Those Mighty Men
I have been going to the Tuesday noon Interfaith Protest Song Circles at 7th and Pearl for what seems like months. Our rabbi and many clergy are always present. Often, poetry, essays, ’60s cherished songs and newly created lyrics are shared. Suddenly near the end of our hour on Jan. 27, the “mighty men” from DHS came staunchly marching out, standing in a line above us with what I thought were guns crossed over their bodies ready for use. Many of our warning whistles were being blown. I had seen one man observing us from the Federal Building roof. I stood with many others on the sidewalk and continued singing. Forgive me but I am an “older” person from the ’60s, and as I watched some of our younger singers starting to yell and approach this lineup, I wanted to say, no, no, ignore them. They want to provoke us so they can appear manly and use their weapons.
The weapons turned out to be tear gas and several of our people were sprayed, some hardly breathing needing inhalers, eyes smarting. One protester was taken into their custody.
Then in the evening for the Candlelight Vigil tear gas was used again to break up the crowd who had gathered peacefully to mourn and honor the death of Minnesota nurse Alex Pretti. Both of these events and most around the country have been and are peaceful. They want to intimidate us. They want to hush our voices. We must not fall for their bait. They want any excuse to say that in all these demonstrations and horrific actions on their part, it is our fault. Please stand firm and do not let us be provoked. I write to do something with all the rage, anger and sadness I feel about our tremendously cruel and false America. We have to keep protesting; we have to keep going and we will.
Victoria Koch
Eugene
Eugene Proud
I am deeply proud of my fellow Eugeneans for taking to the streets and standing up for justice and true freedom in protest of Trump, ICE and the many troubling events of the past year. At the same time, I am concerned by how rarely the importance of nonviolence is being emphasized on the progressive left. Let’s speak out, call for accountability, and fill the streets with chants — but we must remain nonviolent, both as a strategy and as a moral commitment. Nonviolence may, in fact, be the most threatening stance of all against this authoritarian administration. Violence provides justification for repression, for invoking measures like the Insurrection Act, and for expanding state control in the name of “public safety.” It’s what they want and what they are trying to provoke. Don’t give them that fuel. Most importantly, the philosophy of nonviolence ensures that we do not become the very injustice we oppose. Stay vigilant and nonviolent.
Hope Bohanec
Eugene
Memory
Just to see how much DHS thinks they are above the law, you need only look at one of the many attempts to prevent a thorough investigation of the shooting of Renee Good. Immediately after Jonathan Ross drove away from the scene of his alleged crime, mask- and balaclava-disguised ICE agents were caught on camera as they escorted him to his house, cleaned it out and hauled away, among other things, his computer, to eliminate any possibility that there might be incriminating evidence that could be used at trial.
Ross himself, with the aid of the department, has been spirited away and is still incommunicado, whereabouts unknown. This is obstruction and conspiracy by the “Injustice Department” not seen in our country since the Plumbers’ Watergate break-in organized by Haldeman, Ehrlichman and Mitchell for Nixon. Now the perpetrators are Kristi Noem, Gregory Bovino and Stephen Miller carrying Donald Trump’s water, ordering their henchmen in the field to make sure that Ross can never be brought to justice. Zero accountability, with the promise of a Trump pardon if they are ever hauled before the court to answer for their heinous lawbreaking, and barely an ounce of pushback from the “law’n-order” Republicans, just as in the Jan. 6 Capitol Riot investigation.
Cowards all, as were Emmett Till’s brutal murderers who laughed about their crime as they were acquitted in a sham trial in Mississippi 70 years ago. Decent people will never forget what has gone on in Minneapolis this last month, and who is responsible.
John Tietjen
Corvallis
‘Sacrifice’ Response
Steve Hiatt’s response to Dan Bryant’s letter (“Sacrifice,” Jan. 22). Hiatt is correct to say that the killing of Renee Good (and now Alex Pretti) won’t “make something good happen,” and history bears him out.
Abraham Lincoln didn’t end bigotry and hatred any more than John Wilkes Booth ended tolerance and acceptance of ‘the other.’ The conflict of good vs. evil is at the core of the struggle to maintain a civil society. No one who ever stepped into the breach with martyrdom top of mind truly died a hero, because they were acting in the service of their own glory. Good and Pretti were acting in service to their community and the greater good.
Leo Muzzy
Eugene
ONLINE EXTRA LETTERS
Saving Democracy
This might help save our democracy?
Impeach all three: Johnson, Vance and DJT
Charlie and Linda Spray
Eugene
Which Is It?
Just when we think we have seen and heard it all about the second cold-blooded murder of an innocent citizen by ICE in Minneapolis comes news that many witnesses at the scene were quietly and quickly rounded up and detained in ICE jail while everyone else was wringing their hands about the murder. (“Minneapolis man says he was detained for hours after witnessing Alex Pretti shooting,” CBS News, Jan. 25).
I want to ask MAGA America if they think this was a smart move by President Trump and DHS Secretary Noem because intimidation like this often works to douse witness’s determination to tell the truth to the media and to a jury at trial, thus effectively covering up a crime.
Or was it a dumb move by the administration because many Americans still know that witness tampering has been against the law since Americans first landed at Plymouth Rock 400 years ago.
Which is it, MAGA?
Kimball Shinkoskey
Utah
Don’t Mess with Minneapolis
To Trump and sycophants; What did you learn from the George Floyd
murder three blocks from my former house in south Mpls.? Did you
think you could suppress the outrage over killing George on camera?
We see you now — in Oregon and around the world.
“I’m not mad at you.” she said
and then, Renee Nicole was dead.
and then….Alex Pretti then…..???