How the Politicization of Everything (Including the ICE Shooting) is Poisoning America

As soon as I heard about the shooting of a protester by an ICE agent, I immediately told myself: This is exactly what “they” want to see happen. And, by “they”, I’m referring to those who want to see the United States destroyed from within and collapse due to irreparable division.

America has sunk itself into an extremely toxic cycle where most events (especially violent ones) inevitably lead to a divisive aftermath where rhetoric is increasingly radical and inflammatory.

In doing so, the political discourse is being evacuated of everything that allows a nation to function somewhat cohesively: Reason, rationality, and impartiality. Instead, every single event is politicized to push agendas, distorted to fit narratives, and emotionally charged to generate unrest.

Piling onto that, social media platforms are inundated with bots, influencers, and foreign agents whose sole goals are to add fuel to the fire, incite anger, and justify hatred of the other.

Several years ago, I highlighted how this cycle of violence and rhetoric is similar to that found in countries that eventually devolved into civil war. While some found my conclusion a bit extreme, America has only sunken further into this pattern since then, as toxic discourse and political violence have become the only way to carry on national affairs.

To many, especially younger people, this pattern has become normal. The country’s temperature has been rising gradually yet steadily, as we find ourselves in the parable of the frog in boiling water. While America was never perfect, I suggest finding on YouTube examples of political discourse from the 20th century to realize the differences in civility, respect, and intellectual rigor between political rivals. More importantly, despite their differences, all parties share common values that have kept the country united.

Fast forward to now, and everything is out of the window. For decades, enemies of the country knew that the only way to take down America was to destroy it from within by exploiting its existing divisions (a 1963 document named Current Communist Goals outlines clearly how outside forces sought have America turn against itself). Apparently, people are now dumb enough to allow it to happen.

In my article There’s Something Demonic Happening in America, I highlighted how the assassination of Charlie Kirk and its highly toxic aftermath represented the type of politically motivated events that lead to radicalization. Indeed, seeing people celebrating the violent death of someone exercising free speech was a low moment in American history.

A few months later, the shooting of a protester in Minneapolis – only a few blocks from where George Floyd died – is pushing America towards levels of division never seen before. And those who want to see America irreparably divided could not be happier. They do not care about Renee Good. In fact, they want to see more of her making headlines.

What Happened

On January 7, Renee Nicole Macklin Good, a 37-year-old US citizen, was fatally shot by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

In the few camera angles currently available to the public, viewers can see Good using her SUV to block traffic, honk her car’s horn, and taunt ICE agents as her partner walks outside the car while filming the agents. When asked to step out of her vehicle, Good does not comply and instead presses the gas pedal, as her partner encourages her to “drive baby drive.” As Good’s SUV comes close to the ICE agent Jonathan Ross, he fatally shoots her in the head through the front windshield.

Despite viewing the same videos, people’s interpretations and conclusions about the incident differed widely by political leaning. Indeed, depending on who they voted for, Good either attempted to run over the ICE agent who acted in self-defense, or she was a “frightened mother” who was trying to avoid the agent.

Is it normal that political bias causes people to view the same event through completely different lenses? Has rhetoric taken over objective facts?

The ensuing bitter debates then revolved around several questions: Why is a mother of three putting herself in a highly volatile situation and openly impeding law enforcement? Did she intend to hit the ICE agent with her car? Did the agent truly react in self-defense? Could the situation have been resolved without the use of lethal force?

Considering the situation, answers to these questions require a thorough investigation by qualified, impartial professionals. But that’s not what happened.

Mere minutes after the shooting, people who were absolutely not qualified to answer these questions threw themselves into the public space with loud, radical opinions. They did not assess the situation rationally; they jumped to conclusions based on highly biased, politically charged sources.

Then, as usual, they’ve engaged in all-out information warfare. More precisely, propaganda warfare is purposely aimed at sowing division and inciting unrest.

Of course, content also caters to the other side.

Sadly, instead of rising above the situation and promoting social cohesion, numerous politicians jumped to conclusions according to the narratives they want to push. Either the ICE agent is the murderer of an innocent civilian or a hero who took down a domestic terrorist. Of course, this extreme rhetoric leads to extreme reactions in the public.

Faced with diametrically opposed versions of facts by politicians, we are faced with an inevitability: Not every version can be correct. Therefore, at least half of the people standing up and yelling things are simply wrong. This means that numerous politicians, media outlets, and “influencers” are willingly or unwillingly spreading disinformation amid a volatile social climate. Is this the responsible thing to do?

In a healthy society, faced with such a situation, elected officials express sympathy and rightly state that they will allow investigators and the courts do their job.

In other words, they would stand back. And this is exactly what the entire world needs to be doing right now.

Stand Back

In recent years, a great many people fell into the trap: They got sucked into radical rhetoric and turned into useful idiots to those who want to see America collapse. Therefore, whenever something happens, they stand up and yell the slogans they were taught to yell. However, the country would benefit from people doing the exact opposite: Standing back. Everyone. Physically, mentally, and emotionally.

According to Oxford, the expression “stand back” is defined as follows:

“withdraw from a situation emotionally in order to view it more objectively.”

This applies to every situation.

In the case of the ICE shooting, both Renee Good and the ICE agent Ross could have stood back. But they didn’t. They were angry, emotional, and full of hatred for what the other represented. There was taunting and confrontation that escalated until violence occurred on both sides.

“They” want this exact situation to occur on a widespread, national level.

Instead of holding particular individuals accountable for their actions, the event is amplified and politicised to become yet another wedge in American society.

Although no society is perfect, some are healthier and more cohesive than others. In such a society, the first reflex would be to show basic humanity and express sympathy for the children whose mother died. Second, people (especially elected officials) would stand back and look at what happened in a detached and objective manner.

At this point, qualified and impartial people would conduct a thorough investigation using all the time, expertise, and resources available to uncover what happened. Finally, the conclusion should be rendered by judges well-versed in the rights and duties of all parties involved.

Instead of empowering the professionals and institutions that keep the country stable and cohesive, representatives instead tear them down by bypassing their expertise, jumping to conclusions, and immediately engaging in highly inflammatory rhetoric. Do people realize how short-sighted and self-defeating this approach ultimately is?

Think Further

By staunchly supporting one side while hating the other, people are forgoing the ability to question what their own side is doing. For instance, those who claim that Good was wrongfully shot now want U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to be abolished. Like, completely. Here are some questions they should maybe ponder:

How can the United States survive without an agency dealing with illegal immigration, especially after years of record border crossings? Isn’t national security and social cohesion essential to the well-being of future generations? While protesting is a guaranteed freedom, should citizens be allowed to impede law enforcement without repercussions? Does hatred of the other side have to lead to the destruction of American institutions that are meant to protect the country?

Of course, those who say that Good deserved to get shot in the face should maybe ponder some questions as well. Was using lethal force truly an appropriate response to the situation? Is it possible that the agent acted out of anger and emotion after being taunted? Could ICE operations be carried out in a more professional manner, following strict protocols? Does hatred of the other side have to lead to supporting police state tactics in America?

In Conclusion

Nowadays, every event with a remotely political implication immediately turns into propaganda warfare where facts are purposely ignored, distorted, or completely fabricated.

In a healthy society, unfortunate situations such as the ICE shooting are analyzed by qualified, impartial people working in respected institutions of law and justice. These professionals are now replaced by political grifters and foreign agents whose sole purpose is to sow hatred and division. Instead of standing back and reflecting, they stand up and yell, charging the situation with emotions and calls for violence.

On the face of it, both the agent and the protester probably did not act in the most optimal way. Both appeared enraged by the other’s actions, as made clear by the taunting and name-calling heard in the videos. This hatred of the other led to violence from both ends that shouldn’t have happened. And this is exactly what could happen to America as a whole if it doesn’t heed these words: Stand back.

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