Saturday, January 24, 2026
In the cold
Yesterday was the coldest one I can remember in Minnesota as it got down to -23 and no higher than -8. And that is COLD, real hair-freezing, car-killing cold. And yet, this:
Friday, January 23, 2026
Haiku Friday: The Heart of Winter
Winter is coming hard all over the country. It is well below zero here, which should keep the ICE out, ironically. But winter here is a good thing, especially this deepest part-- it keeps the invasive species away, so that the ecosystem doesn't have a destructive jolt. It's purifying.
So let's haiku about any of it this week-- here, I will go first:
Don't walk outside now
If your hair is wet (or at all)
That sting is a smack.
Now it is your turn! Just use the 5/7/5 syllable pattern, and have some fun!
Thursday, January 22, 2026
PMT: Brave Brave Men of ICE!
Here in Minneapolis, things are looking pretty bleak. Restaurants are closing, kids are staying home from school, and residents, regardless of immigration status are being assaulted or, you know, shot in the face.
The point can be made, of course, that this is the cost of identifying and removing from our country the "worst of the worst"-- those murderers and rapists that the brave, brave men of ICE are working hard to take down and deport. For example, they finally managed to collar and ship out Liam Conejo Ramos, pictured here:
And the men of ICE are not only brave but resourceful! They used Ramos, whose family was described by a school official as here with legal status on an asylum case, as bait to catch other members of his family, according to MPR. And with the Eighth Circuit's decision to stay a District Court judge's limits on ICE tactics, I'm sure we can look forward to even more such resourcefulness in the future.
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
People who give us hope: Liz Oyer
On Wednesdays, I am profiling people that give us hope in these troubling times.
Back in 2022 when things seemed relatively boring, I knew Liz Oyer as the very-well-qualified US Pardon Attorney. She was excellent at that job: she hired great people and re-populated the office, pushed forward hundreds of good cases, and spoke publicly (and even in prisons) about the realities of the clemency process. I got to know her fairly well-- I introduced her at a DC hearing, met with her several times, and even had her speak to my clinic students.
Sadly, her good efforts and those of her staff were eventually undermined by the Biden administration, which too often ignored her recommendations and at the end went completely off the edge with pardons to friends and family and group grants that were poorly vetted within the White House. Trump turned out to be worse, and Liz was fired after refusing to quickly approve a restoration of Mel Gibson's gun rights.
Then, something brave happened. Instead of backing into the shrubbery like most of the people leaving DOJ she spoke out-- and continues to speak out-- about the legal disasters the DOJ is creating. The risk to her is real, but she has been undeterred. Not only that, she is unfailingly calm and correct, two things missing from administration statements these days.
We need a lot more Liz Oyers, but I am glad that at least we have this one.
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Indiana-- Wow!
Last night's championship D1 football game was held at Miami's home field-- the Orange Bowl-- but it sure looked like an Indiana home game in there with a sea of red. Indiana fans must have spent a lot of money to get in those seats, but they have been waiting a LONG time.
Indiana won the national championship over Miami 27-21, after beating Ohio State and demolishing Alabama and Oregon over the previous three games. They finished 16-0, the first time that has been done since Yale in 1894 (really).
I grew up and have remained a fan of the Big 10, and Indiana did not seem a likely subject for this particular ending. They have been terrible for decades-- actually, for over 100 years-- and were the team that others tried to schedule for homecoming. Last year they broke through and made the playoff, and this year they began the season ranked #21-- a rare appearance in the AP rankings. Which, as it turned out, was 20 spots too low.
As a midwesterner and Big 10 fan still, I'm thrilled to see this win-- and to have 3 different Big 10 teams win the championship over the last three years.
Monday, January 19, 2026
MLK Jr. and our challenges today
Usually I use Mondays to recap the haiku from the previous Friday. There were some great ones last week, and I invite you to go back and read them-- but right now, I am going to turn to something else.
Several years ago, on the 50th anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I wrote a piece for the Memphis Law Review titled "Short of the Mountaintop." You can read that here. A thesis of that article was that despite the claims of Trump (first term) officials, the dream of racial equality and equity had not been achieved in the United States.
Now, it seems we are even further away from that mountaintop, as in my city people are stopped and detained because of their race and ethnicity in "Kavanaugh stops," and DEI is demonized and the very mention of it scrubbed from official documents in the federal system.
The memory of MLK raises this question: Who will be the leader to take us from this rolling tragedy?
Sunday, January 18, 2026
Sunday Reflection: Violence and State Power
Jesus lived in a place that was occupied by a military force from a far-away capital, which oppressed and controlled the people the with aid of some local collaborators (such as Herod). The Roman occupation is an important context to the Gospels, and to the individual and human dignity Jesus saw and championed in the oppressed people.
Right now, many people here in Minnesota feel as if they are in an occupied place where a militarized force restricts their movement and freedoms. Make no mistake-- there are people, American citizens and legal residents included, who will not go to church this morning because they are afraid that armed, masked men will assault them in the street or drag them out of their cars, beat, and detain them. Perhaps even kill them-- and that fear is rational.
Think about that for a moment, the reason for that empty seat in church. That's where we are.
This isn't really about immigration, this massing and deployment of a huge militarized force. Look at the chart above-- Minnesota has a tiny fraction of the immigrant population compared to places like Texas and Florida. It's about a President who does not like the people who live and govern here, does not like that he lost this state three times, who becomes enraged at a woman in a hijab among our representatives, and wants to inflict pain.
If you don't think this is a spiritual issue, I wonder about your spirit.
Saturday, January 17, 2026
Awkward, but heartwarming
Friday, January 16, 2026
Haiku Friday: Siblings
One of the best things in my life is the relationship with my brother and sister, who constantly inspire me. We're different from each other, but that's part of what makes it good. Let's haiku about siblings this week-- here, I'll go first:
I may be oldest
But no way am I the best
Those two amaze me.
Now it is your turn! Just use the 5/7/5 syllable pattern and have some fun!
Thursday, January 15, 2026
PMT: Jesse Ventura re-emerges....
Things have been pretty weird in Minnesota lately. And, of course, that summoned former governor Jesse "The Body" Ventura, who is considering another run. If you aren't familiar with the backstory:
-- From 1969-1975, he was in the US Navy, serving as an underwater demolition expert.
-- In the late '70's he served as a bodyguard for The Rolling Stones and Grateful Dead.
-- In 1979, he began wrestling in the Minnesota-based American Wrestling Association.
-- From 1981 to 1987 or so, he wrestled in the WWF (later the WWE)
-- After that, he was a commentator on wrestling shows
-- He also turned to acting, and was the co-star (with Arnold Schwarzenegger) in the original Predator film.
-- In 1990, he ran to be the Mayor of Brooklyn Park, a Minneapolis suburb. He won, and served until 1995.
-- Then, in 1998, he beat the Republican (Norm Coleman) and Democrat (Skip Humphrey) as the Reform Party candidate for governor. He chose not to run for a second term.
-- Most recently, he successfully pushed for the legalization of recreational marijuana in Minnesota.
Ventura went to Roosevelt High in Minneapolis, which has been the scene of at least one high-profile ICE take-down. He is (like most people here) upset about what is going on, and told columnist Leonard Greene this anecdote:
“I was in the Philippines the day Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law and went under dictatorship. We went from nobody to a guy with a machine gun on every corner. That’s what happens in a dictatorship. In comes the military. That’s what’s happening here, and people better wake up to it.”
Given the political actors in power in DC, we shouldn't be surprised that wrestlers can make more sense than they do.
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
People Who Give Us Hope: Joe Thompson, Melinda Williams, Harry Jacobs, and Thomas Calhoun-Lopez
In this second edition of Wednesday profiles of people who give us hope, I lift up the six people who resigned this week from the U.S. Attorney's office in Minneapolis (four of whom, named above, are known). Though I won't speculate about the exact reason they left, the resignations come as that office has been pulled into debates about the investigation into the killing of Renee Good.
Here in Minneapolis, this is a big deal-- the best prosecutor's office in the state has lost its top leadership short of the U.S. Attorney himself, who does not have a background in criminal law.
Again, I don't know what made these six lawyers quit, but I do know it was sudden, and that it comes at great personal cost. These are people who love the work they do, and are very good at it. I doubt they have a next job lined up-- they are simply unemployed. And they made this sacrifice for principle.
Sacrifice for principle... we could use a lot more of that, but in the circle of power it seems to be out of vogue.
Tuesday, January 13, 2026
Worth watching!
Key line: "The Golden Globe for best video editing goes to... The Justice Department..."
Monday, January 12, 2026
A bit of encouragement....
It was good to hear from old friends on a cold night. Welcome back to Sleepy Walleye:
In the great white north
A moose nibbles willow twigs
Content in the cold.
A moose nibbles willow twigs
Content in the cold.
And Chris B brought some wisdom:
For me, goodness thrives
When we lead with compassion
For every person.
I see goodness when
Someone listens with respect
And helps another.
When we lead with compassion
For every person.
I see goodness when
Someone listens with respect
And helps another.
Christine, too:
I take a short walk
Bird song high in the tree tops
A joyful chorus.
Bird song high in the tree tops
A joyful chorus.
And Anonymous isn't wrong:
You have a good Gov
A brave and thoughtful mayor
Residents who care.
A brave and thoughtful mayor
Residents who care.
Sunday, January 11, 2026
Sunday Reflection: Anger and mourning
Yesterday I went to a protest gathering here in Minneapolis. It's been a hard week in the wake of Renee Good's death at the hands of an ICE agent.
The mood here might be different than in other places. While Fox News coverage might make things look like riots, the truth is very different-- overwhelmingly peaceful, and emotionally compex.
Yes, one of the emotions people feel is anger, particularly in those neighborhood where ICE efforts have been concentrated. Minnesota has a very defined sense of self, and the seeming occupation by federal forces-- to solve a "problem" few people perceive as such-- feels like a territorial violation among other things. And there is anger at ICE for other reasons: for the killing, for the masking, for the general jackassery.
But yesterday there was a strong note of sadness, too. I suppose this is a period of mourning for the loss of someone who seemed decent and kind, and that impacted even people who did not know her. As people stood at the protest in the cold (I suspect more ICE agents have been hurt by slipping on ice than anything else, ironically) there were many who had no sign, who just seemed to be present, and sad.
Perhaps that, too, has its own power.
Saturday, January 10, 2026
CraigA is going to have to explain this to me....
Friday, January 09, 2026
Haiku Friday: Tell me something good!
Things are pretty rough here in Minneapolis right now. It's hard to see such a good place go through so much in the span of a year: the murder of a beloved legislator, a terrible school shooting, and now this. Can you all tell me about something good?
Now there's cold cold rain
Not what January promised
Lend me some sunshine?
Just use the 5/7/5 syllable pattern and have some fun!
Thursday, January 08, 2026
PMT: ICE Shooting in Minneapolis
Here is what happened:
And here is how that event was described by President Trump:
Thoughts?
Wednesday, January 07, 2026
People Who Give Us Hope: Pope Leo XIV
Last week, I mentioned a new feature here at the Razor about people who give us hope in turbulent times. Most of them, I expect, will not be famous but to start out I thought I would go big.
I'm not Catholic, but I work at a Catholic school and have been strongly influenced by some strands of Catholic social teaching. Even for us non-Catholics, the Pope often is a strong voice on the national stage, and that certainly has been true of Leo since he was elected Pope in May of last year.
As most people know, he is the first American Pope, and only the second from the Western Hemisphere (the first was his predecessor, Pope Francis). He actually began his ordained work as a deacon in Grosse Pointe, at St. Clare de Montefalco. There, he was ordained by the legendary Bishop Thomas Gumbleton of Detroit, who earlier had co-founded the Michigan Commission on Human Rights (along with a prominent Rabbi and an Episcopal Bishop).
As Pope, Leo took that name to honor late-19th-century Pope Leo XIII, who established modern Catholic social teaching and promoted labor rights. His own speaking reveals a deep care for the hurting and the rejected within our society, and for peace.
After the horrific shooting of children at Annunciation Church here in Minneapolis, he said this, which sums up my own view: "We hold in our prayers the countless children killed and injured every day around the world. Let us plead to God to stop the pandemic of arms, large and small, with infects our world."
There is a long road ahead of this Pope, but he is already someone who gives me hope.
Tuesday, January 06, 2026
Gov. Walz steps back
Imagine that the local high school assistant football coach was the governor-- that's pretty much what having Tim Walz as governor here in Minnesota has been like (as I wrote on CNN here). For the most part, that has been a very good thing, and I've been very impressed with his performance as governor. Certain, he and others (the feds who funded the program, most notably) could have done a better job of mandating stronger oversight of COVID- era programs, but that is one of many facets of his job.
The one I got to see most directly was his work as the chair of the state's Pardon Board, which (until 2023) held hearings to hear personally from every petitioner for a commutation or pardon. He was excellent at the job-- personable, engaged, direct, and he treated both victims and petitioners with respect and dignity.
One thing I especially admired was his genuine conflict in some cases-- he really felt both sides of the issue, and was torn. It was very human and honest, and led to fascinating discussions with other members of the Board (the AG and Chief Justice). Particularly in contrast with his predecessor, there was no doubt that he cared, and that propelled a lot of good outcomes, both ways.
Monday, January 05, 2026
Your Resolutions
I loved your poems--and your resolutions-- this week!
This one (anonyous) should be universal:
Worry less, love more
Seek out some new adventures
Give to all who ask.
Seek out some new adventures
Give to all who ask.
While this one is very specific:
My goal: PILATES!
Reformer will make me strong.
I am NOT too old!
Reformer will make me strong.
I am NOT too old!
Des is going to be busy with horses or bikes:
Got new riding stuff
for Christmas, so this year I’ll
ride, ride like the wind!
for Christmas, so this year I’ll
ride, ride like the wind!
While Christine's is more abstract:
Life ever changing
My word for the year is "flow"
I resolve to live...
My word for the year is "flow"
I resolve to live...
And someone, for reasons unknown, has been feeling guilty about napping (which is NOT a reason to feel guilty, unless you are on the job at, say, a nuclear power plant):
Write, pray, walk, yoga—
Listen with my whole heart and
Unrepentant, nap!
Listen with my whole heart and
Unrepentant, nap!
Sunday, January 04, 2026
Sunday Reflection: On War and Freedom
It seems that whenever one country invades another, it projects the invasion as a "liberation" that will bring freedom to the other nation. I understand the instinct, but the track record is pretty poor. Afghanistan, which we "ran" for years, is not exactly a hotbed of individual freedoms right now under the Taliban. Iraq is better-- but as the score above from Freedom House reflects, not so great.
The Constitution's way of maintaining individual liberties (beyond direct guarantees in the Bill of Rights) is to prevent any one governmental institution or person from becoming too powerful-- because that is often when rights are restricted (as we see in places like Venezuela where strongmen rule).
So, if we care about preserving freedoms by preventing any one person from becoming too powerful, we can do that right here... and need to.
What freedoms are we talking about? Americans usually go right to freedom of speech and religion. The sad thing about advanced democracies right now is not that they lack freedom of religion-- they have that, generally-- but that such a freedom is irrelevant. Faith simply is not important in most people's lives, at least in terms of leading them to do things that need to be protected. Sure, we hear a lot about some Christians whose faith seems to be centered on discrimination against LGBTQ people, but that's not the kind of risk I'm talking about, because right now it is no risk at all (and I'm still not sure how it is Christian, but that's a different story). It's rare that faith under freedom is dangerous to a governing regime in a thriving democracy.
What Maduro did that really is objectionable was limit political dissent-- jailing and killing people who opposed the government. And, again, maybe what we need to do is make sure that doesn't happen here...
Saturday, January 03, 2026
Mamdani for those who missed it...
Friday, January 02, 2026
Haiku Friday: Resolutions!
It's that time! And maybe this is your chance to come up with a resolution even if you haven't yet. Here, I will go first:
My mantra this year?
Everyday I write the book
It is in my bones.
Now it is your turn! Just use the 5/7/5 syllable pattern and have some fun!
Thursday, January 01, 2026
Happy New Year! The Razor at 20
It's 2026! And who knows what that has in store for us.
For a lot of people, this day has an odometer-flipping aspect, marking the change to a new time label and era. Because I have spent most of my life on the academic calendar, my brain does not make a lot of January 1-- the "new year" starts with the fall semester.
But I do start this new year with hope. I see so many people working towards good things. One of the things I might be doing with the blog is to highlights some of those people who are working to make things better-- some that I know, some that I don't-- on one day of the week. It will be a way to recognize this 20th year of the Razor.
What do you think? Good idea?
