To the People We've Lost to Indefensible, State-Sponsored Crimes

If you've read the news over the past hellish month of January 2026 while living in the United States, you've probably read lines of text you never thought you'd read. I've personally been mildly panicking about situations like these recent events since November 2024. These are the outcomes of those dreadful RNC signs that read "MASS DEPORTATIONS NOW" (🤢😡) that begat this "immigration policy" (if you can call it that) implemented by—and these are the best words I can come up with for them—murder clowns. 🤡🔪

Geraldo Lunas Campos should still be alive. Instead, while in an El Paso detention center full of unknown horrors, he was strangled and died from asphyxia caused by compression to his neck and torso. A fellow detainee heard him saying, "I can't breathe." (That sounds familiar.) May the others in his situation find liberty instead of death. May his killer find a fitting punishment.

Renée Nicole Good should still be alive. Instead, while trying to drive away, an officer of DHS shot her in the head three times in cold blood and called her a "f***ing b****". DHS denied a doctor access to help her while she was still alive. May her courage be remembered. May we all be good. May her killer find a fitting punishment.

Alex Jeffrey Pretti should still be alive. Instead, while protecting another civilian, he was pepper-sprayed, tackled, disarmed (I yield the people have a right to 2A even though I don't like guns), and then (crucially in this order) shot dead by multiple officers of DHS. DHS tried to keep local police away from the scene, likely to cover up their obviously heinous actions. I don't even like smartphones, but I respect their utility to bear witness and offer compelling evidence that the goons and their enablers are flat out lying. To even moderate eyes, this reads like an execution in plain daylight of a man who did nothing to deserve it. May his courage be remembered. May his killer(s) find a fitting punishment.

There are many others who are not dead but still terrorized, kidnapped, or outright disappeared. Shit's bad. There are a some GoFundMe fundraisers to support Minnesota families that can't go to work, get groceries, or otherwise go outside for fear of being abducted. I suggest supporting them.

I would love to keep writing about my DIY iPod and the Right to Repair and other ways to reclaim our ownership and identity in a consumption landscape (hellscape?) built for data-hungry machines and amoral billionaires. But I can't stay silent about the other events going on. I care about the decency and dignity of the people of my country, and I absolutely hate the armed goons involved in these horrors and their enablers and promoters. Those in charge who would defend these actions should be removed from office as soon as possible. (As a lighter aside, I would position "stat" > "PDQ" > "ASAP" in priority queue order. I understand I can't have "stat" or "PDQ".)

If Zach Woods (Jared from Silicon Valley, who allegedly can't stand watching himself on TV) can show up to a vigil and call this out for what this is,

YOU MURDERED A NURSE WHO TAKES CARE OF VETERANS TODAY.

then so can I. I also live in a cold place, and if the people of Minnesota can show up and stay vigilant in frigid temperatures, then so can I.

Tonight I plan to attend a vigil for Alex Pretti in my city. I also plan learn more about how to monitor, record, and bear witness to the future where ICE, CBP, and other DHS officials (in my esteem, the only real "foreign invaders") invade my city (or nearby) and commit further atrocities. What will you do?