Minnesota Prairie Roots

Writing and photography by Audrey Kletscher Helbling

July 4 on the protest line in Faribault July 6, 2026

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One of many mini 250th birthday flags decorating the bandshell area at Faribault’s Central Park. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

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.

I made this protest sign earlier this year and carried it during our July 4th protest in Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2026)

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.

Hours after our protest ended in Faribault, Randy and I headed to a July Fourth celebration in North Morristown. I wore this to both events. On my flag shirt I wore a Rebel Loon button and campaign buttons for Jake Johnson, running on the DFL ticket for U.S. representative, and for Martha Brown also on the DFL ticket for state representative in District 19A. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo by Randy Helbling)

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.

The protest line in February, early on in our weekly 11 a.m.-noon Saturday protests outside the Rice County government services building along Minnesota State Highway 60 in Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo February 2026)

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

 

Thoughts on the 250th birthday of America July 4, 2026

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(Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

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

 

Honoring America locally in red, white & blue July 1, 2026

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Red, white and blue define this front yard along First Street Southwest in Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

RED, WHITE AND BLUE banner everyday life annually around this time each year. I’m talking not only U.S. flags flying from poles, but much more. And this July 4, the 250th birthday of our nation, American pride seems especially abundant. Or maybe I’m simply noticing because of the milestone celebration.

Harvest Time Church in Faribault is celebrating the Fourth on July 5. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

Whatever, I challenge you to see how your friends and neighbors, local businesses, churches and other organizations are celebrating and/or running with the July 4 theme.

A patriotic front window display at Keepers Antique Shop. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

Locally, I found plenty of examples in expected, and unexpected, places. At Keepers Antique Shop along Central Avenue in Faribault, I always expect proprietor Nona Boyes to create a window display appropriately themed to a particular event. She didn’t disappoint, staging two mannequins draped in red, white and blue holding an American flag between them. The patriotic theme carries to a corner curio and additional window space. Boyes’ art education and background show in every single window display she creates for her antique shop.

A July 4 tabletop display at Books on Central, owned by the Rice County Area United Way and run by volunteers. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

Across the street at Books on Central, I happened upon another July Fourth display, this one atop a table. Because this is a used bookshop, books center the space created by volunteer Jeanne Campbell with assistance from Mary Campbell.

“The Star Spangled Banner” was among patriotic songs performed at a recent concert by the Mankato Area Community Band in Faribault. Singer Barbara Dunker dressed in patriotic attire for the finale of “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

Books about the White House, “The Star Spangled Banner” and Alexander Hamilton are for sale along with other volumes artfully placed among mini American flags, a Betsy Ross statue and touches of red and white ribbon. “We the People—A Pictorial Celebration of America” and “1776” by Pulitzer Prize winning author David McCullough are also among the selections.

A holiday ribbon adds a festive touch to a straw hat worn by a woman attending a recent concert in Faribault’s Central Park. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

If you really want to get to the basics, you’ll find a pocket book of the U.S. Constitution propped in a front window display themed to celebrating the birth of this country.

A special holiday sale at Fashions on Central, selling used clothing for women with proceeds going to the local senior center, Buckham West. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

To the north on Central Avenue, Fashions on Central promoted a RED WHITE BLUE SALE on a sandwich chalkboard.

A State Bank of Faribault flower pot decorated with an American flag for the holiday. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

At the State Bank of Faribault, an American flag graces a lush pot of flowers outside the bank’s front entry.

A floral scene created by Faribault homeowner Kay in celebration of America’s 250th birthday. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

But it was red flowers planted in galvanized tubs and backdropping white hydrangea that drew my admiration for July Fourth floral plantings. I was en route to a garage sale in a south-side Faribault neighborhood when I spotted the work of gardener Kay, who planted red, white and blue flowers throughout her yard. She wasn’t home when I stopped. But her husband, Paul, promised to pass along my praise.

Gerda Dolman pieced together Lady Liberty. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

When I stopped at an estate sale, I purchased an unusual piece of art perfect for the Fourth of July. For $3, I snagged a puzzle of the Statue of Liberty pieced together by Gerda Dolman of Madison, Minnesota, when she was 100 years old. She lived to nearly 102, dying in 2021. Her son mounted the puzzle on wood. Gerda’s Lady Liberty now hangs on my dining room wall, a visual reminder of freedom, liberty and hope for all who came, and continue to come, to America. Like Gerda’s Norwegian ancestors.

I photographed this boy dressed in patriotic clothing and clinging to his mom’s leg at a recent car show in Dundas. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

As we celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday, I focus on those foundational words of liberty and freedom. I hope others do, too, as they don patriotic attire, enjoy parades and BBQs, watch fireworks, and consider all this nation has endured from the Revolutionary War to present.

For sale in the Rice County Historical Society gift shop, 250th anniversary caps. The RCHS is celebrating its 100th birthday this year. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo 2026)

This message lifted from the tabletop display at Books on Central says it all: “For 250 years, we have maintained and loved this country that was created as the great American experiment, an exercise in self-governance and respect and freedom. Long may this great experiment reign, cherished and supported by those it protects and honors. Happy birthday to the United States of America!”

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Persistent peaceful protest April 23, 2026

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Protesting by the Rice County government services building along Minnesota State Highway 60 in Faribault during the third No Kings Day nationwide protest in March. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo March 2026)

THEY PROTESTED during the Vietnam War. Larry, Karl and Mary, who was tear-gassed at the University of Minnesota back in the day. Nearly 60 years later, they are on the protest line again, holding signs, voicing their concerns.

On a brutally cold February morning, my friend Larry held this sign on the protest line. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo February 2026)

And I’m there, too, standing along Minnesota State Highway 60/Fourth Street in Faribault exercising my First Amendment rights to free speech. I never thought that at my age, I would become a protester. But nearly every Saturday morning from 11 a.m.-noon for the past three months, I’ve stood in solidarity with Larry, Karl, Mary, Kate, Mercedes, Randy, Raven, Matt, Barb, Kirsten, John, Gary, Wendy, Elizabeth, Josh, Sheri, Mark, Ann, Reed, Susan, Donna, Travis, Carrie, Allison, Hannah…up to 175 people at the most recent No Kings Day protest.

I’m proud to call these kind, compassionate and caring individuals my friends. Some I’ve met on the protest line; others I knew previously. Whether friendships old or new, I value every single person who is taking a public stand against the chaos unfolding in this country. There is value in protesting.

I saw this message online and immediately knew I needed to craft this sign. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo April 2026)

We express our concerns in the signs we craft, or buy, and hold for passing motorists to see. Concerns about immigration enforcement, the environment, Constitutional rights, the Epstein files, voting rights, the future of our democracy, human rights, data centers, the economy, incompetency of elected officials, un-presidential images with comparisons to Jesus…and most recently the war in Iran.

A sign I made and held at a protest this winter. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2026)

I have a stash of signs in my basement and continue to create new ones. When issues pop up, I pull out the markers, the tag board or cardboard, the stencils and write a message. There’s no shortage of concerns I hold for this country and world under the current federal leadership.

One of my newer protest signs focuses on peace. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo April 2026)

Lately I’ve held “Peace, not war” signs. It’s an issue on everyone’s mind, this unnecessary war our president started without Congressional approval, without a clear understanding of the Iranian regime’s mindset, without an exit. American soldiers are dying. The economy is a mess. And on and on. Threats to bomb away a civilization don’t sit well with me. Nor do comparisons to Jesus or attacks on Pope Leo XIV.

Peace has always felt elusive. Even on the protest line, where we practice peace, we sometimes find ourselves under verbal attack from motorists who clearly support the president and his agenda. We’ve been yelled at, called “stupid, retarded, mentally ill, dumb a**es” and more while getting the middle finger sometimes accompanied by a “f**k you!”. We just smile and wave, refusing to give these angry MAGA individuals the negative reaction they desire. That said, when they drive dangerously close to us at a high rate of speed, they cross the line from free speech to public endangerment.

Nearly 60 years ago, Larry, Karl and Mary were young adults protesting the Vietnam War. I admire that they are back on the protest line. They understand the importance of speaking up, of not remaining silent.

Peace, a children’s picture book illustrated by a Michigan artist. (Book cover sourced online)

Creatives like Wendy Anderson Halperin also understand how we can use our voices to make a difference. I recently found her book, simply titled Peace, at my local library. Published in 2013, this children’s picture book is especially relevant today. I encourage you to read it, to study Halperin’s detailed illustrations and to read the many quotes woven into the artwork. Quotes that are thought-provoking, uplifting, revealing, encouraging.

I leave you with two quotes printed in Peace:

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”—Jimi Hendrix.

“Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and greed. If people all over the world would do this, it would change the earth.”—William Faulkner.

I came up with this sign idea after an ICE agent was charged last week with felony second-degree assault for allegedly pointing a gun at two people in a vehicle along a Twin Cities highway during Operation Metro Surge. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo April 2026)

RELATED: Sahan Journal, a nonprofit digital newsroom in Minnesota dedicated to reporting for immigrants and people of color, published an outstanding article on April 21 about more than 70 Minnesota children detained by federal immigration agents during Operation Metro Surge. This is an eye-opening story that should be read by everyone, regardless of political affiliation. Click here to read.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Celebrating immigrants in a children’s picture book by Faith Ringgold April 16, 2026

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(Book cover sourced online)

TEN YEARS AGO, award-winning African American author and artist Faith Ringgold (1930-2024) published We Came to America. I find this children’s picture book especially relatable to today as ongoing federal immigration enforcement continues in this country.

I wish everyone who rails against immigrants would read this book to remind themselves of their roots. Unless Native American, every single one of us can trace our ancestral roots to a place other than the United States of America.

Ringgold celebrates the diversity of this country in this colorful, celebratory book featuring a diversity of peoples. She honors the music, food, culture, stories, dance and more of those who resettled here. She recognizes the reasons—injustice, fear and pain—many came.

MADE AMERICA GREAT

This author even uses the words “made America great,” not in a political context, but to celebrate how diversity enriches America.

“We came to America/Every color, race and religion/From every country in the world,” she writes in a poetic refrain.

LOVING THIS BOOK

I love this book. It’s simple. Easy to read. Joyful. Accurate. Timeless. Appropriate for all ages, including adults, especially adults.

I love that the author, born and raised in Harlem, was part of the Black Arts Movement and an activist who worked tirelessly for civil rights and social justice. Ringgold is best known for her story quilts.

PEACE, FREEDOM, JUSTICE

She dedicates her picture book about immigrants to all the children who come to America: “May we welcome them and inspire them to sustain a love and dedication to peace, freedom, and justice for all.” Reread those words: Peace. Freedom. Justice for all. Ringgold was 86 when she wrote those words, created the art for We Came to America.

I wonder how Ringgold would feel about the threats to democracy and personal freedom and about the injustices occurring in this country today? I expect she would use her creative voice to rise up, resist and remind all of us that we are valued, that together we are America. All of us, no matter our color, our race, our religion. And no matter our roots.

TELL ME: Have you read We Came to America or any of Faith Ringgold’s books? Or have you seen her art exhibited? I’d like to hear your thoughts on her work and/or that of other creatives like her.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Standing in strong solidarity on No Kings Day in Faribault March 28, 2026

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One of my favorite signs, expressing truth no matter your political affiliation. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

WE GATHERED, 175 STRONG, in Faribault on Saturday morning for the third nationwide No Kings Day protest. In a city which is decidedly red, this number impresses. This marked a record turn-out, far surpassing our top participation of eighty. I saw many new faces. And a few new dogs.

This shows only a small portion of the line of protesters, some of whom brought their dogs. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

From a preschooler, who plastered stickers onto a cardboard sign and held his mom’s hand, to a first-time protester in her eighties, and all ages in between, we came.

The Faribault protest site is along Minnesota State Highway 60 outside the Rice County government services building. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

We stood along Minnesota State Highway 60 in this city of 25,000 an hour south of the Twin Cities to raise our voices. We care about this country enough to step up and speak out. And not a single one of us was paid to protest, as some erroneously claim.

We came with hope and energy and enthusiasm.

Another favorite sign, for its message, creativity and humor. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

We came, too, with our signs. Grievances. Concerns. Demands. Strong statements in support of freedom, democracy, voting rights, immigrants… Strong statements against the leadership in this country, immigration enforcement, the war in Iran. Strong statements about the state of the nation, the economy, whatever worries us.

When I saw several protesters without signs, I offered extras I brought. Pulling the signs from the back of the van, I asked them to put the signs back before they left. They did.

My friend Ann, center, came in a flower power sweater she handcrafted. I absolutely love this vintage 70s look, which fits protesting. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

We came in our red Norwegian resistance hats and our handcrafted flower power sweaters and our Rebel Loon shirts.

A sign, with a humorous twist, that shows deep concern about Trump’s presidency. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

We came, too, with our music, a guitarist and a bagpipe player adding a celebratory tone to the event. This was, after all, also a rally for like-minded folks who care about each other, their neighbors, this community, this state and America.

The Rebel Loon, on the backs of these shirts, has become a symbol of resistance in Minnesota. The loon is our state bird. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

It felt good to stand in solidarity, to talk and smile and lift each other up. To not feel so alone in one’s beliefs in a mostly Republican town.

My husband, Randy, made and carried this humorous sign, which garnered lots of laughs. And compliments. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

It felt good also to laugh at humorous signs. To compliment those who made especially creative signs. To recognize that every person lining the sidewalk on both sides of the highway had a vested interest in publicly standing up for what is right and good and decent.

I walked the protest line, welcoming protesters, looking at their signs, thanking them for coming, encouraging them to return next Saturday from 11 a.m. to noon.

This is not done. This resistance.

As a Christian, this sign really resonates with me. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

We will continue to come with our signs. We will come with our peace and Minnesota state and American flags. We will come with our stories and our words and our voices.

We will come in the spirit of peaceful resistance. In the spirit of resilience and strength and compassion. We are, and remain, Minnesota Strong.

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THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the No Kings Day protests at 3,100 sites across this nation today. A special thanks to those who showed up in Faribault. To those I invited, those I met, those I knew from past protests, know how much I value you and your voice. To the estimated 100,000 who attended the flagship event at the Minnesota state capitol in St. Paul, thank you for showing the world the strength of Minnesotans. To protesters who gathered in other countries, this American is grateful for your support. Continue to stand strong in solidarity for freedom. We must. We will.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Protests planned along I-35 & across the country March 25, 2026

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A protest in downtown Minneapolis in January, at the height of Operation Metro Surge. (Photo credit: A cousin who lives in south Minneapolis.)

THIS MARKS A BIG WEEK for anyone concerned about the future of this country under the leadership of President Donald Trump and his administration. That includes me. This is a week of unified nationwide protests.

I’ve protested so many times already—in Faribault, Northfield and Owatonna—against what’s unfolding in America that I’ve lost count. And lest anyone thinks peaceful public protests don’t matter, they do. This is one way to raise our voices, to stand up for democracy, to protect our voting rights, to support our immigrant neighbors, to oppose that which is morally and ethically wrong. To resist and publicly stand for freedom, justice, peace, and much more.

This Thursday and then again on Saturday, concerned Americans will rise up, not in a violent insurrection, but in peaceful protest. Using our voices and our signs, we will make our statements. And, living in a primarily “red” community like I do, it’s especially important for me and others to take a visible public stand.

At a NO KINGS protest in Northfield in October, protesters stand along busy Minnesota State Highway 3. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo October 2025)

BRIDGE PROTEST ALONG I-35

The week’s protests begin on Thursday with a No Kings Democracy Bridge Protest along the Interstate 35 corridor from Minnesota to Texas. If Faribault had a bridge over the interstate, we’d be out there. We don’t. But only a short drive to the south in Owatonna and Medford, organized protests on bridges are planned from 4-5:50 p.m. on Thursday. Protesters gathering on 46 bridges over and along I-35 will hold letter signs (rather than individual signs), spelling out messages, making the words highly-visible to the millions traveling this corridor. Messages like: NO WAR NO KINGS and YES DEMOCRACY—NO KINGS 3/28!

This shows a portion of the people protesting in Faribault on a frigid February morning. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo February 2026)

NO KINGS DAY PROTEST

Thursday’s border-to-border bridge protests are a lead-up to the main event, the third nationwide NO KINGS protest on Saturday, March 28. Here in Faribault, we will gather outside the Rice County government services building along Minnesota State Highway 60 from 11 a.m.-noon as we have every Saturday for almost three months.

I’ve stood there in frigid cold, in a snowstorm, in near 80-degree temps. And I’ve met the most wonderful people. Individuals who care deeply about this country. People who value freedom, democracy, justice, peace, their neighbors… We bring our signs, sharing whatever concerns us, whatever we want the public to read. Some bring American, Minnesota state and peace flags. And this past Saturday, a man wore an inflatable frog costume. A passing motorist brought us doughnuts.

We stand united, overwhelmingly supported by those who drive by, waving, giving us the thumbs up, honking their horns. But, of course, we are also flipped off, have profanities shouted at us, and are threatened by drivers of over-sized pickup trucks who drive dangerously close and fast, rolling coal. They are attempting to intimidate us into silence.

I was holding this sign when a driver told me to “find Jesus.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo by Randy Helbling)

And then there was the driver who last week slowed and shouted, “You need to find Jesus!” I held a sign with a message to love each other. A young man next to me held a “peace, not war” sign. I believe Jesus would have approved of our signs.

My friend Larry, in his eighties, told me he hadn’t protested since the Vietnam War. But he’s joined us in Faribault for many of our Saturday morning protests. People of all ages partcipate. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo February 2026)

FLAGSHIP PROTEST IN THE TWIN CITIES

This Saturday we will hold our signs again in Faribault. To the north in the Twin Cities, protesters will gather at noon to march from three sites in St. Paul to the Minnesota State Capitol. The Twin Cities is the flagship location for the March 28 NO KINGS Day protest. At 2 p.m., an impressive line-up will lead a rally. Those include Senator Bernie Sanders, Jane Fonda, Joan Baez, Maggie Rogers, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, and the boss himself, Bruce Springsteen. The musician will perform his anti-ICE song, “Streets of Minneapolis.”

In the words of Springsteen, “We will take our stand for this land.” We will raise our voices. From the small towns and cities of the Heartland, from rural and urban areas coast-to-coast, Americans will rise up and peacefully protest. Unified in purpose. Determined. Standing strong.

FYI: To learn more about the Thursday protests on I-35 bridges, click here. To find a NO KINGS Day protest location near you, click here.

ADDITIONALLY, the people of the Twin Cities have been awarded the 2026 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for their actions during the massive federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota. Click here to learn more about that award, which will be presented at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston on May 31. So proud of you, Twin Cities, and all other Minnesotans who stepped up, helped, protested, etc. during Operation Metro Surge. That includes right here in my community of Faribault.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

“Evening Prayer for Our Nation” planned at Bishop Whipple’s church in Faribault February 2, 2026

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(Promo courtesy of the Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour)

FIFTY MILES FROM THE NON-DESCRIPT Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building currently housing ICE detainees in Minneapolis, a beautiful, aged cathedral rises high in the heart of Faribault. Wednesday evening, February 4, that magnificent, massive cathedral—Bishop Whipple’s church—will center a community gathering.

The historic Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour, 515 Second Avenue Northwest, across from Central Park in Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo November 2025)

Beginning at 7 p.m. the historic Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour will open its doors for “Evening Prayer for Our Nation” in support of Faribault’s refugees and immigrants. The Cathedral’s pastor, the Rev. James Zotalis, and the Rev. Henry Doyle will lead the event, which includes prayers, readings, music and teachings from Bishop Whipple.

Organizers also promise networking opportunities and information about ways to help others.

A mural on the back side of the Central Park bandshell in Faribault features a portrait and information about Bishop Henry Whipple. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Bishop Whipple, who shepherded this congregation while serving as the first Episcopal bishop of Minnesota beginning in 1859, would surely be pleased with the upcoming gathering just as he would surely be displeased with the imprisonment of detainees at the federal building bearing his name. He would likely be standing alongside protesters protesting immigration enforcement and asking to visit detainees inside.

This clergyman focused his ministry on “justice and mercy for all.” And that is evidenced in his ministry to the Dakota both in Faribault and parts west in Minnesota and then at Fort Snelling. Whipple went to the fort and ministered to the Dakota held captive there following the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862.

When 303 Dakota were sentenced to hanging after the war, Whipple traveled to Washington DC to ask President Abraham Lincoln to spare their lives. Lincoln pardoned most, but 38 were still hung in the nation’s largest mass execution.

Encouraging words posted near a garden in the heart of downtown Faribault many years ago. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

If Bishop Whipple was alive today, I expect he would be doing everything in his power to help anyone threatened and/or taken by ICE and CBC. But because he is not here, it is up to us to help. I know many people in my community are helping quietly behind the scenes. Walking kids to bus stops. Giving co-workers rides. Delivering groceries. Donating money and food. Volunteering.

Wednesday evening’s “Evening Prayer for Our Nation” is needed, too. It’s needed to bring people together in community, to unite, to uplift, to pray, to share, to recharge, to publicly support our neighbors, to find tangible ways to help. Bishop Whipple would feel grateful. He cared. And so should we.

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FYI: Whether you live near or far, Faribault nonprofits are in need of donations to help families sheltering in place during ICE operations in Minnesota. This is not just a Twin Cities metro enforcement. Many communities in greater Minnesota, including mine, are suffering.

Please consider helping immigrants and refugees in my community via a monetary donation to the Community Action Center in Faribault (Community Response Fund) or to St. Vincent de Paul. The need for rental assistance, especially, is growing.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

1984 Oceania & 2025 America December 31, 2025

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 6:00 AM
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Here’s the early 1970s edition of “1984” which I read. The print was small, difficult to read.(Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2025)

MULTIPLE TIMES I NEARLY STOPPED reading the book. But I was determined to finish, although the process took weeks. Sometimes I could read many pages. Other times I had to stop, set the book aside and not pick it up for several days. Yet, I continued slogging through the pages.

What book caused me to struggle so? The answer: 1984 by George Orwell.

If you’ve never read this dystopian novel and, no, I hadn’t, you should. Written in 1949, it is so relevant to today that the book could easily be titled 2025. And that’s not a good thing.

I jotted four full-sized pages of notes while reading. And what emerged was downright scary, because the fiction Orwell penned 76 years ago strongly resembles the United States of America under our current administration.

PLOT SUMMARY

But first, a summary of 1984. Main character Winston Smith lives in Oceania, a country ruled by The Party and the unseen Big Brother, who is watching, always watching. Smith is a writer, working for The Ministry of Truth, which is anything but. Workers there are tasked with rewriting history, basically erasing the past. Censorship. Smith, however, secretly disagrees with The Party’s work and ideology. But he, like others of the same mind, must be careful, oh, so careful. No one can be trusted, as Smith eventually learns firsthand.

People are disappeared from the streets, snatched. Vaporized, as if they never existed.

Troubling words like hatred, Thought Police, thought crime and control emerge in this novel. All are connected to The Party, a party focused on absolute power, world domination, acquiring more territory, on shaping narrative, on eliminating art, literature and science.

If The Party told you that 2+2=5, you better believe that. Smith didn’t.

The Party aims for absolute dominance—authoritarian rule under a dictatorship that opposes individual freedom and seeks to control every facet of life and the mind. Children are indoctrinated, blindly following and adoring The Party, becoming little spies who will turn on anyone suspected of defying Big Brother’s ideology. A woman calls Big Brother “My Savior.” Big Brother’s image is imprinted upon a coin. The eyes are watching, always watching.

HOW WILL IT END?

As I turned page after page, I tried to hold hope that 1984 would end well, although I knew it wouldn’t. I can only hope that the fiction George Orwell wrote does not fully become our reality in America. Whether it does or doesn’t is on all of us.

We can choose love over hatred. We can choose to exercise our personal liberties by speaking up, voting, contacting our elected officials, protesting, standing strong in and for freedom. We can advocate for others, calling out wrongs, working for the marginalized, the “snatched,” those struggling emotionally, financially and otherwise. We can help, encourage, uplift. We can listen. We can remember and learn from the past, not some rewritten version of the past. We can stand up for art, science, literature, truth. We can support freedom of the press, turn to trusted and reliable media sources. We can declare that we, the people, hold the power. Not Big Brother. Not a single man or his followers. Not The Party. But, we, the people.

WE THE PEOPLE

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. —Preamble to the United States Constitution

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TELL ME: Have you read 1984? If yes, what are your thoughts in the context of today, specifically in America? Do you see similarities, relevancy? What concerns you, if anything?

© Copyright 2025 Audrey Kletscher Helbling