"One came in the form of an open letter from more than 60 Minnesota-based CEOs, released by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. The letter exemplifies a now-familiar pattern of corporate timidity and reticence: it takes no position, names no facts, and identifies no responsible actor. Instead, it relies on generic language about "de-escalation" and "finding real solutions," urging officials at all levels of government to work together in response to what it vaguely describes as "yesterday's tragic news.""
"There is no mention of the fatal use of force by federal agents. No reference to due process, civil liberties, or the constitutional limits on state power. No acknowledgment of the right to protest or the obligation of public accountability when an American citizen is killed by officers acting under color of law. The victim is not named; the event itself is not described."
"But the disruption at issue here is not merely economic or civic. It is also moral - and legal. When agents of the federal government use lethal force without judicial process or transparent justification, the matter cannot be addressed solely through calls for calm or cooperation. It demands scrutiny, accountability, and an explicit reckoning with the constitutional principles that govern state authority."
Two public responses revealed different understandings of civic responsibility after the killing of Alex Pretti by federal immigration officers. More than 60 Minnesota-based CEOs issued a conciliatory, noncommittal message that avoided naming the victim, the fatal federal use of force, due process concerns, or the right to protest, and instead prioritized economic normalcy. Such evasiveness diminished the seriousness of the event and undermined demands for scrutiny and public accountability. The situation also raises moral and legal concerns: lethal force used without judicial process or transparent justification requires investigation, accountability, and an explicit reckoning with constitutional limits on state authority.
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