A Call for Action Amidst Tragedy

I was watching basketball when I first saw the news. Federal agents had killed another Minnesotan in the street, the day after Minnesotans staged one of the largest peaceful protests in America in decades. The incident left me stunned and deeply concerned about the safety of my community.

After the game, I found myself thinking about asking local sports owners — who belong in the small subset of Minnesotans who can afford to take a financial loss — to postpone games. As I sat down to write this, the Timberwolves issued a statement saying the NBA had postponed their game later that afternoon “to prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community.” The game against Golden State was rescheduled for one day later, to the afternoon of Jan. 25.

The Twins ended the first day of TwinsFest an hour earlier than scheduled “to provide for the expedited departures of all of our guests.” These were the right decisions. However, they didn’t go far enough.

How can we play games when our brothers, sisters and children are being killed, beaten, gassed and abducted? Sports are a wonderful distraction for our typical daily concerns. We shouldn’t be distracted right now.

The Tragic Deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti

A federal agent shot Renee Good three times after she said, “I’m not mad at you.” Reports indicate that she lived for eight minutes after the shooting, but ICE agents kept a physician from helping her. Federal agents have terrorized schools, American citizens, veterans and anyone they encounter with an accent. They have also terrorized undocumented immigrants.

As if to make a point that no one is safe, the two people they killed in broad daylight were 37 years old and white. Good was a mother. Alex Pretti was a Veterans Affairs nurse. Attempts to smear them have failed.

On Jan. 24, federal agents, according to multiple videos and witnesses, restrained a man who had been filming them, took a gun from him, then shot him multiple times, killing him. Federal agents also used tear gas and pushed my friend, KARE 11’s Jana Shortal, for observing the killing.

Minnesotans are being killed for exercising their most mundane, everyday rights as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

The Role of the Constitution in Protecting Rights

The First Amendment guarantees the rights of free speech, freedom of the press and freedom to assemble. Good was shot three times after talking with federal agents from her car on a residential street.

The Second Amendment guarantees the right to keep and bear arms. Pretti was licensed to carry a gun. He was shot after it appeared his gun was confiscated.

The Fourth Amendment protects “individuals against unreasonable searches and seizures by the government, generally requiring a warrant based on probable cause for law enforcement to enter a home or seize property.” We have seen reports of federal agents entering homes without a warrant, breaking down doors without a warrant, smashing into vehicles and yanking people out of their cars without a warrant or probable cause.

What use is the Constitution if the people in power dismiss it? What good are sports if they prompt us to feign normalcy?

The Impact on Small Businesses and Community Response

On Jan. 23, many small businesses in the Twin Cities closed as a form of protest. Many of these businesses, and many of their employees, couldn’t afford to miss a day of revenue.

On Jan. 25, the Vikings, Twins, Wild, Timberwolves, Lynx and Minnesota United joined the Minnesota-based companies that signed an open letter calling for state, local and federal officers to work together. By avoiding taking sides, by not acknowledging what is actually happening, these supposed leaders accomplished nothing.

Now it’s time for our rich sports owners to take the baton. Shut it all down until it’s safe for every Minnesotan to drive to a sports venue without being rammed, beaten, abducted or killed.

Hold news conferences where you put yourselves on the line and defend your employees who could easily be targeted. Use your wealth, and the power that accompanies wealth in America, to protect your fans and employees, any of whom could be shot, beaten, gassed, rammed or abducted the next time they encounter federal agents.

We need our sports owners supporting vulnerable Minnesotans. During the federal occupation, we’re all vulnerable Minnesotans.