For weeks, the usual midwestern tone of life in Minnesota has been overtaken by crisis. Suspicion and fear still lurk around city corners as the traumatized residents of the Twin Cities cautiously attempt a return to normalcy. Thrust into a battle we never asked for, at the whims of the most unqualified and corrupt administration in our nation’s history, Minnesota stood calm and resolute–and while it’s tempting to take a breather, I must implore you to do the opposite.
Minnesotans have every reason to take pride in their resistance efforts against a violent and hostile federal occupation. When the federal government launched what Governor Tim Walz correctly identified as a “retribution campaign,” local leaders immediately set about engaging any levers of power available to them to stop the madness. Attorney General Keith Ellison brought federal lawsuits, local businesses led “economic blackouts” and every day community members hosted food drives and deliveries for those forced into hiding. Yet, as “Operation Metro Surge” seemingly enters a drawdown stage, it would be a mistake to celebrate or turn our collective attention away now.
The attacks on our democratic norms and institutions have not ceased; they continue at a frightening pace. We see it in the chilling attempts to characterize peaceful protesters and observers as “domestic terrorists” and the tragic killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. We see it in the threats to invoke the Insurrection Act against a nation for exercising its foundational right to speech and assembly.
In fractured times such as these, when the very apparatus of the state is being used to intimidate its own people, it is easy to succumb to hopelessness and cynicism. After all, it does feel like everything is stacked against those of us who believe dignity and kindness can win the day. This is where we must turn to the simple and profound wisdom of Fred Rogers, known as Mr. Rogers. He famously recalled his mother’s advice during times of disaster: “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
It is precisely by finding the helpers that we can hope to stem the tide of xenophobia and isolationism at our shores. It is the helpers who activate into support networks like we see around the Twin Cities and it is the helpers who will help us navigate even greater challenges ahead. After all, ICE is not out of Minnesota, and climate change is already bringing with it a refugee crisis that will require all the helpers we can find.
This global reality will further test our capacity for empathy and our commitment to democratic values. As more “climate refugees” seek safety, a further shift toward xenophobia and isolationism will only be easier to motivate. We have already seen how easily fear can be weaponized to justify the suspension of civil liberties and human rights. Be it real or perceived, if we allow scarcity to dictate our morality, we will invite unspeakable shame upon us all. The attack on Minnesota was a localized battle in a larger war over the very soul of democracy. I know I share the hopes of many residents and community leaders when I express my desire for the lessons learned here recently, of peaceful resistance and communal support, to spread nationally and then globally.
In Minnesota, the “helpers” weren’t just the high-profile politicians; they were the neighbors who formed rapid-response networks to warn families of raids. They were the 100 clergy members who stood at the airport in a chain of prayer, and the legal advocates at the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota who worked through the night to track those “disappeared” into federal custody.
These helpers are the real hope for democracy’s future, both here and abroad. While the “surge” in Minnesota may be winding down in some ways, the underlying notion that some neighbors are less worthy of protection than others remains a potent threat to the American experiment of freedom, multiculturalism and pluralism. Democracy, as we have all seen in recent years, cannot hold itself together. It takes an active, communal commitment to look out for one another when the shadows creep in around us.
Minnesota’s display of togetherness was not just about immigration. It was equally about a refusal as neighbors to let fear dismantle the bridges between us. If we can hold on to that sense of communal responsibility and connectedness, we will be ready for bigger challenges ahead.
Some of us were less impacted by recent events than others. Some of us were possibly unaffected entirely. To those of us in either of those two categories, Mr. Rogers’ sage advice must remain at the top of our minds. There is more disaster in our future, and if we all remember to look for the helpers when it strikes, we stand a real chance to overcome it.
