My heart is breaking for a woman I’ve never met. The very little I know about Renee Nicole Good is that she was 37 years old, had young children, and a giving spirit. She was well loved by everyone who knew her. And she lost her life for nothing, at least nothing worth dying for.
Before we get into any so-called legal issues as to whether this killing was justified or not, I need to make something perfectly clear; none of this had to happen in the first place. This is the result of an administration that is hell bent on destroying the very principles on which America has always at least strived to achieve: equality, fairness, justice, and compassion. Under President Trump and his cadre of lackies, those words have even been mocked as “weak” and “ineffective.” They have been replaced with the mantra, “might makes right.” And they have shown it repeatedly, not only here but internationally as well (see Venezuela, Greenland, etc.). This has never been clearer than the recent situation in Minnesota.
In its proposed effort to “clean up” the city of Minneapolis of its “illegal” immigrant population, particularly those of Somali origin that the administration claims have been ripping off the city and turning it into a vast, lawless wasteland, President Trump ordered the Feds to take charge. Of course, while acknowledging the city and the State really have been affected by graft, the idea that Minneapolis is under siege is absurd. Still, President Trump felt it necessary to stage the largest ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) operation in the country’s history to descend upon the city. He ordered over 2,000 agents to flood the place and begin deportations, by force if necessary. Hell, Minneapolis only has 700 of its own police officers! Of course, the governor, mayor, and the police chief all pleaded with Mr. Trump not to execute this operation. However, they are Democrats, automatically disqualifying them from any say they might have had over the matter. And, if that was not bad enough, the PEOPLE of Minnesota said NO – resoundingly. It didn’t matter.
Now we have a situation of escalating tensions with masked, heavily armed, poorly trained ICE agents actively hunting people throughout the city and its suburbs. And if you may recall the entire BLM movement sprang from the death of George Floyd IN Minneapolis. The people there have NOT forgotten. Their relationship with ANY law enforcement can still be described as tenuous at best. So, what did you think was bound to happen? Can you say INEVITABLE? If you increase the heat, the pot will boil. Someone is bound to get burned. In this case, it happened to be a young woman.
Now, to the incident involving ICE and Ms. Good.
As of this writing, I have seen multiple videos taken from various angles. Since my father was in law enforcement and risked his life on several occasions to subdue suspected criminals, I believe that I watched with a keen eye and open mind. I know that things aren’t always as they may initially suggest.
From my perspective, this is what I witnessed: first, and perhaps most importantly, there seems to be some confusion as to what exactly is happening. Multiple, masked law enforcement agents appear to be shouting conflicting orders. So, caught within this confusion, it looks as if Ms. Good was trying to literally get out of the way with her car when she was descended upon by at least 3 different agents – 2 at her door who jumped out of a nearby vehicle and approach her rapidly, and one at the front of her car who was already at the scene. She was commanded to get out of her car by one of the charging agents who aggressively attempted to open her car door. Yet, at the same time, other agents seem to be making other demands. At this point she makes, in my opinion, her only mistake. Perhaps it was confusion or stress, but she does not comply. Instead, she backs up and then moves forward again, apparently trying to avoid the agents. As she does this, an agent now in front of the car quickly draws a weapon, steps forward and is then grazed by the vehicle pushing him backwards. Not losing his feet, he quickly recovers and opens fire, hitting Ms. Good 3 times, fatally wounding her. Her car speeds off only to crash into another vehicle a short distance away. Neighbors rushed to the scene to help but were rebuffed by ICE agents. It took a full 20 minutes for an “official” ambulance to arrive, too late to save her.
There are two main issues to consider here. One is legal and the other moral. Legally it may be argued that the agent was well within his authority to protect himself from what he may have interpreted as a real threat to his life and others around him. I’m reasonably sure that this will be his defense should this ever be brought to trial. It is already being used by law enforcement supporters and the Trump Administration. In fairness, we cannot know exactly what was in his head at the time any more than we can for Ms. Good.
However, his ACTIONS are rife with mistakes that wound up costing the life of another he was supposedly sworn to protect. They are also morally questionable. It is a well-known (or at least should be) procedure that during traffic stops, an officer should not put himself in a position where he could easily be harmed by the stopped vehicle. Perhaps it was poor training but it’s obvious in the video that the officer in question does exactly the opposite and puts himself NEEDLESSLY in harm’s way. He steps TOWARDS the vehicle. Then, as commands were being shouted by other agents, he discharged his weapon while giving little or no time for Ms. Good to comply. The angle of the bullet holes in the car’s windshield seem to suggest that she was pulling away, not towards the officer. Also, and I have seen many other videos of traffic stop evaders, the use of deadly force in such instances is almost never used. Unless they are dealing with known violent offenders, the mindset is to not endanger others by applying deadly force. It appeared to me (as of this writing) this unidentified officer was entirely too eager to discharge his weapon. He may have seen imminent danger. Others see a panic reation.
The moral dilemma is this: did this really need to happen? Was this a reasonable response to a real threat or was she MURDERED? The ICE agent walked away without any apparent injuries. Were her intentions truly nefarious and, ultimately, was it all worth taking this young woman’s life? Of course not! But this is what happens when an administration’s policy is CRUELTY. This was bound to occur and, unfortunately, will again.
Everything Mr. Trump and his sycophants do reeks of fascism. Make no mistakes about it. The Administration’s response to this TRAGEDY showed its M.O., i.e. “divide and conquer.” Despite evidence disputing the government’s version of events and public outcry demanding transparency and accountability on the part of ICE and the government, officials double downed and appealing to their MAGA base, claimed the incident was an “act of domestic terrorism” and she “deserved what she got. She broke the law.” Perhaps the only accurate claim is the one concerning “domestic terrorism.” The real debate lies with WHO actually committed actually committed it?
Some of the comments made by Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem were particularly galling. Secretary Noem had the temerity to claim WITHOUT EVIDENCE that people in Minnesota were being “actively being trained to use their vehicles as weapons.” Also, instead of looking to defuse the crisis, the President worsened it by increasing the number of Federal agents pouring into the city. Minnesotans responded with citywide, massive protests against them. But then again, it’s all part of a bigger plan. It always has been.
In my opinion, the situation in this country has been in dire straits ever since Donald J. Trump committed himself to politics. My sentiments towards the man have not changed from the beginning. In my 50+ years of voting I have never seen anyone (apart from George Santos) less qualified to be elected to public office. I don’t see his value on any level.
The fact that his base not only follows him but eagerly supports and defends even his most odious behavior is beyond my comprehension or ability to explain. Just when I think this President and his Administration could not get any lower, they manage to sink that bar even further. There seems to be no lie, graft, or childish insult that is beneath this man. Now the bottom line has become this: people are DYING because of him and his policies. Make no mistake about it, a young woman, a mother, daughter, and friend to many has been taken not just by an inept ICE agent but by the policies and rhetoric of a greedy, angry, old man i.e., Donald J. Trump. The buck and the responsibility lie with him.
Day by day, Mr. Trump and his minions are creating an America I no longer recognize. It’s depressing. And perhaps the worst part of it is that even though I am not alone in my fears, there are still enough people, especially those in power, that not only enable but encourage him to do even more harm. And more will die, either directly as in the case of Ms. Good, or indirectly through one of his inane policies like denying health care or food benefits to our most needy citizens.
I’ve said it before and perhaps it’s time to say it again; in life, you get what you pay for. Is THIS version of America what we’re willing to pay for? Is it worth the price of a young, innocent life (and yes, she was innocent in EVERY sense)? Does might REALLY make right? Is that your reality? Because, unless we use our power to change it, that’s what we will become. It’s already happening. And people are dying.
Frank LoBuono is a Nyack Resident, photographer, blogger and retired CBS News journalist.
Editor’s note: The views expressed in this article are those of this independent writer and not the Nyack News & Views editorial staff. We welcome submissions from anybody who is interested in publishing their thoughts, ideas and perspectives about issues facing our community, both large and small. Please send submissions to info@nyacknewsandviews.com.
Photo credit: Frank LoBuono
