Thank you for breaking this down into manageable pieces. We are certainly living in difficult times, and without a good map, we can easily get lost. This is a great start.
I agree with everything said in your piece but I don't think Renee Good shouldn't be the example or held up as an innocent martyr for the cause.
She died because she attempted to flee when told to exit the vehicle and hit the agent in front of her. No matter how people try to put this all on ICE, the agent WAS struck by her vehicle. There is a large precedent set here. Its fairly unambiguous. Assault with a vehicle is seen as assault with a deadly weapon and self defense precedent in these cases has long since been established.
She was also not a passive resistor. She was actively interfering with LEO operations using her vehicle as a force multiplier. It got her killed.
Technically, ICE should have had her arrested an hour earlier but this was allowed to escalate, probably so as to not further inflame tensions between police and protestors. This in turn emboldened her to take more aggressive actions leading to her death.
I am not taking a side in this conflict. Its not my country, for one thing. Rule of law is another issue. USA has well established immigration laws. Enforcing these laws is also unambiguous. Many of the current societal problems in the US can be traced to lax enforcement of these laws under Biden. I would also like to point out that Obama deported close to 3 million during his two terms, enforcing these very laws. So I have to ask why is this only a problem under a Republican presidency but not a Democrat presidency?
Hey Elias. Thank you for the thoughtful comment. I hear what you’re saying…
I’m not a Republican.
I’m not a Democrat.
Historically, I’ve found things to respect and things to reject in both parties. But this Republican Party… supporting this president… are different. That matters here. This isn’t a red-team vs blue-team argument for me and many others.
Donald Trump isn’t “just another Republican” in this conversation. He’s a separate variable entirely… one that changes incentives, tone, and escalation dynamics across the entire system. Ignoring that difference is part of how we keep misreading what’s happening. What I find most troubling isn’t just his policies, but the normalization of his tactics… divisive, dismissive, and often openly dehumanizing.
On this specific case: I’m not arguing that Renee Good made perfect decisions or that her actions were legally immaculate. I’m also not arguing that ICE agents have no right to defend themselves under existing precedent. Those realities can coexist with something deeper and more troubling.
I watched all the available footage. I paid attention to which clips circulated in which echo chambers. I’m no use-of-force expert… but based on what’s visible, she was not trying to run over an ICE agent. He was not in imminent danger. At worst, she was impeding an operation and attempting to leave. No part of what I saw came anywhere close to justifying deadly force. I think any casual observer not hijacked by team thinking can see that.
Here’s the distinction I care about:
Legally defensible is not the same as morally healthy.
Procedurally justified is not the same as socially sustainable.
Yes—assault with a vehicle can be treated as deadly force. I don’t think any honest observer believes that is what was happening here.
Yes—self-defense precedent exists. But again… I don’t think any honest observer feels that was what went down.
But masking agents, circumventing rights, and harassing particular cities or neighborhoods…. citizens and non-citizens alike… based on demographics or political alignment should be abhorrent to anyone, on any side. We should be wondering about what is really going on here. if this is truly about immigration enforcement, then it’s a fair question why these tactics are not showing up in red states as well. That inconsistency matters.
When the default outcome of enforcement, protest, fear, and authority collisions becomes death, something upstream is very broken.
This piece is not about sanctifying one individual as a flawless martyr. It was about naming a pattern: how systems under stress escalate toward force, how fear narrows options, and how institutions lose legitimacy when they rely on intimidation and violence rather than restraint and trust. And most importantly how to resist with morality.
You’re right about borders. Countries need them.
You’re right about law. Laws matter.
You’re also right that Obama deported millions… and that selective outrage is real.
That’s exactly my point. Drives me nuts too. But sometimes the outrage is not selective and the accusations point to something very real.
If this were only about immigration law, we wouldn’t see this level of volatility, symbolism, and emotional combustion. What we’re witnessing isn’t just a policy dispute… it’s an identity collision between authority, fear, resentment, and power inside a system already saturated with distrust.
And here’s the part I won’t compromise on:
The divisive, dismissive, and dehumanizing language of politicians and partisans on both sides helped lay the groundwork for this moment. But this president isn’t merely participating in that pattern… he is amplifying it, rewarding it, and defending it. He’s less the cause than the most visible symptom of a deeper cultural disease he now openly champions.
This isn’t about excusing poor individual decisions.
It’s about refusing to look away from what’s happening… out loud, in all directions.
You can acknowledge personal responsibility and still question whether the system is producing outcomes worthy of defending.
I’m neither left or right. The political compass puts me between libertarian and anarchist.
I understand why some decisions have been made. This doesn’t mean I agree with them.
Like masked agents. I understand why. Death threats against agents and their families. Also not comfortable with them being anonymous.
With respect to the incident itself, I see the shooting as justifiable. If I place myself in that agents position, being struck by a moving vehicle constitutes a threat to life and safety. It should be noted that same agent was struck a few months before so there is added anxiety.
Would you not consider me an honest observer? Remember, I am not hijacked by any team and not even American. Also not a blind supporter of law enforcement. I have my critiques of use of force on many occasions. But a vehicle is a weapon and he was struck with it. That alone justifies it in my opinion.
We are seeing this level of volatility because it was MANUFACTURED. It is being selectively manufactured by the weaponization of compassion and the hijacking of empathy. It is being directed and controlled with the goal of destabilizing your country.
Notice the absence of outrage when Obama did it?
We also have to consider the fact that the Biden administration and its open borders policy is the trigger for this. Millions upon millions of illegals rushed into the country in a few short years leaving a much greater mess for the Republicans to clean up. Also problematic are the legions of criminals, cartel and gang members that rushed in with everyone else. This makes the job of immigration enforcement that much more urgent and dangerous. And visible.
All of this while democrats actively tell people to put themselves in harms way to protest the deportations. They have manufactured much of this violence this way.
None of this happens organically. It is organized and enabled.
That fact that it is manufactured makes all actions suspect.
Why isn’t it happening in red states is simple. Less immigrants because the red states didn’t proclaim themselves sanctuaries and invited them. In many cases actively protested the open immigration policies of the Biden administration.
What is happening in the US goes well above red vs blue. This mistrust and divide was cultivated by the same people who have been financing both sides of every war in modern history.
What needs to happen is everyone downstream needs to recognize how badly they are being played and how long its been happening.
You know as well as I do that NOTHING is as it appears. This is a reality that runs off of belief fields and its been manipulated long before we were born.
The logical thing to do is stop watching the movie if it pulls you this deeply inside it.
I know we probably disagree on some things and I appreciate the maturity of our discussion on what is a very polarizing and emotional topic for most. Normally these kinds of discussions don’t go very well.
You are absolutely correct. Honest, open and mature discourse is more important than ever in these difficult times. Its a dying art.
Despite our differences of opinion I agree with your recommended courses of action. Passive resistance is the way. Ghandi is one of those perfect examples.
Things definitely need to change.
I’d like to see everyone do a massive sit down for EVERYTHING.
This entire system has to go. All of it.
Withdraw our participation and it all falls apart.
All of it is because of pathological personalities in positions of power. It always has been.
Thank you for breaking this down into manageable pieces. We are certainly living in difficult times, and without a good map, we can easily get lost. This is a great start.
I agree with everything said in your piece but I don't think Renee Good shouldn't be the example or held up as an innocent martyr for the cause.
She died because she attempted to flee when told to exit the vehicle and hit the agent in front of her. No matter how people try to put this all on ICE, the agent WAS struck by her vehicle. There is a large precedent set here. Its fairly unambiguous. Assault with a vehicle is seen as assault with a deadly weapon and self defense precedent in these cases has long since been established.
She was also not a passive resistor. She was actively interfering with LEO operations using her vehicle as a force multiplier. It got her killed.
Technically, ICE should have had her arrested an hour earlier but this was allowed to escalate, probably so as to not further inflame tensions between police and protestors. This in turn emboldened her to take more aggressive actions leading to her death.
I am not taking a side in this conflict. Its not my country, for one thing. Rule of law is another issue. USA has well established immigration laws. Enforcing these laws is also unambiguous. Many of the current societal problems in the US can be traced to lax enforcement of these laws under Biden. I would also like to point out that Obama deported close to 3 million during his two terms, enforcing these very laws. So I have to ask why is this only a problem under a Republican presidency but not a Democrat presidency?
Countries must have borders or its not a country.
Hey Elias. Thank you for the thoughtful comment. I hear what you’re saying…
I’m not a Republican.
I’m not a Democrat.
Historically, I’ve found things to respect and things to reject in both parties. But this Republican Party… supporting this president… are different. That matters here. This isn’t a red-team vs blue-team argument for me and many others.
Donald Trump isn’t “just another Republican” in this conversation. He’s a separate variable entirely… one that changes incentives, tone, and escalation dynamics across the entire system. Ignoring that difference is part of how we keep misreading what’s happening. What I find most troubling isn’t just his policies, but the normalization of his tactics… divisive, dismissive, and often openly dehumanizing.
On this specific case: I’m not arguing that Renee Good made perfect decisions or that her actions were legally immaculate. I’m also not arguing that ICE agents have no right to defend themselves under existing precedent. Those realities can coexist with something deeper and more troubling.
I watched all the available footage. I paid attention to which clips circulated in which echo chambers. I’m no use-of-force expert… but based on what’s visible, she was not trying to run over an ICE agent. He was not in imminent danger. At worst, she was impeding an operation and attempting to leave. No part of what I saw came anywhere close to justifying deadly force. I think any casual observer not hijacked by team thinking can see that.
Here’s the distinction I care about:
Legally defensible is not the same as morally healthy.
Procedurally justified is not the same as socially sustainable.
Yes—assault with a vehicle can be treated as deadly force. I don’t think any honest observer believes that is what was happening here.
Yes—self-defense precedent exists. But again… I don’t think any honest observer feels that was what went down.
But masking agents, circumventing rights, and harassing particular cities or neighborhoods…. citizens and non-citizens alike… based on demographics or political alignment should be abhorrent to anyone, on any side. We should be wondering about what is really going on here. if this is truly about immigration enforcement, then it’s a fair question why these tactics are not showing up in red states as well. That inconsistency matters.
When the default outcome of enforcement, protest, fear, and authority collisions becomes death, something upstream is very broken.
This piece is not about sanctifying one individual as a flawless martyr. It was about naming a pattern: how systems under stress escalate toward force, how fear narrows options, and how institutions lose legitimacy when they rely on intimidation and violence rather than restraint and trust. And most importantly how to resist with morality.
You’re right about borders. Countries need them.
You’re right about law. Laws matter.
You’re also right that Obama deported millions… and that selective outrage is real.
That’s exactly my point. Drives me nuts too. But sometimes the outrage is not selective and the accusations point to something very real.
If this were only about immigration law, we wouldn’t see this level of volatility, symbolism, and emotional combustion. What we’re witnessing isn’t just a policy dispute… it’s an identity collision between authority, fear, resentment, and power inside a system already saturated with distrust.
And here’s the part I won’t compromise on:
The divisive, dismissive, and dehumanizing language of politicians and partisans on both sides helped lay the groundwork for this moment. But this president isn’t merely participating in that pattern… he is amplifying it, rewarding it, and defending it. He’s less the cause than the most visible symptom of a deeper cultural disease he now openly champions.
This isn’t about excusing poor individual decisions.
It’s about refusing to look away from what’s happening… out loud, in all directions.
You can acknowledge personal responsibility and still question whether the system is producing outcomes worthy of defending.
That tension is where I live.
Thank you, I appreciate the depth of your reply.
I have no horse in this race. I am not American.
I’m neither left or right. The political compass puts me between libertarian and anarchist.
I understand why some decisions have been made. This doesn’t mean I agree with them.
Like masked agents. I understand why. Death threats against agents and their families. Also not comfortable with them being anonymous.
With respect to the incident itself, I see the shooting as justifiable. If I place myself in that agents position, being struck by a moving vehicle constitutes a threat to life and safety. It should be noted that same agent was struck a few months before so there is added anxiety.
Would you not consider me an honest observer? Remember, I am not hijacked by any team and not even American. Also not a blind supporter of law enforcement. I have my critiques of use of force on many occasions. But a vehicle is a weapon and he was struck with it. That alone justifies it in my opinion.
We are seeing this level of volatility because it was MANUFACTURED. It is being selectively manufactured by the weaponization of compassion and the hijacking of empathy. It is being directed and controlled with the goal of destabilizing your country.
Notice the absence of outrage when Obama did it?
We also have to consider the fact that the Biden administration and its open borders policy is the trigger for this. Millions upon millions of illegals rushed into the country in a few short years leaving a much greater mess for the Republicans to clean up. Also problematic are the legions of criminals, cartel and gang members that rushed in with everyone else. This makes the job of immigration enforcement that much more urgent and dangerous. And visible.
All of this while democrats actively tell people to put themselves in harms way to protest the deportations. They have manufactured much of this violence this way.
None of this happens organically. It is organized and enabled.
That fact that it is manufactured makes all actions suspect.
Why isn’t it happening in red states is simple. Less immigrants because the red states didn’t proclaim themselves sanctuaries and invited them. In many cases actively protested the open immigration policies of the Biden administration.
What is happening in the US goes well above red vs blue. This mistrust and divide was cultivated by the same people who have been financing both sides of every war in modern history.
What needs to happen is everyone downstream needs to recognize how badly they are being played and how long its been happening.
You know as well as I do that NOTHING is as it appears. This is a reality that runs off of belief fields and its been manipulated long before we were born.
The logical thing to do is stop watching the movie if it pulls you this deeply inside it.
This is just Game of Thrones 9.0
Don’t play it.
Remove your belief.
It collapses on its own if enough people do that.
You certainly seem like an honest observer. I appreciate you taking the time to dialogue. It means a lot. It’s more important than ever. 🙏🏽
Thank you.
I know we probably disagree on some things and I appreciate the maturity of our discussion on what is a very polarizing and emotional topic for most. Normally these kinds of discussions don’t go very well.
You are absolutely correct. Honest, open and mature discourse is more important than ever in these difficult times. Its a dying art.
Thank you. I hope we can discuss in the future
I do too.
Despite our differences of opinion I agree with your recommended courses of action. Passive resistance is the way. Ghandi is one of those perfect examples.
Things definitely need to change.
I’d like to see everyone do a massive sit down for EVERYTHING.
This entire system has to go. All of it.
Withdraw our participation and it all falls apart.
All of it is because of pathological personalities in positions of power. It always has been.
Love this—thank you. Also love “I love you and fuck you.”
You’ll like this one then 😜
https://open.substack.com/pub/nextlevelhuman/p/i-love-you-but-fuck-you?r=2ef8t1&utm_medium=ios&shareImageVariant=overlay
This is so helpful. The explanation of why violence isn’t helpful with data to back it up is importanf and easy to share.
Well said. Compassionate courage. Yes, yes, yes.
One of your best and most important pieces yet 💓