I want to begin today's missive with a stirring speech by David Jolly, former Republican Congressman from Florida and now a Democrat running for governor of that state. He exhorts us to "choose the right side of history." Although some of the speech is obviously part of his campaign, the truths he tells are what Americans need to hear: "Minnesota matters.... There is a rot in the soul of America." The speech is less than eight minutes long. Take time to watch.

Minnesota's resilience and resistance to the depredations of ICE and CBP — it was Customs and Border Patrol agents who murdered Alex Pretti — just may represent a tipping point for America. In his substack Strength in Numbers post, The ICE shootings are a tipping point, G. Elliott Morris shows the rapid decline in approval of Trump's immigration policies and then discusses it in comparison to other tipping points in recent American history. First he shows that there has been a 50 point change in Americans' attitudes towards  abolishing ICE. "This extreme shift, in a position previously considered extreme, is why I think we have reached a tipping point on immigration."

Morris identifies the Jan.-Feb 1968 Tet Offensive as a classic tipping point. The event precipitated the collapse of public support for the Vietnam war: "By the autumn of 1968, support had fallen to the mid-30s, and opposition surpassed 50%." The Abu Ghraib scandel similarly led public support for the Bush administration's pursuit of the war in Iraq to plummet. Like the earlier tipping point events, accounts of the ICE shootings in Minneapolis have gained wide distribution even among folks who have not focused on political issues. "I’ll note that social media accounts with no political affiliation — bourbon enthusiasts, hobby communities, sports brands, etc — are now posting anti-ICE content." Criticism of ICE and CBP policies now come from both the left and the right, and even from within the Trump regime.

The article is long and detailed — but certainly worth a read if you have time. Morris ends with this salient observation: "Tipping points, once crossed, don’t usually reverse — that is why they are called tipping points. ICE and DHS are remarkably young institutions. Sixteen months ago, the idea that they might face genuine accountability, structural reform, or even abolition seemed politically absurd. Today, it doesn’t." In short, the killings and the cruelty have now created a tipping point. Brighter days lie ahead.

Although the country is increasingly opposing the cruel and probably illegal methods the federal government is deploying against immigrants, here in Wisconsin and the Milwaukee area we need to be better prepared for a heavy ICE presence even if the Trump cabal has shown some few, faint signs of softening its approach to detaining and deporting immigrants. To that end, mark your calendars for Bystander Intervention/De-escalation Training on Sunday, February 15, from 1;00 - 3:00pm. The event is sponsored by Bay Bridge, Grassroots North Shore, and Grassroots Germantown and hosted by ACTive Bystander WI. It will be held at the Whitefish Bay Public Library, 5420 N Marlborough Dr. Space is limited so sign up NOW.

There are many legal efforts underway to constrain the Trump regime's rampage. So on Sunday, February 1, from 4:30 - 6:00pm, online, Grassroots North Shore is hosting a program on the crucial role of the courts — both state and federal — in defending our freedoms. Please RSVP for Protecting This Wall of Democracy: Defending the Courts and Constitution in the State and the Nation. We have a stellar group of speakers lined up:

• Jeff Mandell, President and founder of Law Forward;
  
  
• Mary B. McCord, Director of Georgetown Law's Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection;
  
  
• Paul L. Kiessel, attorney and founder of Speak up for Justice, a nonpartisan initiative projecting the rule of law, our democracy, and our judges.

This event is also our Grassroots North Shore Annual Fundraiser to support all of our activities — including phoning, sending postcards, and leafletting voters for every election, a forum in May for the state's gubernatorial race that will take place in a primary in August and in the November 3 general election, and other educational programs during the year. This year, we've expanded our ambitions to include two Assembly races, two state Senate races, two Congressional races, and the five statewide offices up in this year's general election! That means a LOT of postcards to produce and send! That's where the funds we raise will go. Please be generous and support Grassroots North Shore with a donation. (If you've already signed up for the event but haven't yet donated, you can do so now.)

Meanwhile, we have a vital election looming, on April 7, for a Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice. The WisDems are starting their weekends of action THIS WEEKEND, January 31 and February 1! Here's a list of all the Friendbanks and Canvasses I currently know about.

• 65 Days to Victory Spring Election Canvass in Brown Deer! Saturday, January 31. Address upon sign-up. Shifts at 9:00am and 12:00pm.
• 65 Days to Victory Canvass in Foxpoint/Bayside! Saturday, January 31. Address upon sign-up. Shifts at 9:00am, 12:00pm and 3:00pm.
• 65 Days to Victory Friendbank in Glendale! Friend-to-Friend Outreach on Saturday, January 31, from 3:00 - 6:00pm at 6563 N Crestwood Dr, Glendale.
• Shorewood Canvass on Saturday, January 31, 4516 N Newhall St, Shorewood. Shifts at 9:00am and 12:00pm.
• 65 Days to Victory Friendbank in Whitefish Bay! Friend-to-Friend Outreach on Saturday, January 31. Address upon sign-up. Shifts at 9:00am and 12:00pm.
• Mequon Democrats 65 Days to Victory Canvass! Saturday, January 31. Address upon sign-up. Shifts at 9:00am and 12:00pm.
• Grafton and Cedarburg Democrats 65 Days to Victory Canvass! Saturday, January 31. Address upon sign-up. Shifts at 9:00am and 12:00pm.
• Menomonee Falls Democrats 65 Days to Victory Canvass! Saturday, January 31. Address upon sign-up. Shifts at 9:00am and 12:00pm.

You will find more WisDems events for the kickoff weekend for Waukesha County in the Events list below.

TAKE ACTION

The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin OPPOSES the upcoming passage of Senate Bill 553 in the Assembly which already passed in the Senate on November 18, 2025. This bill redefines the legal definition of abortion in order to appear concerned about a pregnant patient requiring abortion healthcare. In fact, it further restricts their life-saving options. We are asking voters to call their legislators today to urge their Assembly Representatives vote to OPPOSE SB553. The League has held the position of the individual’s right to privacy in making reproductive health decisions, inclusive of abortion, since 1983. This bill attempts to dictate the care a physician can provide and potentially interferes with the doctor-patient relationship. Find your legislators. See a fuller discussion, the script for calls, and a link to record your action.

Postcards to Swing States: News Boosting Postcards. Sign up to write News Boosting postcards to help combat disinformation and make sure voters in states with the most competitive Senate elections in 2026 learn how harmful the Trump/GOP agenda is for them.

Research results show their postcards increase turnout by 1.3%. In a state like Wisconsin, where many elections have very small margins of victory, a 1.3% increase in turnout can make a big difference. Right now, postcards are going to states with potentially flippable US Senate races. But starting on May 1, Postcards to Swing States will start sign-ups for its Get Out the Vote efforts and will include additional states as well as competitive US House districts. Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district might be included in that GOTV program.

EVENTS

Wednesday, January 28

Thursday, January 29

Saturday, January 31

Sunday, February 1

Saturday, February 7

Sunday, February 15

other important links

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