Buffalo Springfield protest anthem For What It's Worth (1966)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80_39eAx3z8
It is night in America, and the darkness is spreading quickly. Those are the words of poet Joseph O’Neill describing the “unprecedented spectacle of democratic implosion” in the United States. The darkness has threatened countries like Greenland, Ukraine, and Canada. That same darkness is terrorizing the innocent people of Minneapolis. The horrific beating and murder of Alex Jeffrey Pretti by paramilitaries has shocked the world. He was killed following the brutal murder of Renee Good. His crime was stepping up to help a woman being attacked on the street by paramilitaries. Her crime was dropping her child off at school. People who protested Good’s murder were attacked, and some were blinded by the paramilitaries. In response to widespread condemnation over ICE’s kidnapping of a five-year-old, paramilitary forces responded by seizing a two-year-old. Governor Tim Waltz has called out the National Guard to protect his citizens from the out-of-control violence. This represents a dangerous tipping point. Perhaps MAGA will back off. Or, perhaps it will be the excuse for Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act. This would give him total power to use any military force he deems necessary against anyone he deems a threat. Trump has already stated that he has the 11th Airborne Division on standby. One would be naïve to think that ICE is simply running amuck. Their provocations have been cheered on and validated to the highest levels by federal law enforcement and the White House. It’s as if Trump is pushing the people of Minnesota to respond violently. What is playing out on the streets of Minneapolis closely mirrors a recent game scenario by the Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law (CERL). Claire Finkelstein, a national security law expert, wrote about the game in a recent Guardian article. Former military, security, legal, and government officials were asked to consider scenarios that could unleash a 21st-century civil war. They focused on the possibility of the president launching widespread law enforcement actions in an American city that caused increasing levels of violence against the population. If the violence became too provocative, the governor might be pressured into calling out the National Guard. In the game scenario, the president would respond by deploying active-duty soldiers to protect ICE. Once there is “green on green” shooting, the United States would be plunged into the opening round of a civil war. Many of Trump’s supporters have long been calling for civil war against their perceived enemies. Malcom Nance, in his book They Want to Kill Americans, describes the longstanding violent agenda of MAGA in what he calls the Trump insurgency. In a shooting match against the US army, the people would likely lose, and democracy crushed. So what now? Governor Waltz could use his power as governor to rally the people to creative acts of resistance. The state could declare a day of mourning for the murdered nurse Alex Pretti. All shops and schools could be closed. This would be a powerful act of defiance to Washington. An even more powerful symbol would be to hold a state funeral and invite church leaders, civic officials, and people from across the region to attend. This would create an incredible outpouring of people power that would defy the government. If Governor Waltz taps into the incredible solidarity and determination of the people of Minnesota, it could be a turning point for a very troubled nation. We think back to moments like the crossing of the Edmund Pettus Bridge by Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, Alabama. It was determined and creative resistance that finally overcame the power of state violence. It is night time in America. But there are candles burning in Minnesota. The whole world is praying that those lights do not go out. It is time for the better angels of American judgment to step up. While there is still time.
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