Singing to Danger
Frank was trouble. He was a tall man with broad shoulders and hands that could have palmed a basketball with ease. He was a working man who lived by himself. His wife had divorced him years ago because she could no longer take his abuse. Every payday, Frank took his check to a bar, cashed it, and proceeded to obliterate his life from his own memory. And, after getting too loud and belligerent, ornery and combative, Frank was regularly ejected from drinking establishments, getting a ride from the cops on the public dime to either a local hospital or the Douglas County Jail. And, there he stayed until they released him to go to work on Monday morning. That was until Wisconsin changed the laws and decided to fund detox centers staffed with people who could assess each repeat offender and treat each and all with dignity.
Parkland Detox Center was about seven miles outside the city limits. On a March day in 1974 i was working my shift. We were a skeleton crew, understaffed and hustling as we served those already there. A Superior Police squad car pulled up to our shop. Two officers got out, went to the back and wrestled Frank out of the vehicle, then shoved him in the front door, They simply said Frank was a 'regular'', a pussy cat, and we should have no problem with him before they quickly left. Frank made liars out of them as he bellowed about how he was a proud Pole, how he didn't have a problem, how he was none of our business, and he could take any, and all, of us on then turn us to dust. He didn't want to be there; he was there for no reason, and there was nothing wrong with him. We were the ones who needed help and we could all go to hell. The usual rant of a scared man, i figured, So, i quietly spoke with him and said my job was to get along with him and see if there was anything at all he needed. Frank said he needed nothing more than another drink. Then i told him that if he needed a friend to talk to; i would be that friend.
He calmed down some and i talked him into the open door of the intake room and calmly ushered him to a chair.
The paperwork was already on the table before us and the first few minutes went smoothly between us. While he remained loud and all over the map with his thoughts, with a little cajoling, he was pleasant enough. Then, out of nowhere, his mood and behavior changed. i thought i was communing with the devil. Frank was pissed off and he was pissed off with me. He suddenly slumped over in his chair, pulled a gun from an ankle holster, and began waving it around erratically, threatening to kill my co-workers and me. A second of sheer panic, then a deep breath...i knew it was on me to make things right. i couldn't let him know my heart felt like it was going to explode, or that my head was throbbing, or that my palms were sweating. So i calmly spoke with him, told him i wasn't mad about any of what he did or who he was, and asked him what mattered most to him in life. i asked him if he wanted me to open the door, if he needed a glass of water, if he wanted to take his jacket off. i was there to listen to him and that i would do whatever i could to make him comfortable. Then i told him i could listen to him a lot better if he'd put the gun down. After what felt like centuries, he resettled and complied with my request. As soon as he did, i said i had a nice bed waiting down the hall with some fresh sheets and pajamas.
And, if he was really good, i'd sing him a lullaby. Frank liked that.
— jester
Events
Keith Steva on E-Waste
- When:
- Wednesday, March 4, 6:30–8:00pm
- Where:
- Cook Community Center
510 Gopher Dr.
Cook, MN
Keith Steva will talk about his new company, Reclaiming Critical Minerals (RCM). RCM will extract elements critical to computers, cell phones, and the like in an ecologically sound manner; it will be built on the Range and will employ local people. This meeting is open to the public, so bring your friends!
What Rural Communities Need to Know about Data Centers
Presented by Rural Assembly in partnership with Radically Rural
- When:
- March 4, 1:00pm CT
- Where:
- Online
Data centers are rapidly expanding into rural communities across the country, bringing promises of economic development alongside concerns about water use, energy costs, and local control. But the facts around these developments are far from settled, and communities often find themselves reacting to proposals rather than preparing in advance. The landscape is changing quickly, with new developments, legislation, and research emerging regularly.
Locked Out & Left Behind
Rural Urban Bridge Initiative
- When:
- March 4, 3:00pm CT
- Where:
- Online
In this timely conversation, we’ll explore new research on what’s often called “voter apathy” and uncover a different story: many people who don’t vote aren’t disengaged from their communities, they’re disengaged from a political system they experience as distant, unresponsive, and built for someone else.
Leveraging the Law
The power and promise of legal action in Minnesota right now
- When:
- March 5, 12:00pm
- Where:
- Online
Join legal experts dedicated to using the courts to protect the public as they break down what’s happening, unpack ways in which the rule of law is at risk, discuss how and why it still matters, and share what you can do to help protect it.
Emanuel (Manny) Anastos
Presented by Indivisible—Iron Range
- When:
- March 10, 6:00pm
- Where:
- Biwabik City Hall
Join our monthly meeting to learn more about the Anastos for CD-8 campaign.
No Kings 3.0!
Save the Dates
- Hibbing
- March 26, 5:00–7:00pm
25th Street & Hwy 169
Drumming for Democracy (W.A.R.R.)
- Ely
- March 28, 11:00am–1:00pm
Whiteside Park (Ely Indivisible)
- Biwabik
- March 28, 12:00–2:00pm
Carl Shuster Park (Iron Range Indivisible)
- International Falls
- March 28, 12:00–1:00pm
Smokey Bear Park (International Falls Community Group)
- Cook
- March 28, 3:00–5:00pm
Cook City Park
(Northern Progressives & Democracy Defenders)
There are many events planned throughout the region and
a bus is being planned for those wanting to travel to the Twin Cities.
Bus to the Twin Cities
To reserve your send an email to:
hello@warrmn.org
Calls to Action
Indivisible Calls to Action
No War!
Trump has launched unauthorized military strikes on Iran, dragging the United States into yet another war without approval from Congress.
This reckless escalation is putting U.S. servicemembers, Americans, and Iranian civilians in danger all to advance a unilateral regime-change agenda that the American people never asked for and do not support.
5calls
Pick an action & make a call
Protect Wild Rice
Rise & Repair
"I am reaching out as a constituent to request your support for legislation to protect Wild Rice, our state grain, also known as Manoomin to the Anishinaabe and Psin to our Dakota relatives...
"...the need for increased protections remains..."
Northland Legal Mutual Aid Fund
Urgent assistance needed
Northland Legal Mutual Aid Fund is a collective of friends & community, union organizers, and electeds from northern MN/WI working directly with individuals and families in need of legal and financial support, including people unjustly detained in the Douglas County Jail under an intergovernmental I.C.E. contract.
There is an urgent need for funds as a result of the ongoing administration's attack on our immigrant community and neighbors. Right now, community members are confronting unexpected legal and immigration costs, lost income, and urgent basic needs — and they need support now.
The Northland Legal Mutual Aid funds raised will go towards:
- Immigration attorney and legal fees
- Bail bond and filing costs
- Travel and communication expenses
- Basic family and financial needs while their loved ones are detained
Support Iron Range Families in Need
Donate!
In this very difficult time, we have community members that are unable to work and so they are unable to pay their bills and are choosing between groceries and heat.
Other Mutual Aid Opportunities
Stand with Minnesota
"Because of the crisis in Minnesota, families who were stable just weeks ago are staring at eviction notices. To address this crisis, we are launching a campaign focused solely on paying March rent for the most vulnerable families."
Advocate — 2026 Public Policy Agenda
Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN) and the Minnesota Budget Project
"The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN) and the Minnesota Budget Project policy teams advance public policies
that strengthen the nonprofit sector and Minnesota communities through policy development and analysis, and by
engaging nonprofits, other organizational partners, and the public to lift up our shared vision for a just, equitable
Minnesota. Our policy work is informed by MCN’s strategic priority on equity and justice which highlights priorities of
support for small and under-resourced, rural-based, and/or communities of color-led or serving organizations."
General Strike
Sign up!
"A general strike is when working people refuse their labor until demands are met • Research shows We need 3.5% of the population, OR 11 million Americans, to be successFul • The STRIKE CARD below tracks our progress so we all know When it’s time to strike."
Boycott!
Take a stand
Some of the US’s biggest companies are coming under increasing pressure to speak out about the Trump administration’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s operations in Minnesota.
Postcards to Swing States
Progressive Turnout Project
Progressive Turnout Project boosts Democratic voter turnout with data-driven organizing, trained Campaign Fellows, and handwritten postcards to key voters—driving measurable results in critical races.
Recharge & Strategize
Trump's Relentless Assault Wearing You Down? How to Endure and Stay in the Fight
"Trump’s team openly states their goal is to “traumatize” opponents. The engineered chaos, the fast pace, the simultaneous assault across every domain of life—it keeps you reacting instead of recharging. It drains your capacity to think clearly, connect with others, or build sustained resistance."
