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
Thoughts on the 250th birthday of America July 4, 2026
Tags: 250th birthday of America, America, bicentennial, commentary, democracy, Fourth of July, freedom, opinion, protesting, semiquincentennial, threats to democracy, United States of America
FIFTY YEARS AGO, my friend Barb married Chuck during the bicentennial year. She themed her wedding in red, white and blue.
That same year, my dad bought a boxcar full of hay to feed his cattle during one of Minnesota’s worst droughts ever.
And in 1976, I attended Farmfest, an agricultural exhibition and bicentennial celebration near Lake Crystal in southern Minnesota.
That trio of memories defines the bicentennial for me. I wasn’t thinking about the stability of the U.S. or anything political back then. But, oh, how my thoughts have shifted in 50 years. In 2026, I find myself worried about the future of this country.
In June 2025, I attended my first protest. Since then, I’ve become a regular on the protest line in my community, publicly raising my voice every Saturday morning against the current administration. I never thought that at my age, I would be protesting. But there I am standing street-side, shoulder-to-shoulder with others as concerned as me about the leadership in America and the very real threats to our democracy. “Very” is not a word I like to use. But I can’t think of a suitable synonym.
What concerns me? Threats to voting rights. Threats to freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Threats to individual liberty. Threats to the environment. Unlawful immigration enforcement. Lack of due process. Unauthorized and unnecessary war. A lack of checks and balances in a government of executive, legislative and judicial branches. Unchecked power. Unqualified individuals in federal government leadership positions. Cuts to Medicaid, education and more areas than I can possibly list. A Congress that mostly seems to lack a backbone, that caters to the president. Inflation. Tariffs. The high price of everything. The pardoning of insurrectionists. Abuse of power. Lies, lies and more lies. So much. So much.
I find all of this incredibly challenging in this semiquincentennial year when we should all be focused on celebrating. But if I pause and reflect among all the uncertainty and chaos, I recognize that I still have a voice. I am free to express myself. To write. To disagree. To hold a protest sign.
And, for now, that is something worth celebrating.
© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling