Update: My apologies to Alex Pretti for misspelling his name In the first edition of this post. Also and apology to ICE for naming them as the killer of Pretti. I later learned it was CBP *Customs and Border Patrol” that killed Pretti. Both wear masks. Neither wear body cams. GP

I got dressed this morning in order to sit in on the informal chat group that meets here daily to catch up on whatever’s going on. When I arrived today, politics was on the menu (something generally avoided), and steam was rising – and not just from the coffee cups. Olympia’s resisters would like to be in the news just like the big guys: Minneapolis this week, but Seattle at times, and other places occasionally. But we are too small to get noticed. Doesn’t stop folks from trying, however.

The steam today arose because our most committed resister (Resister A) was scolding a sympathizer for not showing up in person to yesterday’s rally. In turn, a fellow rally attendant (Resister B) was scolding Resister A for trying to shame a person into attending the rallies. Her position was that shame wasn’t useful when trying to gather steam for the cause. Well, I’ll leave them to work that out. 

The basic issue for now, what to do about ICE, is serious. Alex Pretti and Renee Good did not need to die. We have a right to protest. Neither Alex nor Renee was a threat to an agent. Nuisance, yes, but threat, no. So the question is this: Can non-violent action, such as whistling and photographing ICE actions bring about the change we seek?

Sadly, we have no one near the stature of Martin Luther King, Jr. to lead us today. Furthermore, the goals of current protests are murkier than the civil rights protests of the 50s and 60s. Some want ICE abolished; others want ICE to just be nicer, i.e. take off the masks, wear identification, stay away from children and workers, only go after actual criminals while letting other immigrants work their way through the system. And even when going after criminals, afford due process for all. I don’t know for sure, but I suspect that most of the whistling protesters today are true open borders aficionados, while sympathizers who are not on the streets want orderly immigration with effective screening of who’s coming in. ICE supporters most likely want the border closed with few permitted to enter. (I could be wrong.)

As I search for leaders, no person or organization stands out today. We have Indivisible and, well, Indivisible. Christians have Undivided, and yes, there are others, but not really as far as national work is concerned. (Prove me wrong, please!) The problem with Indivisible from my perspective, is that it’s all over the place regarding issues. It doesn’t want to leave anyone out. So if I put on my winter attire and attend a protest, I could be standing next to someone who’s working against issues that I really care about. In fact, I would definitely be standing next to someone who’s working against things I care about. So I’m not there. 

Frankly, I don’t quite get the name “Indivisible.” Of course we’re divided. Democracy assumes division. The point of democracy is to resolve differences without violence. Not sure what name I would have selected, but probably something other than Indivisible. I love that Indivisible claims to be committed to nonviolence, that “Indivisible prohibits carrying or bringing any weapon to an Indivisible event, whether or not the person is licensed to carry a firearm or weapon.” Source: Indivisible.org But the whistling protests in Minneapolis are not officially sponsored by Indivisible. So Alex Prettii, who had a legitimate concealed carry permit for his weapon, which was, indeed, concealed, might just be alive today if he had followed Indivisible guidelines and left his weapon at home. We’ll never know, but I do wonder what he was thinking he would do with his weapon in the face of multiple agents with bigger weapons than his. 

So: what’s a concerned citizen like me to do? At this point, I am on the brink of joining a protest that specifically targets ICE. I really, really want ICE to behave. If they can’t behave like a well trained law enforcement agency that gets rid of the masks, identifies individual agents, stays away from schools, leaves children and protesters alone, and focuses only on actual criminals (not just people who come here outside of proper procedures), then do we really need them? The border is secure, as Kristi Noem frequently reminds us. Let’s let whatever undocumented immigrants we have who have applied for asylum, overstayed a visa, or are basically working and minding their own business work through the system using their due process rights to try to become legal residents. IMHO.

Your thoughts?