This weekend in Minneapolis, we saw the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end of the Trump administration's barbaric war against immigrants and anyone who opposes the war against immigrants. On Friday, the general strike that had been called in Minnesota as a response to the murder of Renee Good was a huge success, with thousands marching in the -20 temperatures and hundreds of businesses, schools, and offices closing in support. On Saturday, the morning murder of Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents (who have no reason at all nor the legal authority to even be in Minneapolis, which isn't within 100 miles of a border) was such a brazen act of criminality that it shook even those not previously shaken by Good's killing (which was equally brazen but motherfuckers who have drunk the MAGA chowder deeply couldn't get their heads around it and decided that they couldn't see what all of us with eyes could).
The videos of Pretti's killing, shot as many as ten times while on his knees and then on his back, left no room at all through which you could squeeze your ideological blinders. It was clear that the gun Pretti legally was carrying was taken from him before the shooting and that he had never had it in his hand to threaten the BP officers who had shoved a woman to the ground and pepper-sprayed her and Pretti. It doesn't help the disinformation campaign in full swing now that Pretti was an ICU nurse at a VA hospital, beloved by his co-workers and patients. Every single video analysis shows that he was filming ICE and BP actions as a legal observer (as all observers are), not interfering in any way, and the porcine chodes in their douche vests and punk ass masks decided to fuck with him and the woman near him. The chodes surround him and beat him as he tries to cover up from the blows and then one of the chodes pistol whips him after another chode takes his gun. Every single video analysis shows the gun being taken. Every single video shows he was not a threat. Every single video shows he was fucking executed like it was a mob hit, just like Renee Good. The Border Patrol and ICE are a bunch of gutless thugs who want to murder some libs and don't have the balls to try without a uniform on.
And yet...the simpering, smarmy fuck stains from Homeland Security and right-wing media insist that Pretti was a "domestic terrorist" who was "assaulting" the murderous BP officers, who, as dick dribble of doom Greg Bovino said, are the real "victims" and that Pretti and Good were "suspects." Except they weren't. See, to be a "suspect," one has to have a crime to suspect them of committing prior to approaching them. We all know who the criminals were and they had taped over badges and hidden faces. Along with Bovino's bullshit, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said Pretti was there "to perpetuate violence" like he was a puppy that whined too much, and slithering vermin fucker Stephen Miller did his dance of disinformation like the Nazi spoogebucket he is.
But it's not working this time. For one thing, the people of Minneapolis are goddamned warriors and they deserve every bit of support they can get. They haven't backed down, and, if anything, each assault against their city and their fellow Minnesotans has made them even more pissed off and engaged. The other thing is that the Trumpistas went too far in condemning Pretti for having a gun, which, again, he had a legal permit to carry. FBI Director and man who looks like he just sharted in front of Sydney Sweeney, Kash Patel, said on some Sunday gab show, "You cannot bring a firearm, loaded, with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want. It's that simple. You don't have a right to break the law."
Except Pretti wasn't breaking any laws, and you can, in fact, bring a firearm to a protest if you live in a state that allows open or concealed carry of firearms. And that's gotten the gun nuts all up in, well, arms. And that's made them take another look at the videos of the execution of Pretti. And they don't like what they see. See, MAGA and Trump only succeed when people don't have any actual beliefs, but gun humpers are true believers in their perverse interpretation of the 2nd Amendment. Fuck with that and they will let you fucking know. These are the pricks who worshipped Kyle Rittenhouse bringing his assault weapon to murder a protester. They have one thing they are consistent on, so, hey, welcome to the party, assholes. Yeah, it is constitutional overreach. Now let's work together to stop it.
You need to remember, though, that we are dealing with evil motherfuckers in the Trump administration. And they are going to keep escalating until something, somehow stops them. I don't think we can last until January of next year, assuming that Democrats win back at least the House in the midterm elections. That's why I say it's the end of the beginning. If they can make it worse, they will.
But, goddamn, this murder and the blatant, obvious lies and the reaction to those lies (including the New York Times saying flat out that the Trump administration is "lying") and the passion of the people in Minneapolis and other places under attack, makes me think it might be the beginning of the end. Hell, Chuck Schumer and the Senate Democrats have said they will not support DHS funding in this week's appropriations vote, which might end up partially shutting down the government.
So maybe, just maybe, it's the beginning of the end. Surely, there will be more violence. Idiots with guns will always be idiots. And surely there will be more resistance. We are shaken but unbowed.
And it all comes back to Trump, too. If he decides the optics of execution by death squad aren't helpful to whatever the fuck he things he's doing, then he might fire Bovino or Noem as a sacrifice to save face. But, most likely, he'll figure out what the most dickish, evil thing he can do is, and just fucking do that.
