Civil War-again?

[JohnH]

I am not aware that he was a teacher. He was an ICU nurse with no criminal record...shot ten times. Seems like the makings of a Civil War

...and reaching for a gun when confronting federal agents.

Except he wasn't reaching for a gun. An agent had his pistol and then they shot him...10X.

And how were they supposed to know that?

When you’re being arrested - you don’t reach for anything.

[Southerner]

...and reaching for a gun when confronting federal agents.

Except he wasn't reaching for a gun. An agent had his pistol and then they shot him...10X.

And how were they supposed to know that?

When you’re being arrested - you don’t reach for anything.

Who says he was reaching for anything????

[Southerner]

Yes I do, because people are believing liars.

Do you know if Mr Pretti was bussed in or paid to participate in this?

I realize people are dishonest...which is why I never believed the "drug boat" narrative.

Mr Pretti is now with Jesus and I hope to join him on the other side.

[JohnH]

So here’s how it works if you want to stay alive:

- If you want to go to a political protest and confront federal agents, don’t arm yourself first.
- If you are arrested by law enforcement, do not resist arrest
- If you feel your rights were violated, pursue a remedy via the courts.
- If you want to help migrants, attending a violent protest doesn’t help.
- If you are arrested don’t reach for anything. Keep your hands visible and make no sudden movements.

If Pretti had done this, he’d still be alive, and he could have pursued both legal and political consequences if his rights had been violated.

[JohnH]

Yes I do, because people are believing liars.

Do you know if Mr Pretti was bussed in or paid to participate in this?

I realize people are dishonest...which is why I never believed the "drug boat" narrative.

Mr Pretti is now with Jesus and I hope to join him on the other side.

Was Pretti a believing Christian?

The Bible says those who live by the sword will die by the sword.

As far as his background, he was Jewish. I can’t find any evidence he was either a practicing Jew or Christian. We can hope he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour in his final moments, though.

Eternal life is not automatically granted to people who show up armed to insurrections.

[Southerner]

Yes I do, because people are believing liars.

Do you know if Mr Pretti was bussed in or paid to participate in this?

I realize people are dishonest...which is why I never believed the "drug boat" narrative.

Mr Pretti is now with Jesus and I hope to join him on the other side.

Was Pretti a believing Christian?

That I don't know. JohnL sent the National Guard soldier who was killed in DC straight into the arms of Jesus. So I am doing the same w Mr Pretti.

[Southerner]

So here’s how it works if you want to stay alive:

- If you want to go to a political protest and confront federal agents, don’t arm yourself first.
- If you are arrested by law enforcement, do not resist arrest
- If you feel your rights were violated, pursue a remedy via the courts.
- If you want to help migrants, attending a violent protest doesn’t help.
- If you are arrested don’t reach for anything. Keep your hands visible and make no sudden movements.

If Pretti had done this, he’d still be alive, and he could have pursued both legal and political consequences if his rights had been violated.

TY for the survival tips.

On the last point, Mr Pretti's hands did look visible at first.

My dad participated in many anti Vietnam war protests. I will have to ask him how he wasn't shot. Of course, the one hand wouldn't have held a cell phone.

[JohnH]

That I don't know. JohnL sent the National Guard soldier who was killed in DC straight into the arms of Jesus. So I am doing the same w Mr Pretti.

I believe we should be careful about making such statements. We can certainly hope, but it is false assurance to just say anyone who gets killed magically goes to heaven.

[Bootstrap]

The videos are very helpful.

When you watch these videos, would any of them ever convince you a protester was in the wrong?

The videos are helpful in court and in investigations, and also so the public can see them evaluate them. In court, investigations, and responsible media, they will also check videos carefully to make sure they are not photoshopped or manipulated with AI - like a lot of videos that have been circulated, including some promoted by the federal government in some of these cases.

And yes, I think that videos are often clear enough that any two reasonable people will come to the same conclusion. I don't think the people who deploy a paramilitary force should be the only people allowed to make videos.

The reason I ask is you had the exact opposite bias about January 6. I haven’t seen you saying much about how wrong it was to shoot Ashli Babbitt. Why not?

I thought there should be an investigation in the Ashli Babbitt shooting too. There was. In general, I think investigations and courts are the right way to handle these things, and that the government should not just be trusted whenever they shoot someone.

[Bootstrap]

For those who think there is an emergency that requires sending ICE as a paramilitary force, with shock and awe ...

What exactly is that emergency?

Clearly, this is not how you would do a fraud investigation. It is not how you arrest illegal immigrants, they know their addresses, they can knock on their door at 5 a.m. just like ICE always has.

So what is the emergency that justifies this action?

I hear a lot of political grievance, both here and from the White House, but political grievance is not a reason to send paramilitary units. Domestic politics are best handled politically.

If ICE withdraws, the violence stops. Why not do that?