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From Selma to Minneapolis
The unlawful killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, while he tried to protect a woman during a lawful protest, echoes the killing of Jimmy Lee Jackson in Selma, Alabama, in 1965.
Both moments center on ordinary people caught in state power. Both moments involve force used during public protest. And in both cases, someone died while trying to shield another person.
[Insert image: Civil rights march in Selma, 1965]
[Insert image or video: Minneapolis protest scene]
What Happened in Selma
Jimmy Lee Jackson marched with his family for the right to vote. Law enforcement officers violently broke up the demonstration. During the chaos, Jackson tried to protect his mother. An Alabama state trooper shot and killed him.
His death did not stand alone. Soon after, Rev. James Reeb and Viola Liuzzo also lost their lives during the Selma movement. These killings shocked the nation. As a result, public pressure grew. Eventually, President Lyndon B. Johnson and Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
That law reshaped American democracy.
A Warning Already Given
On December 9, 2025, I wrote an article titled, “You can enforce immigration law in professional ways” (The Lens). I drew from my experience as a former New Orleans police officer.
I stated clearly: professional officers know these federal enforcement tactics are unsafe. Moreover, they know these tactics would not hold up in court if local police used them. In other words, training exists. Standards exist. Yet enforcement still crosses lines.
History already warned us. George Santayana wrote, “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Meanwhile, G.W.F. Hegel observed, “History teaches us that man learns nothing from history.”
Both statements feel relevant now.
Related: Ensuring We are All Safe
The Present Moment
Now we face the killings of Alex Pretti and Rene Good in Minneapolis in 2026. Again, families mourn. Again, the public demands answers. And again, government power stands under scrutiny.
However, outrage alone does not guarantee change. Public grief must translate into action. Political leaders must choose reform over defense. Law enforcement agencies must choose professionalism over aggression.
[Insert video: Public vigil or protest footage]
The Questions Before the Nation
Several questions now demand answers.
Will officials conduct a thorough and transparent investigation?
Will ICE and U.S. Border Patrol adopt safer, more professional enforcement tactics?
Will the President and Congress finally address immigration through comprehensive legislation instead of reactive force?
Each question matters. Each answer will signal the direction of the country.
A Turning Point — or Another Tragedy Filed Away
Moments like this test national character. Sometimes tragedy forces reform. Other times, leaders offer statements, and the system returns to normal. History shows both paths.
Selma led to federal action because the country felt the moral weight. Today, the weight feels just as heavy. The outcome, however, remains uncertain.
People are watching. History is recording.