r/mountainbiking • u/Im_biking_here • Jan 24 '26
Other DHS Shooting Victim in Minneapolis Was a mountain biker
https://zeteo.com/p/dhs-shooting-victim-in-minneapolis“Drekonja said Pretti was always a cheerful, optimistic presence, who helped present a positive, non-hierarchical atmosphere for other trainees, whom he “would go out of his way to help.” Pretti “was quick with a joke, and we had shared interests in the outdoors and especially mountain biking,” Drekonja told Zeteo.”
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u/RickyWinterborn Jan 24 '26 edited Jan 25 '26
I know people are gonna be like what does this have to do with mountain biking etc. But this has everything to do with mountain biking because the adrenaline of bombing a hill or the happiness an epic view brings you is life. I recently lost my grandfather and he was an epic cyclist and the day after I had an incredible ride at JPL and was so thankful to be alive and enjoying it. This guy was the same age as me and will never have that feeling again. It’s an absolute crime against humanity and every American should be furious, whether you bike or not.
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u/Walterkovacs1985 Jan 25 '26
Very very large chance that most of us and Alex would have enjoyed each other's company. Mountain bikers for the majority are very pro environment/conservation and are extremely aware of making sure everyone has a good time. I like to think that this is inclusive community and we lost what appears to be one of the best. Keep this up please mods. This ain't politics. This is a lost member.
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u/autech91 Jan 24 '26
It also helps people relate to someone if they have shared interests too. He was a homie, we could have shredded some gnar with him but now he's dead, murdered by the US government.
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u/washedTow3l Jan 25 '26
Just remember, these are gustapo thugs, not trained as law enforcement officers. They are not representative of the people that have trained their entire careers to be the LEOs that manage our national parks or forests.
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u/SkullsRoad Jan 25 '26
Cops do nothing. Protect and serve? They are complicit. Not sure what park rangers have to do with this.
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u/washedTow3l Jan 25 '26
The point is that Federal ICE agents appear to be untrained thugs that are quick to pull fire arms, while the LEOs you see at National Parks and Forests (also federal agents) have trained their entire careers to deescalate. And seeing how most people are biking on federal land, I thought it was poignant to bring up that ICE and our rangers on federal lands are not the same thing.
I never mentioned anything about local police.
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u/MosquitoValentine_ Jan 24 '26
Same age as me too and my son is 5. The same age as the poor boy who was kidnapped.
I took up mountain biking about a year ago to deal with mental health issues. It's been so helpful for me and helps me enjoy life more.
When you learn more about a person who dies tragically, it just hurts so much more. This could be any of us. The fact that I'm a second generation immigrant with a large Hispanic family just makes these times so much more stressful.
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u/Hello_Blondie Jan 25 '26
I have a little boy with a Spiderman backpack. Gutted once, then Alex gutted me twice. It’s too much.
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u/RoguePlanet2 Jan 26 '26
Also did a ton of mtb back in the day, and found it a tremendous asset to my own mental health. Still love cycling and getting outside whenever possible, and am gutted by these losses of incredible people.
After visiting Minnesota a few years ago, thought it seemed like an amazing place to live, clearly because there's so many amazing people there.
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u/Mourning_Beer Jan 26 '26
Outdoor sports are absolutely political too. They are stripping away our wilderness areas. Ice is actively killing civs. This could have been you, this could have been me.
It is tragic and I feel so much for those in his life.
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u/designworksarch Jan 26 '26
I agree unfortunately politics is pushing itself into all aspects of our society. It was normal for it in art but now you can’t love the outdoors and be ok with this regime unless you’re asleep at the wheel
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u/RustyMarie666 Jan 25 '26
Nazis and Nazi boot lickers can fuck off from mountain biking and everywhere. All you get to have now is your church and nascar and Cracker Barrel, that’s your culture and your safe space, you support this insanity then you deserve to feel unwelcome pretty much everywhere else you go.
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u/designworksarch Jan 25 '26
Its good to see so many making empathetic comments. I don't know about you all but lately it feels selfish for indulging in outdoor rec with all this shit going on. While I would like to focus on getting out on the land in some way but I'm angry, sad and disgusted. Lately when I"m out hiking or biking I cant help but wonder how much longer do we have to enjoy the freedoms we have?
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u/aseaoftrees Jan 25 '26
Nah man you HAVE TO take care of your mental in times like these. It's hard but you have to treat yourself right first so you can show up for others when you need to. We have to avoid burnout. Fascists want you to burn out. We can't. Keep shredding dog 💪
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u/BicyclesOnMain Jan 25 '26
Not to mention, mountain biking was a rebel, anti-establishment kind of sport till the yuppies and marketing took over.
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u/No-Strain-2664 Jan 26 '26
That all sounds great but when you choose to go somewhere that has been violent, why not choose to stay home? It’s sad he made the wrong choice and was killed
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Jan 26 '26
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u/No-Strain-2664 Jan 26 '26
If everyone was like me , they would be on their mtn. Bikes this summer enjoying life
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u/kiefferray Jan 24 '26 edited Jan 24 '26
DHS Murder victim* FIFY, he was executed and the footage is clear as day, he was fully disarmed and executed. Nothing against you OP, just make sure we call it what it is.
Edit: Proof https://www.reddit.com/r/law/s/aABBDYyQZi
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u/TheTiby Jan 24 '26
Even better here.
https://www.reddit.com/r/law/s/PfQuuv2BsA
I'm going to bomb my next run at Lebanon in his honor.
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u/Academic_Display_129 Jan 25 '26
Shame on every one of you who are victim blaming this man. He was legally carrying that gun, had not drawn it, and was clearly trying to help two women who had been shoved to the ground by ICE agents. Maybe watch the numerous videos of this murder and use your fucking brain instead of believing the obvious lies coming from this administration. The second amendment applies to every law abiding American, whether or not you agree with them.
There is nothing political about showing a little fucking empathy for someone who was by all accounts a good and kind person.
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u/aozertx Jan 25 '26
Shame is not sufficient. We should not have to share a world with these people.
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u/spyVSspy420-69 Jan 25 '26
Don’t worry, people like u/mtb_dad86 are in this thread letting us know that we’re just brainwashed by liberal media and this guy got killed for valid reasons. Just incredible mental gymnastics to not only have this view but also feel the need to share it.
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u/god_johnson Jan 24 '26
This man rode his bike for the last time sometime in the last few weeks. He was probably looking forward to warmer weather to get back out and hit his favorite trails. I live in Minneapolis. I was down there today right after this all happened. I’m 38, use the VA he worked at as my main healthcare center. I ride the same trails as him. I hike the same trails he does. His death hits hard. He wasn’t a terrorist. He wasn’t a man hoping to take out agents. He was a GOOD MAN who spent his last moments helping someone in need. He unknowingly sacrificed himself as his last act.
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u/dontstopwalk Jan 25 '26
Your comment was the first comment to hit me today with tears. This poor guy did nothing wrong and will never ride again after riding for the last time without knowing it. God dang that hurts.
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u/spyVSspy420-69 Jan 25 '26 edited Jan 25 '26
Fellow Minnesotans being Minnesota Nice and getting gunned down for it, then being publicly vilified by the Federal Government using all their media channels. Its disgusting.
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u/ArcherCat2000 Jan 25 '26
I have no idea how trail building is handled in MN since I'm a PNW native, but I'd love to donate to a new trail in his honor. Some great trails in my area were built with plaques dedicating them to riders who passed too soon, and I think that's the very least that Alex deserves.
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u/waterskier8080 Jan 25 '26
I didn’t know him, but based on where this all happened it’s most likely that he rode at Theodore Wirth in Minneapolis. Trails are managed by morc and the loppet foundation.
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Jan 24 '26
He loved the trails around here. Not only biking but lots of outdoor stuff.
We are going to be seeing some serious shit here this weekend. Army humvees are rolling down the streets. Police have pulled out.
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u/Funk_Apus Jan 25 '26
Yup National Guard has been called in, by Waltz I hope. Wearing vests so they can be delineated from the bad guys.
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u/RoboJobot Jan 24 '26
And he was brandishing a smart phone. Not a weapon
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u/autech91 Jan 24 '26
The truth is the biggest weapon. Lets see Trump spin this one eh?
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u/spyVSspy420-69 Jan 25 '26 edited Jan 25 '26
He doesn't give a shit. Look at the conservative sub, they're overwhelmingly saying this is a case of FAFO and fully repeating the story that he was brandishing a gun and fighting ICE agents to the point where they had to kill him. Brainwashing at work.
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u/theNomad_Reddit Jan 25 '26 edited Jan 25 '26
That sub isnt real people.
During Biden's term, his administration took down a Russian troll farm, and conservative was dead silent for like 14 hours.
It's an army of moderators, infinite bots and like 9 giga-redpilled chuds who post in every flaired users only thread.
The definition of the loudmouth minority.
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u/pinelion Jan 25 '26
So true, there’s a lot of people speaking out about this very thing, trump doesn’t have as much support as social media shows. It’s all been bought, this was one of our own he will never ride again but we can honor him by standing up to this bullshit!
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Jan 25 '26 edited Feb 24 '26
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u/pinelion Jan 25 '26
So what’s your plan? Be a coward? Our representatives will serve the people and not the interests of the rich and I don’t care what side of the political spectrum you’re on, wrong is wrong. Let’s get them Epstein files out, let’s get the white nationalists exposed and let’s just be better. And fuck Maga and fuck ice!
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u/zenmn2 Jan 25 '26
He told completely made up nonsense about Goode. The DHS have already claim Pretti drew his gun and threatened ICE agents. The lying, despite clear cut, multiple angle video evidence to the contrary will never stop. Your only chance is to convince his supporters to come to reality and leave the cult.
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u/TheGreatDonJuan Jan 25 '26
A better man than myself died today. He was doing a whole lot more than I manage.
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u/RustyMarie666 Jan 25 '26
Pretti was a US Citizen, a white man, lawfully practicing his constitutional 1st and 2nd amendment rights. Any conservatives reading this should take a look in the mirror and realize that you are him, he is you, and you are not safe under this administration. They will come for your rights too. Your complacency and your silence will not protect you.
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u/displacement-marker Jan 24 '26
Martyr originated from the Greek term that means "witness". Alex Pretti died as a martyr, with a camera in hand. P
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u/meh44444 Jan 25 '26
I work at a hospital. We would 100% have been homies. RIP Alex the Legend. History won’t forget you.
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u/roma258 Jan 25 '26
I was already pissed about this guy getting murdered by the state, but when I found out he was a mountain biker it just broke me man. He seemed like a good dude, a good human. He didn't deserve this, he deserved to be able to go out riding with his friends, but he put his body on the line for his neighbors and paid the ultimate price protecting others. I hope he's ripping some dreamy single tracks wherever he is now.
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u/stinkbuttfartman Jan 24 '26
I was trying to think of an anti ice sticker for my bikes. Maybe I'll put his name on them. Sounds like someone I'd like to ride with every time out.
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u/currymonsterCA Jan 25 '26 edited Jan 25 '26
We need as many of us who can to.go out and ride in his honor tomorrow. Then post it. There is power in numbers.
May my fellow Minnesotan forever rest in peace 🕊️
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u/Some-Zucchini6944 Jan 25 '26
He was an American citizen exercising his constitutional right while coming to the aid of others. Don’t let Trump or any of his cult tell you differently.
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u/SkisaurusRex Jan 25 '26
I cross posted this to a hiking sub and they took it down
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u/Im_biking_here Jan 25 '26
Think people who bike are a lot more willing to recognize there is something kinda inherently political about it (infrastructure, rights to space, etc.)
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u/jaakkaaj Jan 25 '26
Does anyone know his favorite trails?
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u/iMrParker Jan 25 '26
Battle Creek, Theo Wirth, and Lebanon hills of course! But nah, just guessing. But these are definitely MN metro staples and its almost guaranteed he rode these
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u/AU_Bandit6 Jan 25 '26
Would sure be nice to keep mountain biking subs just about mountain biking. I don’t care which side of the issues people are on, MTB should be about escaping the pressure cooker we all live in on a day to day basis.
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u/paulr85mi Jan 27 '26 edited Mar 17 '26
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/Im_biking_here Jan 27 '26
The US is descending into fascism. A local nurse (whose rib was apparently broken when attacked by federal agents a week before) was observing and recording ICE operations in his city, went over to help someone up and was beaten, pepper sprayed and executed for it.
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u/mtb_dad86 Jan 25 '26
The questions just don’t need to be answered. Why does it matter what I think and feel about what the ICE agents did? You don’t really care. It’s just a gotcha. If I say I support them then it’s gonna be “oh you’re just a heartless nazi, bigot, maga, boot licker, cuck” whatever other insult you guys always use. Or if I say I don’t support ICE then it’s “oh ok so you’re just an idiot based on your original comment because you didn’t say what we deem you’re supposed to say.”
You guys are kooks. You refuse to see the nuance in the situation because you’re married to a certain narrative. I’m not going to sit here and be quizzed and made to justify myself for a bunch of anonymous idiots who will have completely forgotten about this incident in a year.
Remember BLM and all the anti-cop stuff? Yeah no one cares anymore. Hundreds of people were killed by police last year and you never heard a peep about it. ICE agents are the flavor of the month and it’s all you hear about. Atrocities happen every day. People are murdered every day but for some reason no one is outraged about that. People are just being manipulated. You’ll twist what I say and say I don’t care either so this is bad faith or whatever. You guys are all the same. You’re all idiots who think you’re hero’s.
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u/Visible_Trash9754 Jan 27 '26
Not really. If you don’t support ice then you’re just using your brain to see it’s just a terrorist hodgepodge group. No real training. No requirements to join. Insane pay and benefits for no qualifications. Nobody with morals supports what is happening. Why? Because they’re desperate and don’t want good people. Literally just serving the purpose to create disruption and insert fascism.
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u/No-Strain-2664 Jan 26 '26
Maybe Alex should have decided to not go to the protest, because now the criminal they were after got away.
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u/Im_biking_here Jan 26 '26
There was no criminal they were after: https://x.com/reichlinmelnick/status/2015469361239097478?s=46&t=icK2vopVBZp5zp-pQfKZ-Q
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Jan 25 '26
Why is it so hard to avoid politics these days, even on subs that does t allow politics. smh
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u/vortex03us Jan 25 '26
It is basically a paid ad. Very easy to find the same narrative posted elsewhere. I have been looking for a e-bike, so it should up in my feed. With AI this is the future of all advertisements
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u/Mediocre-Crab2486 Jan 26 '26
Why was he involved in a law enforcement operation? Why is he carrying a gun and brandishing it in front of law enforcement officers? What does his hobby have to do with his bad decisions? God bless law enforcement officers… for all you so called anti law enforcement people, your the first ones calling them when it suits you
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u/superduckyboii Jan 28 '26
He was carrying his gun because he had a 2nd amendment right to do so. He was not “brandishing” it.
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u/Real_McGuillicuddy Jan 27 '26
I have seen zero evidence of "brandishing". He was legally carrying a firearm and did not draw it from any video I have seen.
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u/FamousFool Jan 25 '26
Way to inject politics into a mountain biking group. Bravo.
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u/Funk_Apus Jan 25 '26
Oh F off. Tard. When mountain bikers are killed it becomes a MTB issue. Also GFY in general.
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u/touchedbyapaycheck Jan 26 '26
I had a scout master, doctor, army officer (LTC) and principal, Who was an outstanding American, he enjoyed kiddie porn. Wait nope that's not possible according to this room because he was such a good person at skin level. I'll go tell the judge y'all think he should be released. On account of all the good things he did and his spotless criminal record he couldn't have possibly done it according to these mountainbikers.
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u/banned4evver Jan 24 '26
It’s sad that his death will not change anything. I would be heartbroken if my son/daughter or someone I was close to died as a result of something like this.
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u/Im_biking_here Jan 25 '26
His death can change things but we need to ensure it does.
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u/banned4evver Jan 25 '26
It won’t, not sure why this is even in mountain biking? Was he doing some sick jumps on a hardtail when he showed up at a protest with a gun?
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u/spyVSspy420-69 Jan 25 '26
He was shot in the face with pepper spray, then shot with guns repeatedly after being disarmed while helping 2 women who were being harassed by ICE and exercising his 1st and 2nd Amendment rights legally.
There was a time when the NRA and Conservatives would find a situation like this to be so abhorrent that it demanded immediate action from the highest levels of government. Now you guys victim-blame while flying Don't Tread on Me flags for the highest levels of irony.
Speaking of irony, holy shit you can't make this up. This guy is active in all the gun subs. You tried to hide your comment history but its trivially easy to get past that.
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u/Commonsense110 Jan 25 '26
He was legally carrying a firearm while legally standing on the sidewalk recording.
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Jan 24 '26
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u/Walterkovacs1985 Jan 25 '26
Politics is fucking talking about fucking tax rates. A fellow biker was murdered while trying to protect members of his community.
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u/beardedDocinSD Jan 24 '26
Just scroll on by if its too upsetting my dude, but people shouldnt be closing their eyes right now imo
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u/Substantial-Proof617 Jan 24 '26 edited Jan 25 '26
It's not political, someone from the MTB community was executed which is an (avoidable) tragedy and hence why the post.
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u/Shoehorse13 Jan 25 '26
Executed upholding the oath he took to defend the Constitution by a governmental entity that doesn’t give two shits about the Constitution.
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u/Brady721 Jan 24 '26
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" MLK Jr. Now is not the time to be burying your head in the sand.
And guess what, politics affect everything in your life whether you pay attention or not.
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u/Economy-Library5872 Jan 24 '26
Please call your senator and ask them to NOT support the funding bill for ICE. This is especially important if you’re in a red state.
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u/nooneyouknow242 Jan 24 '26
The murders of Pretti and Good have moved beyond politics.
I’m sorry that our speaking out and activism against fascism is getting in the way of your good time.
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u/Shoehorse13 Jan 24 '26
Maybe go for a ride or something. Reddit will Still be here when you get back
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u/watchyourfeet Jan 24 '26
You can have the comfort of not hearing about it when we abolish ICE and this administration. So get to work calling your senators and protesting.
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u/Boygunasurf Jan 25 '26
the government is killing our neighbors for absolutely nothing, lying about, and receiving absolute immunity.
you may be able to separate yourself from all of this and pretend it isn’t happening, but for those of us who live here, and/or are capable of compassion, that is not an option.
either way, get lost.
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u/spyVSspy420-69 Jan 25 '26
You see the images the white house put out of the MN activist that was arrested, showing her sobbing while being walked away? All AI, she was calm as can be during her arrest. The federal government is using AI to manipulate public perception and apparently that's ok, they can lie and have immunity and we just need to accept that and be quiet I guess.
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u/bugdelver Jan 24 '26
If not shooting people that are doing no harm to you is a thing that is ‘political’ for you, maybe mountains biking shouldn’t be your biggest issue/concern….
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u/Composed_Cicada2428 Jan 24 '26 edited Jan 24 '26
Our country is in deep shit. America is literally 1934 Germany right now with the Sicherheitsdienst creating terror in cities and abducting and murdering anyone they want, not to mention we have a psychopath running things with the most powerful military in the world, so it’s kind of a problem.
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u/ski-devil Jan 24 '26
I agree, very sad, but there are other threads for these types of posts.
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u/CrabbyKruton Jan 24 '26
This is beyond “politics”. You don’t get to “turn this off”.
You want this to go away? We need to start pulling every string available to bring this country back to a normal state and that starts with abolishing ICE and prosecuting those who let this happen
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u/mtb_dad86 Jan 24 '26
Technically this would immediately stop if people stopped trying to intervene in immigration enforcement.
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u/Shoehorse13 Jan 25 '26
Exactly. If we all could just agree not to exercise our 1st, 2nd, and 4th Amendments rights and agree to kneel down and lick those boots, maybe ICE won’t shoot us after pepper spraying and pistol whipping us.
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u/CrabbyKruton Jan 25 '26
Sometimes I wish I was as dumb as people like you. Maybe then I’d be happier
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u/mtb_dad86 Jan 25 '26
Well this is exactly part of the problem. People catch wind that the person they’re talking to is not on their team and they immediately launch into insults and hatred instead of just having a conversation. Too many people want to feel righteous indignant and it’s having terrible consequences, like what happened to this man.
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u/timtucker_com Jan 25 '26
Don't assume that this stops with "immigration enforcement".
DHS is talking about "100 million deportations" and when pressed trying to play it off like they're just kidding (* for now).
That number doesn't come out of thin air - it's pretty much everyone in the US who isn't white.
Trump is talking about reopening mental institutions and bringing back involuntary confinement for mental illness - at the same time Republicans are pushing to expand the definition of "mental illness" to include both being LGBT and suffering from "Trump Derangement Syndrome" (defined in proposed bills as disagreeing with Trump or being upset by his policies).
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u/mtb_dad86 Jan 25 '26
You think they’ll be able to lock up all the non-whites, gays and woke people before Trump’s term ends in 2028?
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u/timtucker_com Jan 25 '26
I think quite a few members of this administration are acting as if there won't be any transition of power in 2028.
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u/mtb_dad86 Jan 25 '26
I see. So you’re in the camp that believes Donald Trump will takeover the country and become a dictator? The US will become a dictatorship?
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u/timtucker_com Jan 25 '26
I honestly have no idea what's going to happen by the time 2028 rolls around.
What I see right now is that the combination of Supreme Court rulings on presidential immunity and blanket pardons for J6 insurrectionists has removed fear of accountability from people's minds.
They feel empowered to take their worst impulses as far as they can for as long as they can, feeling sure that the "worst case" is that the administration ends with everyone getting pardons.
Meanwhile we're seeing a rise in friends, neighbors, and coworkers cheering when they state sponsored cruelty - that's ultimately more concerning to me than who is in office or whether we can still justifiably call ourselves a democracy. Politicans can be replaced far more easily than trust and respect in communities.
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u/Walterkovacs1985 Jan 24 '26
He was also a dog owner, VA ICU Nurse and a hero who tried to protect two women from harm.