ONCE UPON A TIME in The Land of Plenty, the leader of the land ruled like a king. Not a nice king. Not a kind king. But rather a mean-spirited one.
The leader had never been appointed king. It was a title he claimed for himself with oppressive authority. In truth, he’d been voted into his powerful position, not overwhelmingly as he declared, but rather in a close election. That should have been enough to tamp his crowing, rein in his overuse of superfluous adjectives and adverbs, deflate his super-inflated ego and encourage good behavior. But it was not to be.
ONE JANUARY DAY
Rather the self-proclaimed king, who’d been ousted from The Land of Plenty after his first tenure, determined to make up for lost time. Five years earlier, on an early January day, he attempted to retain power when his supporters stormed the castle. He claimed ignorance. Some believed him; many didn’t. Evidence doesn’t lie.
The king’s anger simmered, then boiled over when he returned to the castle feeling vindicated and empowered. A man of vengeance, he sought to punish any who opposed him. On the flip side, he freed those he considered wrongfully shackled. No one would do harm to him or his legion. No one. He was in charge. His decisions held absolute power. Only his voice mattered.
Threats. Intimidation. Cruel and demeaning words. Imprisonment. Deflection. Manipulation. Gaslighting. Conspiracy theories. All fit his mode of ruling. He would make The Land of Plenty great again, whatever that meant.
BROKEN PROMISES
He promised to end wars and claimed he had. He promised to lower prices. He promised to rid the land of strangers and foreigners. That sounded promising to all who supported him. No conflict, only peace. Fewer coins spent on food purchased in the town square marketplace. A strong land unlike any other, without foreigners roaming the streets, taking away jobs, committing crimes and creating chaos (his words).
Except it was the king creating chaos. Doing whatever he pleased. Causing discord. Divisions arose within the kingdom. World conflict increased. Prices spiked as the king imposed new taxes. The ruler of The Land of Plenty was viewed by millions as uncaring, ruthless, self-centered and far worse. Many felt his wrath.
SNATCHED, BANISHED
The king targeted strangers and foreigners who contributed greatly to the economy and success of the kingdom. They toiled in fields, wagon wheel factories, blacksmith shops, bakeries… Some even emptied his golden commode. But to the king, none of that mattered. “Go back to your homeland!” the king screamed. “We don’t want you here!” He decreed that the unwanted should be snatched, grabbed off the streets by his masked henchmen and banished. And so many were.
As the days, weeks, months and then a year passed since the self-proclaimed king resumed his rule, the situation in The Land of Plenty was far from fine. It was, in fact, rather awful, dire, especially for the lowly peasants who labored long hours for every coin. Many realized they’d been duped, led to believe in fairy tale endings. In happily ever after.
And so the story goes with three chapters unwritten, the ending unknown.
© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
When the feds target Minnesota, the state I love, I refuse to remain silent January 7, 2026
Tags: Minnesota, death, news, opinion, Minneapolis, immigration, commentary, federal government, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Renee Nicole Good, killing, January 7
NOTE: As I was writing this post Wednesday morning, unbeknownst to me, tragedy was unfolding 40 miles away in south Minneapolis. An ICE agent shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, a Minneapolis resident. That is a fact. She was, according to a Minnesota state senator, a legal observer of federal actions. I decided to publish this post as written before learning of Renee’s death. No rewriting or editing. Right now my emotions are raw. I am outraged. I offer no apologies for my feelings.
WITH THE FEDERAL FOCUS on uncovering fraud and on heavy immigration enforcement in Minnesota right now, I’m feeling defensive. I understand that fraud is unacceptable. I, too, have concerns about the seemingly high amount of fraud in my home state. But I will say this. I feel like Minnesota is being unfairly and aggressively targeted on both the fraud and immigration enforcement fronts.
This seems more a personal vendetta by the President against our state than anything. He’s targeted our governor and our Somali community. And I’m not OK with that. Not the actions, not the rhetoric.
THE GOODNESS OF MINNESOTANS
But rather than turn this into a political rant, I want to tell you this: We in Minnesota are, for the most part, good, kind, decent people. The term “Minnesota Nice” is a moniker tagged to those of us who call this place home. It fits. We may live in a cold and snowy state, but we are not cold.
Our generosity shines in strong volunteerism, in supporting others. It also shines in an abundance of nonprofits that assist those in need. For example, one organization is currently heading up a workforce and emergency housing development project in Faribault. Within blocks of my home, I see those buildings rising. An all-volunteer local bookshop sells used books donated by community members. Profits go to the Rice County Area United Way. Local churches house food shelves. Local shelters and centers help those dealing with domestic abuse and violence and substance abuse. The list goes on and on of organizations dedicated to helping those in need.
On a personal level, I know a friend who has taken a man experiencing homelessness out to eat several times. Another friend gave her mittens to an unsheltered man. Two others paid for a bus ticket to Iowa for an individual without a home, per his request to return there. Another is assisting our immigrants as a trained Constitutional observer. These are small acts of kindness and care that go unnoticed, yet are happening throughout my community.
AND THEN COMES ICE
As all of these good things are occurring in Minnesota, so is the negative. And right now that is massive ICE enforcement efforts, including in Faribault with its large Somali and Latino populations. Imagine if you were of either ethnicity, how fearful you would feel. You could be stopped simply because of your skin color, your dress, your spoken language. Grab, detain and ask questions later seems to be the mode of operation for ICE.
Clearly I have sidetracked here. But I offer no apologies for feeling as I do about aggressive ICE actions with agents wrongfully detaining people. I take issue also with elected officials who fail to do anything about this, who fail to protect Constitutional rights, who think this is alright.
ICE OUT
In closing, I want to reiterate that I love Minnesota (except when winter gets too long). This is a wonderful place to live with its diverse geography, its natural beauty, its diverse residents, its strong arts community, its caring people…
I appreciate the many immigrants who have chosen to call Minnesota home. They make our communities stronger and better in endless ways. Just like my German ancestors who sailed across the Atlantic to America, eventually settling in Minnesota. I hope our newest residents in “The Land of 10,000 Lakes” find a welcoming place to establish roots, to grow a life.
Eventually they may even understand our Minnesota excitement over ice out after a long, cold winter.
© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling