I’m late in sharing this letter that Brent Simmons posted during the height of the chaos happening in Minneapolis, but believe it’s still worth reading:

Why do I write to you of these things?

For a few reasons: 1. Depending on what media you are seeing you may be getting no coverage on this or varying degrees of truth to outright propaganda. I thought it best you hear it from someone who is actually living in MN right now. 2. No matter where you fall on the political spectrum I believe we can all agree that we have rights in this country: free speech, the right to peacefully protest, the right to due process to name a few.

Authors Jen and Pete go on to describe what they’re seeing firsthand in their own community:

They are now targeting and attempting to detain off-duty officers. Every single one of the officers they targeted are people of color. It is straight up racial profiling. They are smashing car windows and tear-gassing people including toddlers. People are carrying their passports and birth certificates around with them and often they are not even allowed to show these “agents” their paperwork before they are beaten and/or abducted. […]

Our nephew’s elementary school (in a very affluent, predominantly White suburb) canceled their school’s International Night for fear it would draw Immigrant Enforcement to the school. Pete and I are witnessing field trips to the Science Museum cancel left and right because schools are afraid they will target the children.

This is not normal. This is not America, land of the free.

They closed their letter with this reminder (pointedly, perhaps) that we are all immigrants — at most, a few generations removed:

I don’t know what is going to happen. I don’t know what has happened to empathy and humanity. I do know that I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for my ancestors who immigrated here from Sweden, England, Ireland, and the Netherlands. But they did. So for their legacy and for the little kids who deserve to live without fear I will continue to show up and help where I can.

Still the home of the brave.

Again, I’ll say, if you voted for Trump/Republican, the responsibility for this injustice and cruelty lies with you. I won’t forget. I hope you’re ready to make a change.