Thoughts for the Day, January 25, 2026: This cannot wait until Monday

Speak up. Speak out. Make good trouble.

I normally do not write a blog on the weekend, but with what happened yesterday in Minneapolis I feel compelled to get Thoughts for the Day out sooner rather than later.

I encourage you to share this post with others. I encourage you to ask others to subscribe. The time is now. We can no longer afford to set back and watch as our democracy goes up in flames, teargas, and bullets.

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I am angry. I am pissed. I am in a non-forgiving mood.

I have watched multiple videos of the killing of Alex Pretti multiple times. I know what I see. I know that Alex Pretti should not be dead, if cool heads would have prevailed.

I have been in enough “barroom brawls’ in my early days to know that crazy shit happens during a scuffle. In this case it is especially complicated because Pretti was allegedly legally carrying a gun which he had a permit to carry, in an open carry state. I will defer casting judgement on the Border Patrol agents until all the facts come out. However, I know what I see.

Unfortunately, President Trump and his administration are not waiting for the facts to come out. They have quickly placed the entire blame of the shooting on Pretti. Labeling him as a terrorist and a professional agitator, who came to the protest with the intent to assassinate federal agents, which appears to be as far from the truth as possible.

This is standard Modus Operandi for Trump and his administration. Take no responsibility for your action and blame everyone else. He did it with January 6, 2021, he did it with the Nicole Good killing and yesterday he did it again.

Like every good dictator, he controls the spin and he is doing everything in his power to control the investigation. We cannot allow that to happen. We need to speak up, speak out, and make good trouble. We need to make sure the Trump administration is held responsible their actions as they stomp on the rule of law and the Constitution. We need to pressure our legislators to hold Trump accountable.

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The irony of it all

For too many years for me to count, gun advocates, who are big supporters of Trump and the Republican party, have been resisting gun control measures of any kind to protect second amendment rights. Many states, including Minnesota, are now open carry states.

Per multiple reports, Pretti carried a licensed handgun which he had a permit to carry with him in a concealed manner. From all the videos I have watched Pretti never once touched the gun with his hands. It was only after Pretti was on the ground and the gun was removed by an agent from his back waist area, that the gun was discovered. Pretti did not appear to ever have his hands on the gun.

Allegedly, Pretti had every right to be carrying the gun in the manner in which he did. However, having the gun legally on his possession is probably what got him killed, by an overanxious agent.

The irony of the administration calling Pretti a terrorist because they believe he brought the gun that he was licensed to carry to the protests to kill a federal agent should not be lost on us. It sure as hell is not lost on the Minnesota Gun Caucus. See their press release yesterday.

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From MN Gun Owner Caucus

PRESS RELEASE: MN Gun Owners Caucus responds to the shooting death of Alex Pretti.

We are deeply concerned by this morning’s reports that a federal law enforcement operation in Minneapolis resulted in the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by federal agents. According to local officials, the man was legally armed, a firearm was recovered at the scene, and he is believed to have been a lawful gun owner and permit to carry holder. Many critical facts remain unknown. We do not yet have an independent account of what initiated the encounter or what triggered the use of deadly force. Despite widespread speculation regarding intent, there has been no evidence produced indicating an intent to harm the officers. We are calling for a full and transparent investigation by both state and federal authorities.

Every peaceable Minnesotan has the right to keep and bear arms—including while attending protests, acting as observers, or exercising their First Amendment rights. These rights do not disappear when someone is lawfully armed, and they must be respected and protected at all times.

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Doesn’t sound like a terrorist to me

President Trump and his administration have quickly placed the entire blame of the shooting on Pretti, labeling him as a terrorist and a professional agitator who came to the protest with the intent to assassinate federal agents. Nothing seems further from the truth.

I want to share a letter written by Pretti’s parents on Saturday evening. I have a hard time believing that someone working as a nurse in the ICU of a Veteran’s Hospital who came to the rescue of a fellow protestor Saturday morning is a terrorist and a professional agitator, who came to Saturday’s protest with the intent to assassinate federal agents.

Here is the statement written by Pretti’s parents.

“We are heartbroken but also very angry. Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital.”

“Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately, he will not be with us to see his impact.”

“I do not throw around the ‘hero’ term lightly. However, his last thought and act was to protect a woman. The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting, Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He has his phone in his right hand, and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down, all while being pepper sprayed.”

“Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man.”

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It is up to us to speak up and speak out. It is time to make good trouble.

History tells us that Trump and his administration will do everything in their power to keep the truth from coming out. We saw this on January 6, 2021, we are seeing it with Nicole Good’s killing, and we will see in with Pretti’s killing. We cannot allow that to happen. We need to start making “good trouble”. We need to make sure Nicole Good and Alex Pretti did not die in vain. We need to honor Alex Pretti’s parents’ wishes by getting the truth out.

On Friday evening I sent a letter to my congressman Jack Bergman. Since this happened prior to Saturday’s killing of Alex Pretti, I will be modifying the letter to reflect his killing and resending it.

I encourage subscribers and readers to copy and paste the letter, make the appropriate modifications, and then send it to their own congressional leaders.

This can be done in a few easy steps.

Step 1: find your congressman by clicking on this link, Find Your Representative | house.gov

Step 2: Put your zip code in the proper space.

Step 3: Click the button “find your representative”

Step 4: In the new page that comes up you will see a picture of your congressman. Click on your congressman’s name under the picture.

Step 5: In the new page that comes up, Click on Contact Me at the top of the page and then click on Email me.

Step 6: Fill out the information as required. When you get to the body of the email, copy and paste the letter below and then make the appropriate changes for your situation. (Call me at 734-765-7282 if you need help making this happen.)

Here is a copy of the letter I sent on Friday.

The Honorable Jack Bergman
U.S. House of Representatives
566 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative Bergman:

I am writing to express my deep concern and disappointment that Congress has not exercised robust oversight of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), particularly in response to the recent fatal shooting of Renée Nicole Good by an ICE officer in Minneapolis on January 7, 2026. Ms. Good, a 37-year-old United States citizen, was shot and killed by an ICE agent during federal immigration enforcement operations, and the Department of Justice has publicly stated that it will not open a criminal civil-rights investigation into that shooting.

The lack of an independent, transparent federal investigation into the circumstances of Ms. Good’s death is deeply troubling. In cases where law enforcement officers—especially federal law enforcement officers—use deadly force against a U.S. citizen, there should be a clear, impartial review of the facts to determine whether civil-rights or constitutional violations occurred. The decision by the DOJ not to pursue such an inquiry, despite public outcry and calls for accountability from local officials and legal experts, undermines public confidence in equal justice under the law.

In addition to this specific incident, I am alarmed by reports that ICE agents are entering private homes without warrants signed by a neutral judge, in apparent violation of Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. It is unacceptable for any federal agency to undertake warrantless home entries absent clear exigent circumstances, and it is imperative that Congress demand transparency and adherence to constitutional safeguards in all enforcement actions.

I am also concerned about reports that ICE agents are improperly detaining U.S. citizens or lawful residents for extended periods without cause because of assumptions based on the person’s appearance, last name, or other attributes unrelated to legal status. Such practices are discriminatory, erode trust in government institutions, and raise serious civil-rights and civil-liberties issues that demand congressional scrutiny and corrective oversight.

Finally, I am troubled that many Republican members of Congress have allowed the current administration to avoid accountability for policies and actions that threaten civil liberties. The reluctance to hold executive branch agencies, including DOJ and ICE—accountable for potential overreach, sets a dangerous precedent that undermines the rule of law and constitutional protections. I believe that these standards should be applied consistently across administrations, without deference based on political affiliation.

I urge you to take the following actions:

1. Support congressional hearings and investigations into the DOJ’s handling of the Renée Good case and broader ICE use-of-force practices.

2. Demand full transparency from DOJ and ICE regarding their policies, training, oversight, and compliance with constitutional protections, especially the Fourth Amendment.

3. Champion legislation that strengthens accountability mechanisms for federal law enforcement agencies and protects the civil liberties of all individuals in the United States.

Thank you for your attention to these critical issues. I look forward to your response and to seeing meaningful action from Congress to uphold constitutional protections and ensure accountability within our federal law-enforcement agencies.

Sincerely,

Thomas D. Biggs