As you all know by now there was a shooting by an ICE agent in Minneapolis this week. A woman was killed. She was a mother, she was an American citizen, she was by all accounts a kind soul. She was Renee Good. The title of this post were some of the last words she spoke. They were spoken to her killer. His last words to her? “Fucking bitch”.
I have looked at many of the videos of the shooting. I have listened to eye witness accounts. I have watched the reactions of our so called government officials. The FBI has stepped in and shut out local authorities from the investigation of this shooting. Protesters have taken to the streets. ICE agents have shot a couple in Portland. Minneapolis schools were closed due to ICE activity on the property of at least one.
There was a woman at a protest in Minnesota whose words resonated with me. She said, simply, this isn’t America. She’s right, this is some distorted, grotesque version of my country that I never realized existed, until now. I am sure you have seen many of the videos of the shooting, so I won’t include them here. Instead I would like to include a video which stands, perhaps, as a memorial to Renee. Because her death may have inspired this couple to do something rather noble.
RIP Renee.
53 comments:
Geez, CNN has Noem on. Such a lying sack of shit.
Just a talking head spouting the party line.
Transparent government, my ass.
They don't let our elected representatives in to see the detention center conditions. In at least one case they have snatched an American citizen and are not allowing anyone in to see him.
Keeping our streets safe? I don't think so.
Harassing people in their home does not keep us safe.
"In at least one case they have snatched an American citizen
and are not allowing anyone in to see him."
In some of these cases they're doing this stuff just to prove they can. Putting their markers down, so to speak. That may prompt increased resistance from state authorities.
I also suspect that non-coöperation by ICE with the state investigation merely increases the likelihood that the involved agent will be charged with murder (non-premeditated I would guess).
Hennepin County can bring charges against him. And if convicted Trump cannot pardon him.
Minnesota is suing the feds over the deployment of so many ICE agents and their actions.
"And if convicted Trump cannot pardon him."
Trump issued a full pardon to Tina Peters, a former Mesa County, Colorado, county clerk convicted of tampering with voting machines. State charges those, and Trump pardoned her anyway, and he is now trying to force Colorado to release her.
I got to thinking… Veep JD Vance has asserted that the federal officers of ICE and the Border Patrol have "absolute immunity" for the use of deadly force against American citizens. That's clearly bullshit--not the law. However, it also wasn't the law that American Presidents had "absolute immunity" when Trump first took to making that assertion. It very well may be that the Trump administration is already planning to go to the Supreme Trumpkins and try to get another breathtaking expansion of unchecked executive power out of this--they may see a declaration of an almost absolute immunity for his minions as well as the expansive immunity he's already won for himself.
typo: "…-they may seek a declaration…"
On some good news, it appears that there is a bi-partisan effort in Congress to restore funding for science. Maybe they realized we are fast losing our ability to stay ahead of China if we continue to retrench.
Now if they can get a bi-partidan effort on restoring the levers of a free society. A start would be impeachment of Kristi Noem.
A better start point would be a successful impeachment of Donald Trump.
I couldn't help noticing that Trump ain't backin' down from his attacks on Minnesota, vowing "RETRIBUTION" for the state's audacity to resist his attacks. In fact, he's expanding his target list to include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington along with Minnesota and promising to suspend all federal payments to those states as of 1 February 2026. U.S.DoJ
We can expect litigation to commence forthwith.
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American oil companies (none too eager to help Trump seize the tar beds of Venezuela) ARE eager to help Trump seize the oil in Iran. Politico (As long as Trump doesn't ask for a cut of their take.)
It's turning cold again here with some snow expected. We'll see how ICE likes working when Minnesota winter shows up.
Word is going around that US military personel at a base in Quatar have been urged to leave.
Yes, I would far prefer an impeachment of Trump. He is at the heart of this fascist takeover of the US government.
Noem is lower hanging fruit.
"Word is going around that US military personnel…"
Reductions in the force have, in fact, been ordered. Politico They're calling it an evacuation.
Trump seems to have found an off-ramp for his threats against Iran. According to him (totally unverified) somebody "important" from Iran has somehow advised him that Iran has stopped killing protestors (after killing around 2,500 of them). The only thing I think we can be certain of is that Trump wanted to stand down from his threats to support the Iranian protestors. Anything else is speculation.
So much easier to send his thugs to beat up and kill American citizens who oppose him.
I note that Trump has again taken to invoking the Insurrection Act in his 'Truth Social' discussions of "RETRIBUTION" and repercussions for Minnesota.
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Trump's got hold of, and gonna keep, María Corina Machado’s 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. I figure that's gotta make even the most dedicated Trumpkins queasy. Well, most of 'em anyway. (As for me, I laughed; couldn't help but.)
Yes, it does seem that Minnesota has"won" the Trump Russian roulette.
I am not sure about th3 dedicated Trumpkins. They seem to have lost all common decency.
I admit to being somewhat amused at the videos of the ICE agents wiping out on the Minnesota ice. It seems their powers that be have not outfitted them very well for the cold either. And we haven't even seen real winter yet.
I learned to drive in northern Illinois. When I moved back south I quickly learned the Southerners didn't know how to drive on snow. Outfitting them correctly will help some, but their real problem is being southern drivers with too much power under their hoods.
They don't know how to walk on ice either.
They have started a retaliatory investigation of Walz and Frey. Keep it coming and they may lose more support in the country.
Estimated cost of changing the Department of Defense name to Department of War? One estimate $125 million. This while they are cutting health insurance support.
Trump has announced coercive tariffs on eight of our European allies for not supporting his bid to seize Greenland.
I suspect he may ("may", mind you,) may have moved a step further than this Congress is willing to allow. They may just vote down those declared tariffs.
I think he may have overstepped when he took on Powell as well.
Taking on Powell means revoking the independence of The Fed. That independence is a matter of extreme importance to most of the country's elite--much more important than worrying 'bout ‛wokeness’ and queers strutting across their TVs. I believe it's also more important to them than institutionalizing facism within the American government. In other words, I think they're gonna rule against Trump on that one.
I'm considerably less certain that the Congress will step up to defend NATO. But, they may.
I read that there are some pro-ICE demonstrators appearing in Minneapolis.
Also read that the governor has called up the National Guard (assembled but not yet deployed) in case he needs to send them in to protect the anti-ICE protestors from transgressions by ICE officers against their rights to assembly and "to petition the government".
That'll be interesting to see, Minnesota National Guard troops protecting demonstrators from intimidation by Federal ICE agents.
There was a anti-muslim protest orchestrated by a right wing outside party yesterday. There was also a counter protest to that. That was really why Walz called up the National Guard. As far as I know it was fairly peaceful. Some pushing and shoving, but no lethal force on the part of either set of protestors.
I have heard that they have military from Alaska on stand by in case Trump calls them in. They are more familiar with operating in cold weather. *snicker*
Apparently some of those nasty protesters have been pouring water on the roads that ICE use. Making, well, ice.
"I have heard that they have military from Alaska on stand by…"
Yep, 11ᵗʰ Airborne, U.S. Army regulars. That'll require a legal escalation of some sort, probably a declaration of an "insurgency".
An insurgency led by Mom's and parents. Yeah, right.
Not much snow today, but the cold is here all week, with strong winds.
Didn't see too many ICE agents out today for some reason. Protesters were out though.
The 11ᵗʰ Airborne are home stationed in Alaska. They're already cold adapted.
The Trump administration has "suspended" naturalization ceremonies for new citizens from the various 3ʳᵈ world countries on Trump's shit list. These are people who've already requested, qualified for, and been granted citizenship (on paper), but who have yet to take the oath of allegiance, a ceremonial requirement with powerful emotional overtones. TheHill
They are calling for a general strike and no shopping day here on Friday. I would expect protests, but we will see . That day is supposed to be below zero for a high.
Yup, institutionalized racism is alive and well in the Trump admin. No doubt the Proud Boys and others of their ilk are happy as bugs in a rug.
We really need some disinfectant.
It looks like the south is in for a major ice storm, with possible power outages for an extended time.
Geez, Russia is getting hammered with snow.
It would appear that Trump is intentionally offending European heads of state in preparation for the Davos meeting. Putting on a 'major bully' show to intimidate them I think. That leaves the question open as to how much damage he's prepared to actually inflict if they cross him. (They don't know either and they fear the unknown. And the raises the question as to whether they're really brave enough to cross him.)
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Meanwhile, all this outrage over Greenland seems to be driving Trump's contract for the sale of 50 million barrels of already pumped and barreled up Venezuelan tar sludge off the front pages.
Delcy Rodríguez, successor to Maduro, announced on Tuesday that Venezuela will be receiving $300 million dollars from the sale of that tar sludge ($6/barrel). Who gets the rest of the money is still not clear--although it is clear the money isn't going to into the U.S. Treasury--instead it's going to a bank in Qatar into an account under Trump's personal control.
Ya'll might remember Qatar as the country that gave Trump a free 747 jumbo jet for his very own.
I'm listening to Trump speak in Davos. Totally delusional.
Yeah, follow the money. Trump & Co are robbing people blind.
" Trump speak[s] in Davos. Totally delusional."
I've been suspecting that we're witnessing a progression in his mania over the course of the last year or so. But the climb-down from the military option against Greenland seems to suggest he's not made a total break with reality. Tuesday's stock slide seems to have tempered his enthusiasm a little bit.
I'll be damned. Trump folded; caved and folded.
They won't say that out loud, of course. Gotta be part of the understanding that they won't flaunt it, but Trump folded.
Taco Wednesday.
So what does Trump do now to distract people from his adventure in becoming a Venezuelan oil tycoon?
Insult all of NATO?
Second killing in Mpls by ICE. We have kicked the storm coverage off CNN for now. People are extremely angry.
Trump and Bondi are just throwing fuel on the fire as usual. What a bunch of incompetent clowns.
I've seen video of one angle of the shooting. Shooter was right handed and drew his weapon while the victim was on his knees. DHS makes much of the fact that the man "was armed", but they don't seem to suggest that he ever reached for his weapon (nor indeed did they suggest he ever got his arms freed of the three agents holding his arms).
There should be at least one other angle on the shooting. I could see somebody in the background in a red coat with a phone up in a camera position, but he (or she) escaped right after the shooting.
First look don't look good for ICE.
The victim had a permit to carry. The gun people here are pissed, saying there needs to be an independent investigation.
There is some question, though, as to if he even had the gun on him. Witnesses said he had went over to help a woman who ICE had pushed to the ground.
Yes, I saw the person in red. That angle might be very informative.
Walz has mobilized the National Guard. But contrary to what one might think at first glance I think it is to keep the protesters away from ICE not to protect ICE from them but to protect them from ICE.
"Walz has mobilized the National Guard."
Calling up the Guard is a risky business. For one thing, now that they're already called up, Trump can try to "federalize" them, that is, seize command and control for the federal government. (There are maybe a half dozen formats for this, but it basically involves redesignating the activated units, taken out of their "reserve" status and reclassifiying them for frontline service as federal troops subject to the command of the President.)
For another angle… Putting Minnesota troops in the field to protect protestors from ICE agents could be viewed by Trump as an "insurrection" by the State of Minnesota, justifying the use of regular Army troops (probably drawn from Trump-friendly jurisdictions).
Risk or not, Walz pretty much had no choice but to do it after the Hennipen County Sheriff's Office requested the Guard to supplement their own efforts at crowd control. And I'm sure Walz has considered these angles, and has his own plans for how to handle Trump reacting badly. 'Cause Trump reacting badly is a very real possibility.
The Trump administration's spin this morning is that it is the lack of "support and coöperation" from local officials that cause ICE agents to shoot citizens down on the streets. In other words, it's all Walz's fault.
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