The world has gone mad. There’s no other way to describe what’s been going on in Minnesota.
Yesterday, a RN named Alex Pretti was killed by Border Patrol agents after he tried to intervene on behalf of a woman they were harassing and pushing around. The agents overpowered him, pushed him the ground, disarmed him, and then shot him several times.
Does this make sense to anybody? Comments on social media either point out that he was shot for no cause, others say that he risked harm when he got involved. But, actually, he wouldn’t have even needed to be there protesting if we could trust Border Patrol and ICE agents to follow due process and complete their jobs with competency, which they haven’t been doing. This entire situation could have been avoided by handling it professionally and with a care for public safety.
Alex’s father, Michael Pretti, told the AP, “We had this discussion with him two weeks ago or so, you know, that go ahead and protest, but do not engage, do not do anything stupid, basically.” Alex’s response at the time was, that he knew to be careful.
What could have prevented this tragedy? Perhaps by Alex’s not being there, but the deployment of ICE is not right, and it’s our responsibility to protest something that we feel is wrong. Maybe not help that lady? If bystanders weren’t willing to get involved when somebody else clearly needs help, what kind of world will we live in?
Leave the hand gun at home? Maybe, but he had a permit to carry. I don’t own a weapon myself so I don’t understand all of the rules for carrying, other than what I’ve read recently. But, they shot him after he was disarmed, so the gun didn’t seem to be the problem, and he was already tackled to the ground.
There are also reports that agents left the scene of the crime without securing evidence, and later when state investigators attempted to enter the scene they were blocked. This whole thing stinks.
There are some arguments that the protesters are taking risks by following, recording, and getting in the way of ICE, but I don’t know what Minnesotans are supposed to do. Should they just stand by while ICE randomly abducts family members, neighbors, friends, and co-workers? They’re simply doing what Alex Pretti was doing when he was shot, they’re standing up against something they feel is wrong. In the end, they all want what we want, a world that is just, and equal.
Today, I’d just settle for a world that makes sense.
