Letters to the Editor
Readers are inspired by columnist Johnson’s words, question if Alex Pretti was truly a peaceful protester, believe it’s important to help your neighbor and admonish Border Patrol agents.Voting booths are set up at a polling place in Newtown, Pa, April 23, 2024.
A reader talks about the importance of voting.Re: “Killing of Pretti reveals a moral crisis — The system is closing ranks, as it did in civil rights era, as it always does," by Peter Johnson, Thursday Opinion. Johnson speaks wisely and from years of experience, and I couldn’t agree with him more, though sadly. I’m in the fourth quarter of my life. If I were to get my wings and halo tonight, I would be horrified to die with the legacy of my generation and those following being that we are kicking democracy to the curb with those we vote into power.Were my World War II parents still alive, I believe they would put uniforms back on to fight for what was so hard won 75 years ago and against what is now happening. Mr. Johnson, we need your words of wisdom. Since retiring — and to a certain extent prior to that — I’ve become much more active in following mostly state legislative matters, but also local and national matters as well.As gerrymandered as this country and state are, I sometimes wonder if it’s even still possible to make a difference with our vote. Calls to legislators, trips to Austin and letters to the editor — I guess they’re all good. But I just don’t feel like we are turning the ship. Believe me when I tell you that there are some really good and passionate folks working so hard to do so. Please guide us as to where to put our resources and energy to be able to truly make a difference while you’re still able to do so.Thank you as always, Mr. Johnson, for your insights, thoughts and concerns so beautifully articulated. You’re always an inspiration.Johnson portrays Alex Pretti as a concerned citizen who was merely trying to defend a woman being mistreated. That is a mischaracterization. As videos now coming to light show, Pretti had a confrontation with ICE 11 days prior to his death. He is shown yelling obscenities and spitting at an immigration official’s car and then kicking out a taillight as they were trying to drive off. Only then did the agent stop the car, get out and wrestle Pretti to the ground. Presumably trying not to escalate the situation, Pretti was not arrested. Since this was a man seeking confrontation, I seriously doubt that was his only run-in with ICE. The courts will decide if Pretti’s shooting was justified, but I don’t believe he was acting as an “ordinary human being who refused to look the other way, ”as Johnson says. He was extremely confrontational, and he was armed. A tragedy waiting to happen.Re: “Hoping ‘no’ means ‘not yet’ among Dallas’ homeless — Only a small number refused shelter from the cold, ‘but it’s hard to watch them say no,’"by Robert Wilonsky, Thursday Opinion. I read Wilonsky’s column on a homeless encounter and Peter Johnson’s reflections on a moral crisis being revealed in Minnesota. Whether the editor intentionally placed these essays side-by-side or not, read together they are a beautiful dance that allows readers to experience hope for a moral realignment in our society. This is what I believe — that none of us are called to save the world, to save nations or even to save us from ourselves. What all of us are called to do is to see suffering and try to heal it, to see the helpless and hopeless and do justice and love mercy. We are all called to save our neighbor. If each of us would do that, the world would be healed. Those in authority need to remember that “with all due respect” means respect that is due, that is deserved, that has been earned.Alex Pretti, according to Johnson, was trying to help a woman being intimidated and harassed by authorities. Wilonsky was braving cold weather to extend care, concern and shelter to one of “the least of these.” The goal of Pretti and Wilonsky was not to save the world or save nations, but to save their neighbor, and in the process save all of us.This is an open letter to the members of the Border Patrol division of Customs and Border Protection, division of the Department of Homeland Security. To the thousands of men and women tasked with patrolling our border and policing the immigrant population, might I suggest some soul-searching:— If you can’t treat everyone you encounter with dignity and respect, get out now. The immigrants you encounter daily are human beings, not animals.— If you can’t treat the women, children and the elderly with even more care, concern, compassion and empathy, get out now.— If you can’t remember the words of the Constitution you swore an oath to protect and defend, get out now. I am a former law enforcement officer, and these values guided my every action. If you can’t meet these goals, get out now.Dallas Morning News editorials are written by the paper's Editorial Board and serve as the voice and view of the paper. The board considers a broad range of topics and is overseen by the Editorial Page Editor.
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