It has not been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon

It has not been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon, aka Minnesota. In fact it’s been a terrible week in Minnesota; it’s been a terrible January in Minnesota; it’s been terrible in this state that I love ever since Operation Metro Surge began in December. 

I’ve had many friends from across the country who have reached out to me to ask how I am doing. For me, it’s going well. I’ve had zero contact with ICE; I went to a press conference of religious leaders earlier this month; I attended a march of tens of thousands of people this past Friday; I’ve mentioned the invasion during every sermon and prayer during worship at Chain of Lakes church every Sunday I've led worship in January. 

My privilege has protected me so far. Many are not that fortunate.

I’ve written often in this blog about my thoughts about undocumented people being in the United States. Many years ago when I worked for the farm workers in California, I met and came across people who were not citizens. They were decent people trying to create a better life for their families. They were not a threat to public safety. The agricultural industry in California could not operate as they do without workers who are not citizens.

This is how I view people who live in Minnesota who are not citizens. I am not afraid of them; I do not think that public safety is significantly diminished by their presence; I believe that many companies could not operate as they do without their presence. My personal dream is an Immigration Law will be passed that offers a way forward towards citizenship for those who are not citizens. 

To see ICE agents come into Minnesota with the purpose of ridding our state of dangerous undocumented people seemed to me a solution looking for a problem. I do not see this group of people as dangerous. Of course, people who commit crimes—whether the person is a citizen or not—should be punished by the laws that are established.

If the purpose of Operation Metro Surge was to make the Twin Cities Metro safer, then that purpose has failed miserably. I’m guessing that most people in the Twin Cities feel less safe today compared to the day when Operation Metro Surge began.

But the ICE operation stopped long ago from being an initiative that makes people in the Twin Cities Metro safer. It became an example of the Federal Government and some leaders wanting to display force and power. This ICE operation is not something that respects laws and constitutional norms of our country. The respected police officers of our community would not operate as ICE agents have.

When did it become a good idea for the Federal Government to jam a policy down the throat of a state that doesn’t want that policy?

I haven’t done much to respond, but I want to respond. On Friday I decided to participate in the march from the Commons, a beautiful park near US Bank Stadium, to Target Center. I knew about the demonstration at the airport that morning where clergy were arrested. I couldn’t have gone to that as I was enjoying the morning with my granddaughter. I probably wouldn’t have decided to be arrested, though my heart was with my clergy colleagues who were.

When I approached the Washington Ave exit off of 35W I started to get the sense that this rally could be very large. The line of cars to exit was very long. When I turned off of 35W I immediately looked for parking and fortunately found it. I arrived at the Commons to see that this rally indeed was very large. Tens of thousands of people were there. I looked for some clergy colleagues, but the number of people made finding a colleague like finding a needle in a haystack.

The mood of the marchers was joyous. People carried unique signs; they chanted slogans that made most laugh. Many of the chanted words were ones I would never repeat in church. People offered handwarmers and food to anyone who wanted something. I did not see a police officer, but felt no need for their presence (though I’m guessing they were present). I’m glad that no ICE agents were present as the crowd might not have been so magnanimous.

When I reached the end of the march at Target Center, I decided to leave. I would have enjoyed the rally that took place there. But I didn’t have a ticket and didn’t feel like convincing anyone that I should attend the rally. So I started walking back towards my parked car. I walked at least a half mile before seeing no more people marching. 

Did we accomplish anything in the march? We demonstrated that tens of thousands of people can gather peacefully against an invading force.

And that is what ICE feels like. It feels like our state is encountering an invading force. Minnesota has been invaded! Lake Wobegon has been invaded! A year ago those two sentences would have received a laugh in a deft presentation by a comic. Today they are not a joking matter. 

If ICE was doing their job with professionalism and decency we wouldn’t be marching with such incredible numbers. The shootings of Rene Good and Alex Pretti are the worst examples of unprofessionalism and lack of decency. But every day incidents are shared in the media of ICE agents acting inappropriately and in ways that are not consistent with the Constitution. The local police would never act like ICE agents have. 

I have especially been taken in by the story of Liam Ramos. This five-year-old boy was taken away by ICE even though his parents are in the process of becoming citizens. Dueling narratives about what happened to Liam quickly appeared. I have a hard time believing the government’s narrative. Why couldn’t the ICE agents let the school officials who were present take Liam. And even if the government’s narrative is true, no reason exists for this little boy to be in a detention center right now. He poses no threat to public safety! Release him immediately!

The killing of Alex Pretti this past Saturday has magnified the injustice. Once again dueling narratives exist. I have only watched the video twice as I am a wimp when it comes to watching people be killed. I close my eyes when someone is killed at the movies, so I’m not going to watch this injustice.

What is particularly chilling is how the government has responded. They quickly labeled Alex Pretti as a terrorist. Really? A nurse who bent down to help a woman who had been pepper sprayed. A man who was shot while pinned to the ground is a threat to others. Yes, Alex Pretti had a gun, but he had been disarmed before he was shot.

What happened to decency? What happened to kindness? What happened to compassion?

I would have loved to read a press release from ICE saying that the killing of Alex Pretti was a tragedy and the thoughts and prayers of every ICE agent in Minnesota went out to his family. Instead his death has become another sorry example of government representatives acting defensively and with no heart.

I'm glad the family of Alex Pretti quicly put out a statement after he was killed.

At my core I am naively optimistic, and it does seem that this story of invasion has turned in the last 48 hours. Some Republicans are saying the invasion has gone too far. President Trump and Governor Walz actually talked on the phone today. Tom Homan, President Obama’s border czar has been sent in by the government to manage the operation. (Hopefully this means that Greg Bovino, who epitomizes heartlessness, will leave our state.) 

I believe that something is going to break soon. For the reality of the last week is untenable. No one ever thought that this type of madness would come to Lake Wobegon. Something has to change!

The death of Renee Good should never have happened

Whoever you blame for the death of Renee Good I think there is one thing upon which we can all agree. This is a tragedy that should never have happened. 

Full stop. Please reread the last sentence in the first paragraph again.

She was a 37-year old woman who left a wife and three kids.

If we cannot all grieve her passing, then it’s impossible to have healthy conversation about what happened. If we immediately jump to blame—whoever we blame for being responsible—we won’t change the narrative of violence that has literally gripped the Twin Cities metro area.

Earlier today I joined a couple hundred people, many of them clergy to protest Good’s death. We gathered on Portland Ave right where she died. The entire experience was sobering.

I’ve watched the video of Renee’s death at least ten times. It’s hard for me to say with definitive certainty whether the ICE agent who killed her was in danger of being run over the Good’s car. Full disclosure—I certainly am biased against ICE as I don’t think their presence is needed in the Twin Cities Metro. The number of ICE agents is excessive. This influences the way I look at what happened to Renee Good.

I’m not concerned about an excessive number of people in the Twin Cities who aren’t citizens. I’m more concerned about the behavior of ICE agents. When one agent approached Good’s car, he told her to “get the “Fu%$” out of the car. That use of language is hostile.  It wouldn’t be surprising if that language frightened Good and influenced her to drive quickly away.

I don’t understand why the agent who shot Good through the front window didn’t shoot at the tires of Good’s car.  I don’t understand why the agent even shot at the car. According to the Star Tribune most police departments don’t train their officers to shoot at moving cars.

The rally was peaceful. I had been asked to attend and stand with other clergy behind the speakers. So many clergy were present that I stood behind a pine tree. We were asked to wear a collar or a stole. I have a collar, but I’m actually not sure where it is, so I brought a red stole. To me red seemed to be the color of the day.

JaNae' Bates, co-executive director of Isaiah, spoke first. She shared three demands. 1. The person who killed Renee Good must be arrested; 2. ICR must leave Minnesota; 3. Congress must investigate what happened and show oversight.

Martha Bardwell from  Our Saviors Lutheran Church said that “we renounce this evil. Take off the masks. May Renee Good’s name remind everyone of the good.”

An Iman of a mosque in south Minneapolis (I didn’t get his name) said that everyone demands accountability. The family of Renee Good deserves justice. The neighborhood is not a war zone, but a neighborhood. It’s a tragedy that schools are closed because the streets are not safe. This current time is a time to show compassion and mercy.

Rabbi Tamar Magill-Grimm from Beth Jacob Synagogue in Mendota Heights said that what happened is so sad. She is very proud of Minnesota clergy for showing up. Preserving life takes precedence over all the laws in the Torah. Renee Good should be tucking her children into bed. Officers are called to protect people and not harm them.

B Chavez Russell, senior pastor of Greater Missionary Baptist Church said that the church recognizes that we must come together to unite people for justice. When Jesus turned over the tables in the Temple, he did not act in rage. He responded with righteous anger. He closed by encouraging us to say in unison, “We are better together.”

Father Dale Korogi, priest of Ascension parish in north Minneapolis shared that many families who attend his parish haven’t come because they are afraid of ICE. He said that people who are hiding are good people—the best people he knows.

Regina Hassanally, a Lutheran Bishop from southeast Minnesota gave an especially powerful talk. She said that fear is the tool of the oppressor, and hope is the anecdote to fear. She claimed hope not for some day in the future but for this day. Hope is our anchor. It is a hope that shows up. We have hope not just for tomorrow but for today.

Congratulations to Isaiah for having speakers from so many faith traditions!

After the rally I found many Presbyterian pastors. We took pictures and celebrated the energy of being present. 

My hope is this event can be a catalyst for justice as a respond to the killing of Renee Good. I also hope that it might change the trajectory of the presence of ICE in Minnesota.

The entire rally can be seen at: https://www.facebook.com/ISAIAHMN/videos/866843849537634

Whoever you blame for the death of Renee Good I think there is one thing upon which we can all agree. This is a tragedy that should never have happened.