Archive for February, 2026
Peaceful, but not Passive
from the series Peace House Community Journal... By MARTI MALTBY Marti Maltby I disagree with Mayor Jacob Frey on many topics, but I agreed with what he said during his press conference following the shooting of Renee Good. There’s so much to say about the current situation, but the part I want to focus on is Frey’s call for a peaceful response. We can debate if that’s the most important thing to worry about, but it’s uppermost in my mind as I write this. Frey was right that we need a peaceful response. But peaceful doesn’t mean passive. We don’t need to accept how our neighbors are being terrorized, but we don’t need to resort to terror in our response either. And, thankfully, Minneapolis seems perfectly willing to be peaceful without being passive. Tens, maybe hundreds of thousands, of Twin Cities residents have protested peacefully since the shooting, but they haven’t been passive. They’ve done all they can to protect neighbors and hold the federal [...]
The Silent Star of South Minneapolis
By BRAD TROM A winter sun hangs low and cold,Above the stories left untold.On Wednesday next, the news broke wide,With nowhere left for grief to hide.A daughter, mother, neighbor, friend—A life that met a reckless end.They governed for the camera’s lens,To satisfy their own amens.But sensational sparks leave ashes behind,And fear is a harvest of a bitter kind.In Minneapolis, the sirens cried,For Renee Nicole, who shouldn’t have died.A Promise in the FrostThe Governor speaks with a heavy heart,“They will not tear our homes apart.”Though headlines chase the conflict’s fire,The North Star State aims something higher.Not in the streets with stone and flame,But in the courts, they’ll speak her name.The Day of UnityOn Friday, when the air was still,A different force began to fillThe parks, the pews, the quiet halls—A grace that answers duty’s calls.A moment held in silence deep,For promises we mean to keep.A Hand Extended: Through acts of care.A Shared Breath: In the [...]
