Being Ellen

Advocacy with Heart

It’s been roughly thirty hours since ICE murdered Renee Nicole Good. In that time, my anger at a federal government running amok has grown exponentially. And today we hear that State of Minnesota deadly force investigators have been blocked from investigating how the murder occurred.

This is on top of ICE invading a Minneapolis school yesterday afternoon, terrorizing students and educators by throwing some to the ground and spraying others.

A pulse is running through me—This is it; this is where it all starts crashing down. Just like with George Floyd, it’s beginning here in Minnesota, with good Minnesotans who are fed up.

Yet, that’s not very realistic. “They” are too entrenched with absolute power. “They” don’t care one iota about anyone who lacks power or billions of dollars. “They” are probably going to destroy our democracy, and along with it, world order.

But I do suspect there are millions of Americans right now waking up to the fact that they’re stuck in the back seat of a car careening down the road headed for a cliff. Maybe enough will finally wake up to do something, like grab the wheel.

Earlier today, I spoke to someone with power and talked about the great fear in my community—in an exurb forty miles from Minneapolis with many Hispanic and Somali people—of being taken or hurt by ICE. In response, I heard to the effect, “Why would someone be afraid if they hadn’t committed a crime?”

The question reflected an incredible degree of willful ignorance.

I replied, “Because the Supreme Court has told ICE they can take anyone based on skin color. And with yesterday’s murder, along with black and brown people, now everyone else is at risk too.”

My tonality in answering wasn’t kind or compassionate, something I regret. However, I’m done with people who aren’t paying attention. Their ignorance has greatly contributed to the unprecedented problem America now faces.

It’s time to do something, my friends. Protest. Organize. Rouse that lazy neighbor of yours. We can no longer sit back!

I had been protesting at a busy downtown intersection of an adjoining town every Friday afternoon. My sign read “Resist” and sported two upside down American flags—the international sign of distress. I stopped protesting when Charlie Kirk was murdered.

Yesterday, I resumed protesting. I’ll do it again tomorrow, Friday. Assuming Minnesota’s weather cooperates, I’ll do it every Friday thereafter.

I’ve got to do something. You do too.