El Qué Intermodal

David Brooks, I’d like to introduce you to Bill O’Rights. He’ll be here shortly, his bus has been delayed by “ICE action” on Nicollet Avenue here in Minneapolis. He is on his way back from delivering a mutual aid grocery box to Ana F., in Powderhron Park. He is forced to sit in the back of the bus by order of the displaced border “Czar.”

I watched your conversation with Jonathan Capehart and William Brangham on PBS earlier this month. You disagreed with Jonathan about the use of the shut down to stop DHS atrocities:

“We have a democracy. And when you have a disagreement and when something outrageous happens, you go to the voters. And I think that’s what the Democrats should do. Look at what the Republicans are doing. Go to the voters. When you have a policy disagreement in between elctions, you don’t shut down the government. We haven’t done that … until New Gingrich walked into town, and he set a precedent, and now we’re spiraling. And so when you shut down the government, A) it hurts the government. B) it hurts public faith in the government. It makes us look ineffective. And as Jonathan said, we’re not taking this out on ICE. It’s the people at TSA who aren’t going to get a check. So I believe you weaken the institutions of democracy by shutting down the government every time there’s a polic of disagreement–and by the way, the Republicans are going to do this more often in the future– it’s just terrible for our democracy.”

My take:

A) most of the agencies–critical functions–will continue working. They will get their checks, just later.

B) The executive branch has turned Minnesota into a carbon copy of 1930’s Nazi-controlled Europe. You may have faith that the right changes will take place in November, but that faith is misplaced with this heartless administration and its cheerleaders running rampant across the country.

And C) you are suggesting that our current seige and its violent policies and practices should wait until election day to be resolved. I thought you said in a recent Q&A that you’ve become a conservative Democrat, but your words sound more like Mitch McConnell’s “Let’s wait for the next President” to decide who gets the next SCOTUS seat.” Congress was elected to make laws, regulations, and decisions, while they are in office. The court of public opinion is already rendering verdicts on the government’s behavior and its duly elected representatives are duly exercising their power.

D) A minor policy tweak isn’t too much to ask, given the clear inhumanity of the Metro Siege: No masks, name and badge # on the uniform, to top the modest list of reforms. And codify a major reminder of the required judicial warrants for upending a suspect’s home, can be implemented now. I’d suggest they be embroidered on their Dollar General version of camo uniforms. Revising ICE’s rogue manual of occupation rules is an urgently required immediate action. Given DHS et. al.’s continued defiance of the courts, a hard slap on the wrist that comes with Congress’ power of the purse is fitting.

I recall the year-long Montgomery Bus Boycott of ’55-56. The President has marched Bill O’Rights, with his many ideals and spotless reputation, to the back of the bus today, reserving the front seats to an occupying force who has ignored over a hundred court orders to return those forcibly and unconstitutionally removed from our state. Did you miss the agent who clapped at the murder of Alex Pretti? We have watched how these anonymous forces have wallowed daily in their disdain for humanity.

The people of Montgomery shut down that private enterprise and lifted up the oppressed with their boycott for the same abuse of Bill O’Rights. The buses resumed their service, notwithstanding the gerrymandered route they are occasionally forced to drive. Likewise, our current democracy will survive a nominal shutdown, so long as the desperately needed reforms are encoded into law. You mention many times in history when it has survived similar upheavals; are you so sure it will survive–and thrive again–if the DHS is left unchecked?

Last point. Have you ever stumbled on a Ku Klux Klan rally? How about: Ever stopped at a red light to see smoked-glass rental cars with switched-out plates, crammed with masked anonymous soldiers with guns? Do you know the level of fear that causes? Can you not see how DHS and its masked agents are, given the President’s white power actions, the equivalent to the KKK?

Their fake getups would be laughable, were it not for the real guns that killed my neighbors Alex and Renee. Surely you can see why most in our city perceive this as state-sponsored terrorism–against its own people. And that includes legal, and undocumented, immigrants.

In this period of state-sponsored terrorism, more than the rounding error’s worth of suspended government services that are bent to terrorize everyone, should be shut down.

Will you consider this: Urge congress to knot the purse strings for a time until Bill O’Rights can get back to his family, his church, his favorite Ecuadorian restaurant, and Bocce Ball tournaments atop Brit’s Pub on the Nicollet Mall?

From the sound of things and experience with past shutdowns, people will still be able to fly to Canada, and the FDA has already punted on food safety inspections so the rest of the government evisceration won’t be disturbed.

It is said that the most difficult thing to.change is ones mind. I sincerely hope Bill’s story has changed yours. you had known him some time back. If you two could get re-acquainted, Bill hopes your inaugural essay for your new journalistic sanctuary, The Atlantic, will express your support for this not so modest proposal of withholding funds from the DHS.

Bill might even subscribe to the Atlantic, and read the opinions of a former Republican–if the Atlantic can keep him.

#DavidBrooks #ICEoutOfMinnesota #DefundICE