Is your writing and/or podcast available in other places that aren't social media? I'm leaving social media, but would very much like to continue to read your writing and hear your thoughts.
Pretti's death hit me hard. I taught at the high school that he graduated from. He was there years earlier but it still hit home. My pastor was also devastated because her son is the same age as Pretti, so the Church started with a remembrance of him.
The HBO series on Adams consulted with the excellent biographer McCullough, whose book is a great read too. The show was well done even if historical drama.
One historical point I'll make is that everyone involved in the Boston massacre case was a British citizen. The colonists had several complaints about Parliament, but the soldiers and colonists all had similar accents, used the same currency, wore similar clothes, etc. If the HBO show had been more accurate, all characters would have sounded like Brits to us. ;) There wasn't a sense of deep separation, like we now know as American vs. British. I think this is an important because the Boston massacre can be seen more clearly as one, united people having a dispute about the power of central government.
I don't think we need to go back to the 1770s. 1970 is more recent and full of examples about this violent push and pull between the government and protestors.
Most Americans remember the Kent State massacre, and hopefully some also remember Jackson State. National Guard opened fire at Kent's campus and killed 4 white college students in broad daylight, and local police held out at Jackson until nightfall, then killed 2 black students in the dorms.
However, neither Kent nor Jackson happened in a vacuum. Yippie leader Jerry Rubin had given a speech at Kent about 2 weeks before the massacre. Rubin told students to revolt and that the first oppressors were their own parents. The Jackson massacre happened one month after Kent, as a solidarity movement. But 3 years earlier police had killed another student (Benjamin Brown) during a campus civil rights standoff.
The details we hear now are indeed similar to the past. Both Congress and the FBI investigated the college unrest events. Several guardsman at Kent State claimed that they heard the order to "FIRE!". Was this audible "fire" shouted by their warmongering commander? or by an agitating student? Neither the FBI or Congressional subcommittee came to a conclusion about that question.
In the Jackson State case, the campus was split by a public road, and protestors had set fire to a car. Destruction of property is poor justification for lethal force. Yet, riots often start with destroying property. Did police believe there was a revolutionary riot in progress, as Rubin had called for? or were the police racist?
So your point is spot on, what are the facts? Were police and guardsmen racist warmongers? Were protestors militant anarchists? In 1770, 1970, and 2026? History makes it hard to clarify intent. We cannot read people's minds.
It is alarming that some Americans don't want to answer these questions. I hear the emotive call to act now. And the cry that the time to think and discuss is over.
I will give critics one strong point: it is rare for law enforcement to fall in these protests. Police killings happen, but when we run those awful killing ratios, it is tilted heavily toward law enforcement killing private citizens, like Pretti; and not vice versa.
Like you, I have a great and deep love for John Adams.
It is very important that the facts are properly investigated and the rule of law adhered to. To do anything less is to give comfort to America's enemies and detractors.
It is not very exciting and playing armchair detective is great but really detailed forensics takes many man hours.
In the meantime both sides should be seeking to lower the temperature.
For one thing, a bit in the same the BLM protests took the attention away from the Hong Kong Democracy protestors, the intense focus on what is now a legal matter takes the attention away from the over 30k killed, most likely on a shoot to kill order from Khamenei (according to info obtained by the Institute for the Study of War). Taking the focus away from the excesses of this failing and murderous regime gives them yet again a free pass. What happened in the immediate aftermath of the Iranian Revolution was dreadful. Iran A Modern History -- a weighty tome of a book but really important. Having the media focus on these protests means the massacre of thousands gets overlooked (The BBC are very bad on this)
And the whole 'giving the police/law enforcement' no good options in terms of protesting leads to this sort of thing. It is what the hard left extremists want. In the UK, nearly 100 Palestine Activists were arrested at the weekend when they stormed a jail and refused to leave. Needless to say the police took a dim view of the action. Palestinian Action said it was 'peaceful protest'/
There does need to be better training and lessons must be learnt for ICE because these sorts of on the edge of violence protests will continue and that means the possibility of continued tragedy. They need to plan for it and show restraint, even in the face of extreme provocation.
There should also be a reasoned debate on the need for reform of the immigration system in the US -- this debate should have happened in the 1970s (I grew up in California, a border state). The entire system is creaking and has been for a long time but successive governments duck the issue.
The officials on all sides need to lower the temperature for sure. Frey and Walz need to stop encouraging the rioting and tell people to go home. Frankly, I'm surprised there haven't been more casualties.. and if protesters are bringing weapons to the party...there will be.
It takes a special type of naivete to bring a loaded weapon to a place where you know inadequately trained but trigger happy armed law enforcement will be.
I suspect what needs to happen is various lawsuits about sanctuary cities -- much like did when they raised the national drinking age to 21 -- withholding of Federal funds. But then you don't get the reality tv drama which certain people appear to crave.
I see the BBC are continuing to give prominence to this story while cancelling stories about the continued internet outage in Iran. I am sure you are following the comedian Omid Djalili who seems to get the best info. https://x.com/omid9
If you haven't read it -- Iran A Modern History by Abbas Amanat (yes it is a tome) -- it explains so much but I was basically ignorant about the actual history. I didn't realise the oppression just after the Iranian Revolution plus the whole background. I had no idea that Khomeini had no business issuing the fatwa against Rushdie in 1989 because there was huge accepted procedure to get something, particularly a work of fiction declared heretical, but he needed to distract from the losses in the Iran/Iraq war and no one challenged his usurped authority to do it.
Do you see any reason to expect we'll get trials in either of these cases, let alone trials as fair as the one the colonial government was able to administer in 1770? My understanding is that, in the Good case, the federal government is blocking a state criminal investigation of the shooter, while focusing instead on Good's widow. It's led to resignations at the FBI:
I would be pretty surprised--pleasantly surprised!--if the most recent killing was impartially investigated and the shooters tried.
Even without taking a stand on the facts in these cases, the fact that people at the top of the federal government--Trump, Vance, Miller, Hegseth, Noem, Bondi, Patel, others--have consistently reacted to the news the way they have is cause for extreme concern.
None of them have expressed anything like the sentiments in this piece; in each case, they've declared the shooters to be fully justified well in advance of any investigation.
Even if we do ultimately have trials--which I doubt--I dont see how anyone can have faith in federal prosecutors or federal investigators who work for a government as committed to the unitary executive, and the political non-independence of the FBI and DOJ, as this one.
100% with ya--loved this "peace" an' I too admire the clear-headed-ness an' deep morality of John Adams. While ICE appears ta play their Kaiser Roll inna non-kosher-style ham-fisted manner (which don't win friends), the screedin' protest-turds need their heads eggs-ham-in'd too.
It's totally a FAFO sit-chew-ayshun... By all means protest--in the park, with a permit, gather as MANY ya want but ta approach armed OfficeSourds is risky.... Heck, I didn't even do dat in Brooklyn when I needed HELP!--An' old "persuader" (aka "peacemaker!") is quite the weapon of intimidation...an' no doubt even the doughy donut-stuffed sugar snoozers I'd see "on the beat" would be aroused bein' approached by an unhinged Angry Mob. Have these fools no FEAR?! Duz their "madness" (all senses) cloud their vision?!
But then again...there's sumthin' totally SUS 'bout dis whole thang... Think jus' bout the names... Pretti (Pretty...as in "I feel pretty...") & Good?! Pretty good lol. Then I'm wartchin' the Sharpton-like "shake down ahrtists" like Miz Nekima Levy Armstrong repeat her BLM performance & evoke George Floyd, the previous con job meant ta stoke anger.... Why do I feel both Pretti & Good were gettin' orders (ordures!) from their movements an' this wuzn't jus' au-natch-ur-elle? Is George "Tsuris" behind it? Singham? This jus' stinks of a set up an' tho' I DO believe these patsies died, perhaps they were told that sumbuddy would be watchin' their backs... how many have trusted their handlers...
Anywhoo... we DO need the facts.... but kin we count on EVAH gettin' em? Aye there's the rub... BBQ style which seems ta be whut they're doin' to our "shitties." G-d Bless America anywayz!
Is your writing and/or podcast available in other places that aren't social media? I'm leaving social media, but would very much like to continue to read your writing and hear your thoughts.
I only publish things here on Substack.
Spot on James.
Pretti's death hit me hard. I taught at the high school that he graduated from. He was there years earlier but it still hit home. My pastor was also devastated because her son is the same age as Pretti, so the Church started with a remembrance of him.
The HBO series on Adams consulted with the excellent biographer McCullough, whose book is a great read too. The show was well done even if historical drama.
One historical point I'll make is that everyone involved in the Boston massacre case was a British citizen. The colonists had several complaints about Parliament, but the soldiers and colonists all had similar accents, used the same currency, wore similar clothes, etc. If the HBO show had been more accurate, all characters would have sounded like Brits to us. ;) There wasn't a sense of deep separation, like we now know as American vs. British. I think this is an important because the Boston massacre can be seen more clearly as one, united people having a dispute about the power of central government.
I don't think we need to go back to the 1770s. 1970 is more recent and full of examples about this violent push and pull between the government and protestors.
Most Americans remember the Kent State massacre, and hopefully some also remember Jackson State. National Guard opened fire at Kent's campus and killed 4 white college students in broad daylight, and local police held out at Jackson until nightfall, then killed 2 black students in the dorms.
However, neither Kent nor Jackson happened in a vacuum. Yippie leader Jerry Rubin had given a speech at Kent about 2 weeks before the massacre. Rubin told students to revolt and that the first oppressors were their own parents. The Jackson massacre happened one month after Kent, as a solidarity movement. But 3 years earlier police had killed another student (Benjamin Brown) during a campus civil rights standoff.
The details we hear now are indeed similar to the past. Both Congress and the FBI investigated the college unrest events. Several guardsman at Kent State claimed that they heard the order to "FIRE!". Was this audible "fire" shouted by their warmongering commander? or by an agitating student? Neither the FBI or Congressional subcommittee came to a conclusion about that question.
In the Jackson State case, the campus was split by a public road, and protestors had set fire to a car. Destruction of property is poor justification for lethal force. Yet, riots often start with destroying property. Did police believe there was a revolutionary riot in progress, as Rubin had called for? or were the police racist?
So your point is spot on, what are the facts? Were police and guardsmen racist warmongers? Were protestors militant anarchists? In 1770, 1970, and 2026? History makes it hard to clarify intent. We cannot read people's minds.
It is alarming that some Americans don't want to answer these questions. I hear the emotive call to act now. And the cry that the time to think and discuss is over.
I will give critics one strong point: it is rare for law enforcement to fall in these protests. Police killings happen, but when we run those awful killing ratios, it is tilted heavily toward law enforcement killing private citizens, like Pretti; and not vice versa.
Great points, thank you!
Like you, I have a great and deep love for John Adams.
It is very important that the facts are properly investigated and the rule of law adhered to. To do anything less is to give comfort to America's enemies and detractors.
It is not very exciting and playing armchair detective is great but really detailed forensics takes many man hours.
In the meantime both sides should be seeking to lower the temperature.
For one thing, a bit in the same the BLM protests took the attention away from the Hong Kong Democracy protestors, the intense focus on what is now a legal matter takes the attention away from the over 30k killed, most likely on a shoot to kill order from Khamenei (according to info obtained by the Institute for the Study of War). Taking the focus away from the excesses of this failing and murderous regime gives them yet again a free pass. What happened in the immediate aftermath of the Iranian Revolution was dreadful. Iran A Modern History -- a weighty tome of a book but really important. Having the media focus on these protests means the massacre of thousands gets overlooked (The BBC are very bad on this)
And the whole 'giving the police/law enforcement' no good options in terms of protesting leads to this sort of thing. It is what the hard left extremists want. In the UK, nearly 100 Palestine Activists were arrested at the weekend when they stormed a jail and refused to leave. Needless to say the police took a dim view of the action. Palestinian Action said it was 'peaceful protest'/
There does need to be better training and lessons must be learnt for ICE because these sorts of on the edge of violence protests will continue and that means the possibility of continued tragedy. They need to plan for it and show restraint, even in the face of extreme provocation.
There should also be a reasoned debate on the need for reform of the immigration system in the US -- this debate should have happened in the 1970s (I grew up in California, a border state). The entire system is creaking and has been for a long time but successive governments duck the issue.
The officials on all sides need to lower the temperature for sure. Frey and Walz need to stop encouraging the rioting and tell people to go home. Frankly, I'm surprised there haven't been more casualties.. and if protesters are bringing weapons to the party...there will be.
It takes a special type of naivete to bring a loaded weapon to a place where you know inadequately trained but trigger happy armed law enforcement will be.
I suspect what needs to happen is various lawsuits about sanctuary cities -- much like did when they raised the national drinking age to 21 -- withholding of Federal funds. But then you don't get the reality tv drama which certain people appear to crave.
I see the BBC are continuing to give prominence to this story while cancelling stories about the continued internet outage in Iran. I am sure you are following the comedian Omid Djalili who seems to get the best info. https://x.com/omid9
I watch Mahyar Tousi as well.
If you haven't read it -- Iran A Modern History by Abbas Amanat (yes it is a tome) -- it explains so much but I was basically ignorant about the actual history. I didn't realise the oppression just after the Iranian Revolution plus the whole background. I had no idea that Khomeini had no business issuing the fatwa against Rushdie in 1989 because there was huge accepted procedure to get something, particularly a work of fiction declared heretical, but he needed to distract from the losses in the Iran/Iraq war and no one challenged his usurped authority to do it.
Any way fingers majorly crossed etc.
Do you see any reason to expect we'll get trials in either of these cases, let alone trials as fair as the one the colonial government was able to administer in 1770? My understanding is that, in the Good case, the federal government is blocking a state criminal investigation of the shooter, while focusing instead on Good's widow. It's led to resignations at the FBI:
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fbi-agent-resigns-investigation-shooting-renee-good-minneapolis-source-rcna255702
I would be pretty surprised--pleasantly surprised!--if the most recent killing was impartially investigated and the shooters tried.
Even without taking a stand on the facts in these cases, the fact that people at the top of the federal government--Trump, Vance, Miller, Hegseth, Noem, Bondi, Patel, others--have consistently reacted to the news the way they have is cause for extreme concern.
None of them have expressed anything like the sentiments in this piece; in each case, they've declared the shooters to be fully justified well in advance of any investigation.
Even if we do ultimately have trials--which I doubt--I dont see how anyone can have faith in federal prosecutors or federal investigators who work for a government as committed to the unitary executive, and the political non-independence of the FBI and DOJ, as this one.
A bleak overview but probably correct. Hope springs eternal.
100% with ya--loved this "peace" an' I too admire the clear-headed-ness an' deep morality of John Adams. While ICE appears ta play their Kaiser Roll inna non-kosher-style ham-fisted manner (which don't win friends), the screedin' protest-turds need their heads eggs-ham-in'd too.
It's totally a FAFO sit-chew-ayshun... By all means protest--in the park, with a permit, gather as MANY ya want but ta approach armed OfficeSourds is risky.... Heck, I didn't even do dat in Brooklyn when I needed HELP!--An' old "persuader" (aka "peacemaker!") is quite the weapon of intimidation...an' no doubt even the doughy donut-stuffed sugar snoozers I'd see "on the beat" would be aroused bein' approached by an unhinged Angry Mob. Have these fools no FEAR?! Duz their "madness" (all senses) cloud their vision?!
But then again...there's sumthin' totally SUS 'bout dis whole thang... Think jus' bout the names... Pretti (Pretty...as in "I feel pretty...") & Good?! Pretty good lol. Then I'm wartchin' the Sharpton-like "shake down ahrtists" like Miz Nekima Levy Armstrong repeat her BLM performance & evoke George Floyd, the previous con job meant ta stoke anger.... Why do I feel both Pretti & Good were gettin' orders (ordures!) from their movements an' this wuzn't jus' au-natch-ur-elle? Is George "Tsuris" behind it? Singham? This jus' stinks of a set up an' tho' I DO believe these patsies died, perhaps they were told that sumbuddy would be watchin' their backs... how many have trusted their handlers...
Anywhoo... we DO need the facts.... but kin we count on EVAH gettin' em? Aye there's the rub... BBQ style which seems ta be whut they're doin' to our "shitties." G-d Bless America anywayz!
Truly Scrumptious.
shucks, thx "An' Howes!"