Let's talk about Minneapolis, what we know, and what we don't.... - Belle of the Ranch

[TexasTowelie]

Well, howdy there Internet people. It's Belle again. So, today we're going to talk about Minneapolis.

Okay, there's a lot going on. We're going to go over what is known and what isn't. This is a rapidly developing situation. Information is expected to change and the outcome is pretty high stakes.

So, some quick background information. The Trump administration deployed immigration forces to Minneapolis for one of his crackdowns. Similar to most of the other places that Trump has done this, the local populace is not supportive of the presence and like in most places, some people are observing the actions of the federal presence. And like in most places, immigration authorities are unhappy about the videos and the presence of locals. That leads us to Minneapolis.

A man who is believed to be a US citizen was shot and killed by immigration authorities. Immigration is claiming they acted in self-defense. They immediately released a framing of the event that was almost immediately called into question by video from the scene.

This is the third shooting in the city in the last month or so. Minnesota's governor has called on President Donald Trump to “remove this force from Minnesota” and has stated that his forces are “sowing chaos and violence.”

Despite the police chief saying that the man was believed to be a lawful owner and permitted to carry, Trump shared an image of the man's sidearm with the caption, "This is the gunman's gun loaded with two additional full magazines and ready to go. What is that all about?"

Some of Trump's Second Amendment supporters are realizing that his framing is an erosion of their longtime position. The mere possession of a firearm, especially when the person is properly permitted, is not grounds in and of itself.

Administration officials have tried to claim the man they killed was attempting to “massacre law enforcement.” There is nothing apparent in any of the videos released to support this. The governor has called the framing of the feds both nonsense and lies.

It's also not apparent why federal officials engaged with him to begin with. Some of the analysis of the video suggests that authorities had actually disarmed the man before he was shot. The discrepancies have led the governor to say, "The federal government cannot be trusted to lead this investigation. The state will handle it. Period."

Widespread protests broke out over the killing, and federal forces reportedly deployed enough tear gas to cover entire city blocks. Local businesses are functioning as shelters and aid stations. Local cops have issued an emergency recall and cancelled days off and leave.

I know people are going to want to debate the video. I tend to agree with the chief of police who said the video speaks for itself. At time of recording, federal officials are refusing Minnesota officials access to the scene despite a judicial warrant.

But the dynamics here beyond the immediate need to be noted. We're seeing a situation develop where state and federal forces are in direct opposition occurring while a large civilian presence is in the streets demonstrating. Historically, this is a dynamic that often leads to history book entries. They aren't always pretty.

Anyway, it's just a thought. Y'all have a good day.