‘Raise Your Voice’ Archives
On Becoming Human Again
from the series Raise Your Voice... By PETER MOLENAAR Peter Molenaar At the corner of Lyndale Ave. and 31st St. there is a place called Redeemer Rehabilitation. Upon passing their examination, the facility saw fit to discharge me subsequent to my July 4th stroke event. As for the afterlife… let it be said, I never committed any great sins, except for my failure to adequately honor my mother and father. But, MAGA-MAGA, why do the oceans now rise against us all? Whence the destruction of hurricanes? Were the ancient ones not free to respond to Nature’s stimuli? Do we not all descend from ‘primitive communalists’ who, after foraging, returned to the village to receive the honor of sharing? But now, MAGA-MAGA, we suffer your tariffs in order to fund a ballroom for billionaires! Was Jesus not a communalist who sought to restore the human personality? MAGA-MAGA, let us begin again… by returning the Black Hills to their rightful owners. PETER MOLENAAR advocates a [...]
Reflections Flow From Our Mayoral Race
From the series Raise Your Voice... By PETER MOLENAAR Peter Molenaar To begin on a personal note: This writer, having recently suffered a debilitating stroke, is now recovering after a stint at the Hennepin County Medical Center. Goodness, the staff at HCMC is a harmonious integration of all races and countless nationalities. Hey, I have seen the future, and it works! Meanwhile…Readers know that a glitch or two temporarily deprived Omar Fateh of the DFL’s endorsement. Yes, Omar is a member of the Democratic-Socialists of America (the DSA). Certainly, the DSA is recognized in the Phillips neighborhood and surrounding communities as exemplary in its expression of diversity, equity and inclusion. It is then suggested that we cast our votes with our nation’s future in mind! However, a cautionary note:An “authoritarian” vibe continues to emanate from our nation’s capital. (Actually, thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators have fashioned signs which reference the [...]
The Spirit of Marv Davidov
from the series Raise Your Voice... By PETER MOLENAAR Peter Molenaar The stately apartment complex at 2615 Park Avenue was Marv’s home for a spell before his final passing in the year 2012. As a member of the War Resisters League, he had famously given leadership to the Honeywell Project, which exposed the corporate war profiteering of the day. Note: My generation still recalls the image of Vietnamese children running naked beneath clouds of napalm… their skin melting away. June 7, 2025… Beneath the banner of Women Against Military Madness, we marched upon the headquarters of Lockheed Martin, Inc., an outfit which profits from precision guided Hellfire missiles, deployed to take out journalists in Gaza. A few days ago… ‘False flags’ were waving in LA. 1970 something, Honeywell… Marvin admonished the crowd: “We will deem anyone who commits property damage an agent provocateur.” Now… In keeping with the spirit: “the moment [...]
