VIDEO OBTAINED BY REUTERS/Reuters
- American business leaders have been overwhelmingly silent following the death of Alex Pretti at the hands of federal agents.
- Their reticence is understandable: Who wants to anger Donald Trump and his supporters?
- But that's not an adequate response for many Americans.
A question for America's business leaders: Do you think that masked federal agents were right to shoot and kill protester Alex Pretti on a Minneapolis street on Saturday?
If the answer is yes, then no need to read further.
For the rest of you: If you are sickened by what you saw this weekend — say that. Out loud. And don't qualify it with "both sides" framing — just say that the thing that you saw, with your own eyes, is appalling.
I understand why most of you have not said this yet. You have several reasons to be quiet.
- The Trump administration has spent the last year making it clear that it will pressure and punish institutions and companies that don't bend to its will. See: Law firms, colleges, media companies, for starters.
- Attaching yourself to any issue that can be considered "political" can generate blowback, starting with the threat of consumer boycotts.
- A bunch of you did speak up in 2020, following the murder of George Floyd, and embraced all kinds of pro-diversity statements and policies. Many of you have since walked away from those moves, partly under pressure from the Trump administration and its allies. Why go through the whiplash again?
To be clear, I'm not asking you to launch an ad campaign, or order up some performative Instagram posts, or any other kind of corporate theatre.
Just say the thing you believe is right: It's wrong for masked federal agents to kill protesters in the streets, and that you condemn it.
You can go further if you'd like. Perhaps a call for the Trump administration to take accountability for its agents' actions. Maybe you can ask for a truly independent investigation into Pretti's killing. Whatever your conscience tells you.
And yes, I know that it's easier for me to say this than for you to do it. There could be consequences for you and your companies when you speak out: Most people are appalled by Pretti's death, but not all of them.
Shortly after Pretti's death, Trump administration officials described him as a "would-be assassin" who "wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement" — characterizations without evidence, but meant to justify Pretti's death. On Saturday, Trump posted a photo of a gun administration officials say was removed from Pretti, and argued that "ICE had to protect themselves — Not an easy thing to do!" In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Trump said that the administration was "reviewing everything" about the shooting, but said that overall, his agents had done a "phenomenal job" in Minnesota.
So there could be real risk for you. But the bigger risk is silence.
That's because your silence tells everyone who is appalled by Pretti's death that they shouldn't speak up, either. That gives the federal government the tacit permission to carry on.
So say you're against that. Now. Before it stops shocking you.