This Is Not Normal, America

By DL White

Most Americans, whether “woke” or not, have to recognize that something is not right with this country. In truth, several things are not right with a nation that once prided itself on being a democratic society—one where freedom of speech and expression were embraced and protected.

Freedom of speech and the right to assemble are guaranteed under the First Amendment of the Constitution. The Second Amendment—one the GOP and conservatives have long hung their hats on to justify building personal arsenals—protects the right to bear arms. Many gun enthusiasts own weapons. Many own a lot of them.

Yet, on a wintry day in Minnesota, hired, masked assailants posing as ICE agents shot and killed not one, but two individuals in cold blood for exercising their basic rights as citizens of this country.

Renee Nicole Goode—a mother, daughter, and friend to many—was shot in the face at near point-blank range while attempting to maneuver her vehicle away from armed ICE agents.

Following Goode’s murder, Minneapolis residents began filming what they believed to be an unlawful occupation of their city in late January. Those residents were confronted by ICE agents.

It should be noted that the agents’ actions bore no resemblance to those of trained law enforcement.

The abrupt attack on citizens merely for being present was entirely unwarranted.

The latest victim of this brutish occupation was Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse at the city’s VA hospital. Tall, thin, and bearded, Pretti was filming ICE agents alongside a female companion when agents began spraying individuals. One agent then violently shoved the woman into a snow embankment.

Pretti moved to assist the woman who had been shoved when he was suddenly overwhelmed by several agents who began kneeling on and punching him, as captured on video.

Multiple agents restrained him while others continued to strike him. Suddenly, one agent drew his firearm and began shooting. Reports indicate that at least two officers discharged approximately ten rounds, striking Pretti in the back.

The woman who had been shoved into the snow immediately began screaming, “What have you done? What have you done?”

Moments later, agents moved away, leaving Pretti lying motionless—seconds earlier, he had been standing, walking, and exercising his rights as a citizen.

Pretti was later found to be carrying a semi-automatic handgun. Minnesota is a state where individuals may legally carry a concealed weapon, and Pretti had a valid permit.

Subsequent reports confirmed that while Pretti was armed, he never reached for his weapon nor attempted to use it against the agents who were assaulting him.

Despite the lack of concrete information, several members of the Trump administration immediately began commenting on the incident—none of whom were on the scene or even in the state.

Vice President JD Vance dismissed reports that Pretti was a law-abiding citizen, calling them “BS.” “He came to a rally with a semi-automatic weapon,” Vance stated—apparently forgetting that he represents the very political faction that champions the NRA and concealed carry rights.

Kristi Noem, speaking from across the country, declared within an hour of the shooting, “The assailant went to that rally to do harm to ICE agents and rid the city of illegal immigrants. He was a domestic terrorist.”

No, Kristi. Pretti was not a domestic terrorist. He was a law-abiding citizen, employed as an ICU nurse at a VA hospital.

ICE Patrol Commander Greg Bovino offered his own brand of absurd commentary, as did White House adviser Stephen “wannabe tough guy” Miller—both spinning narratives with no factual basis.

“Spinning the narrative is what this administration does. They do not want the truth, because it is foreign to them,” said Tyler Wright, a former member of the military. Wright also questioned whether those attacking citizens on that cold winter day had any legitimate law-enforcement training.

“The way the officers moved on those filming was very strange to me,” Wright said. “Law enforcement is trained to restrain themselves unless they are attacked. No one was attacking the officers. In fact, the officers initiated the violence, according to the videos I’ve seen.”

CNN aired multiple recordings of the tragic event. The footage shows masked ICE agents pepper-spraying individuals, violently shoving a female protester, and—seconds later—Pretti stepping in to help her, only to be swarmed, taken to the ground, and murdered.

Minnesota has become ground zero in the Trump administration’s attack on humanity.

In an attempt to extort the state, Attorney General Pam Bondi advised Governor Tim Walz that ICE agents would leave Minneapolis only if the state turned over its voting rolls.

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes has been outspoken about the administration’s efforts to collect voter records from every state. Texas has already submitted its records, to the dismay of many.

“The steal is on,” many observers noted almost in unison.

The steal? The 2026 midterm elections are months away, and neither Trump nor Republicans believe they can win a fair election. “They are going to do something,” is the prevailing sentiment.

A serious question must be asked—not what Trump and his minions will do to steal the elections of 2026 and 2028, but what eligible voters will do.

Texas alone saw more than one million registered voters fail to vote in the last election. Had they shown up, Ted Cruz and Governor Greg Abbott—both re-elected by far smaller margins—could have been unseated.

Trump has repeatedly stated his admiration for dictators such as Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un and has openly expressed his desire to rule as one himself.

History offers a chilling parallel.

In January 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany. Within weeks, he moved to dismantle democratic institutions. By February, the Reichstag building burned, leading to emergency decrees that suspended civil liberties. By March, the Enabling Act was passed, allowing Hitler to rule by decree.

Sound familiar?

Between 1933 and 1934, the Nazi Party banned all other political parties, transforming Germany into a one-party state. After President von Hindenburg’s death in August 1934, Hitler merged the offices of president and chancellor, declaring himself Führer.

He then moved to remove Jewish families from their homes, blaming them for Germany’s economic problems. The Holocaust followed, reign terrorizing Europe for the next twelve years.

Uncanny.

America, we have a problem—a serious problem.

The question is: what are we going to do about it?

---

Danny L. White  currently lives in Phoenix, AZ.  He is an author, community activist, Adjunct faculty member at Maricopa College, and staff reporter for the Arizona Informant. He is an active member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc, in Phoenix.