Why the Deaths of Good & Pretti Didn’t Come From Nowhere—and Why they Demand Reinvestment in Community Equity with Mediation
"Without trust, even the strongest institutions appear perfunctory."
Written by Alec Chapa
Minnesota is under intense national scrutiny following the deaths of Renée Good and Alex Pretti. This unique moment serves as a critical (and deeply tragic) example of why we cannot outrun breaches of public trust. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem initially labeled Good’s actions “terrorism,” claiming she tried to run over an officer, but even DHS agents disagree. As one agent put it, “There is a video and [Noem] just lied.” The agent went on to support de-escalation in light of increasing danger. Less than three weeks later, Alex Pretti’s death followed with shockingly similar federal responses, using the same “domestic terrorism” framing—only this time, criticism was widely bipartisan, and later Noem backed away from that framing.
Good’s death ignited nationwide protests, while Pretti’s death sparked something much more rare: bi-partisan concern and infighting among groups typically aligned, from the NRA’s defense of lawful car…
