Thursday night, March 6, 2025, the gods anointed Duluth to hand out a little of the punishment earned by President Trump for the god’s granting him his election wish. Five hundred of us turned out after watching the President thrust his middle finger at America during his joint address to Congress. A month earlier only 150 showed up.

As I pulled up to the Unitarian Universalist Church, I was heartened to see I would have to drive blocks to find a parking space. I was not alone. Duluth is but one of hundreds of Indivisible communities that you will see on their map at: Indivisible.com

The evening began with quick introductions of the initial organizers that helped keep the meeting to just a little more than an hour.  These folks were still in the early stages of planning this era’s tea party. 
I was heartened to see that one of these speakers was, Lee Stuart, the accomplished former director of CHUM whose heart and head are informed from gritty New York experience. 

We were shown a slide show of the Indivisible’s appearance outside Congressman Pete Stauber’s Hermantown office. A volunteer photographer took copious pictures of people standing in the cold with homemade signs. Many drew appreciative laughs from the audience.  “Deport Billionaires” was particularly popular. 

A veteran who had been reluctant to talk to the press at the protest was asked to say hello to us. He joshed, “It was on my bucket list to say, ‘I’m pissed’ on national television.”

What Indivisibles want is for their Representatives to hold town meetings so constituents can ask questions of their elected “leaders” about their sheep-like complicity. 

No gutsy maverick would ever let some of the darndest proposals go unchallenged like Pete Stauber has.
With the proposed gutting of personnel from Social Security, the IRS, weather forecasting, the Agriculture Dept, the Veteran’s Administration, Title 1 Education funding, support for vaccinations and Medicaid, even MAGAns, who thought Trump was just “owning liberals,” are asking their Republican congressmen in deeply red districts to explain themselves. Some were browbeaten so badly by MAGAns that all Trumplicans have been warned to avoid appearing at town halls. They will try to placate voters on telephone town halls where hostile callers can be weeded out. 

Congressman Pete Stauber holds these regularly.  I only had the patience to listen to one on permanent mute.

The only department Trump managed to cripple in his first term was Postmaster General Ben Franklin’s Post Office. Our great, great, great grandparents knew that “neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stayed these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” 

Since Trump made PO business competitor Louis DeJoy the General, I’m lucky if my mail is delivered three times a week. 

If and when MAGAns can’t count on Medicaid, VA benefits etc. there will be hell to pay. Everyone will be “woke.”

For 30 minutes we Indivisibles were asked to turn our folding chairs in tight circles of six to 10 people and introduce ourselves to each other. No shrinking violet, I gave my name and added only that I made snow sculptures. One in our circle was the mother of my grandson’s good friend. Another worked with my son-in-law. She told me she called him her “rock.”  

Upon entering we had been armed, with three sheets of info-structions on how to hold Pete Stauber’s feet to the fire. They began: “Do something!” 

It was followed by the Congressman’s D.C. address: 145 Cannon HOB (House Office Bldg.), Washington D.C. 20515, Phone 202-225-6211

Another sheet explained that Pete was a sponsor of the SAVE Act,which, if enacted, will require poor voters to spend up to $165 to prove citizenship they’ve taken for granted since their birth. 
It’s a “poll tax.” These were ruled unconstitutional back when the South denied black citizens their right to vote. Pete’s being asked to make himself available March 29 during his Congressional break. He has a lot to answer for.

Regarding an early plan to meet on the University of Duluth campus Jen Schultz, who twice challenged Stauber, explained that UMD had decided they just couldn’t host a gathering of people trying to protect our 230 year-long democracy. My ears perked up when I heard that and I instantly thought of two things  that should keep the Indivisibles coming to future meetings. I raised my hand and asked if I could share them with the group. 

Given the microphone I explained that as a kid in the ‘60s, the leader of the American Nazi party, George Lincoln Rockwell, had been given a podium to speak at Mankato State, where my father taught. 
I told the audience I was a little shaken to think UMD was more afraid of us than the Nazi party. Then I confessed that the second thing I wanted to say had slipped my mind. As I put chairs away folks asked if I could recall what the other thing was. I couldn’t until I returned home. Then I remembered. 

It had been watching Kristy Noem, spending two hundred million dollars’ worth of taxpayer money on TV ads praising Trump for letting her track down “illegal aliens.” She and her Hollywood hair are always at the ready to give interviews.

Welty stuck up for science the following day. You can see his poster on: Lincoln Democrat.com.