P-E-A-C-E

Stillwater, MN, in January, teams from twelve nations,
snow blocks stacked beside the St. Croix River.
Team USA begins to carve on the first day—
one week after Renée Nicole Good was shot in Minneapolis.

P-E-A-C-E
P-E-A-C-E L-O-V-E
P-E-A-C-E L-O-V-E U-N-I-T-Y
P-E-A-C-E L-O-V-E U-N-I-T-Y R-E-S-I-S-T
P-E-A-C-E L-O-V-E U-N-I-T-Y R-E-S-I-S-T I-C-E—O-U-T

Hands emerge from the sphere, reaching outward,
fingers spelling messages in American Sign Language.
The judges walk past, mark their scores, move on.
The sculpture stands complete when they present the awards.

P-E-A-C-E
P-E-A-C-E L-O-V-E
P-E-A-C-E L-O-V-E U-N-I-T-Y
P-E-A-C-E L-O-V-E U-N-I-T-Y R-E-S-I-S-T
P-E-A-C-E L-O-V-E U-N-I-T-Y R-E-S-I-S-T I-C-E—O-U-T

After judging, officials arrive with tools.
They say the hand signs violate the rules.
The sculpture is removed from public view.
The artists plan to cast it now in iron.

P-E-A-C-E
P-E-A-C-E L-O-V-E
P-E-A-C-E L-O-V-E U-N-I-T-Y
P-E-A-C-E L-O-V-E U-N-I-T-Y R-E-S-I-S-T
P-E-A-C-E L-O-V-E U-N-I-T-Y R-E-S-I-S-T I-C-E—O-U-T

Now on private land at Lake of the Isles,
the sculpture rises again, mouths covered, names carved.
The artists will cast it next in iron, permanent witness.
Sometimes the right thing costs you everything.

P-E-A-C-E
P-E-A-C-E L-O-V-E
P-E-A-C-E L-O-V-E U-N-I-T-Y
P-E-A-C-E L-O-V-E U-N-I-T-Y R-E-S-I-S-T
P-E-A-C-E L-O-V-E U-N-I-T-Y R-E-S-I-S-T I-C-E—O-U-T

Unsolicited
Current Events
P-E-A-C-E
Laura Gerling
© 2026

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The refrain is written in ASL gloss notation, a system for representing American Sign Language. Hyphens between letters indicate fingerspelling.

On January 7, 2026, Renée Nicole Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. One week later, Team USA (House of Thune) began carving “A Call to Arms” for the World Snow Sculpting Championship in Stillwater, MN. The sculpture featured hands forming American Sign Language signs spelling “ICE-Out,” “Unity,” “Resist,” “Peace,” and “Love.” After judging concluded on January 18, competition officials removed the sculpture, citing rules against political themes. In early February 2026, artists recreated the work on private land at Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis and launched a crowdfunding campaign to cast a permanent iron version as public art.