They did not deserve to die — period | Letter

Published 1:30 am Monday, March 9, 2026

We all know about Alex Pretti and Renee Good, both killed in separate incidents in Minneapolis in January 2026 by federal law enforcement agents — Good by an ICE agent and Pretti by Border Patrol agents. Since then, you may have heard the typical pejorative statement “they didn’t deserve to die, but …,” followed by justifications rooted in their perceived hostility or disobedience. You may even have heard statements like this passed along in private conversations with friends, family and acquaintances. Recently, one of my dearest and most valued progressive friends stated the typical “they didn’t deserve to die, but …” and passed along yet another pejorative from a person who immigrated to the US from a gang-ravaged country. The immigrant said, “The US needs ICE to eradicate the gang members who have also immigrated to the US.” Unfortunately, I am a highly reactive person and did not state in a coherent way how these victim-blaming narratives only serve to shift the focus away from the murdering law enforcement agencies in DHS and the thugs they have hired. I should have just said that I believe Alex Pretti and Renee Good should be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for exercising their constitutional rights in defense of our Fourth, Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, which prohibit the unreasonable search, seizure and deprivation of “life, liberty, or property” without due process. Oh, if only I had a calm brain.

Thanks, Philip Bump, for “The-real-reason-Trump-and-MAGA-are-so-quick-to-blame-Minneapolis-shooting-victims”

Appreciation to Judy Rohrer for “Renée-Good-Knew-White-Silence-is-Violence”

Jeff Rachwitz

San Juan Island