A new political calculus as the world watches Minneapolis
The killing of innocents will be Trump’s legacy
I suppose that after bearing witness for the past 10 years to the utter cowardice and failure of character in Republican politicians in this country, we should be grateful for almost any show of decency on the part of a member of Congress from that party (“Republican calls are growing for a deeper investigation into the fatal Minneapolis shooting,” BostonGlobe.com, Jan. 25). Senator Thom Tillis calling for a “thorough and impartial investigation” into the shooting of Alex Pretti at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis last weekend stands out in comparison with the usual silence in the face of atrocity.
However, I cannot help but be filled with both amazement and disgust to see how the North Carolina Republican disguises his concern for the death of an apparently innocent American with the fiction that those who rush to judgment and shut down such an investigation “before it begins” would be doing “an incredible disservice to the nation and to President Trump’s legacy.”
Here is a United States senator, finishing his second full term, about to retire, with no further election to worry about, and he still cannot call for a fair inquiry into the horrors we see daily without pretending that someone other than Donald Trump is the primary and proximate cause of these grotesque scenes.
Tillis need not worry that a poor or flawed inquiry into the shooting of Americans on the streets of Minneapolis will harm Trump’s legacy. The killing of innocents on the streets of Minneapolis is Trump’s legacy.
Marc Springer
Brookline
Democratic leaders, your moment is now, and its location is Minneapolis
Anyone who plans on assuming a national leadership role in the Democratic Party should go to Minneapolis now. There should be a march through the city, led by the state governor and the mayor and chief of police of Minneapolis, and those national figures must join them. It’s past time for leaders to show their mettle and step up.
Bob Schueler
Arlington
ICE tactics call for Mass. lawmakers to act with urgency
Massachusetts legislators, it is time for you to step up and act on bills to protect the rights of immigrants — indeed, of all residents — living in this state. The egregious actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agents across the United States show no regard for civility, human rights, or the Constitution. The killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis have made that clear. The chaos fueled by the current administration calls for urgent legislative action.
Here in Massachusetts, lawmakers need to advance bills such as the Safe Communities Act, Dignity Not Deportation, Unmasking Ice, and Protecting Our Data Privacy and get them to the floor for a vote, and Governor Maura Healey needs to sign them into law as soon as possible. Action on these measures is needed without delay.
We are at a tipping point. In a state with a Democratic majority, we expect our lawmakers to act. Let this reign of terror end.
Wendy Bornstein
Mashpee
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