Thank you so much to a fellow permie and eco/social activist Mike Hoag for this!
I have copy pasted Mike’s words into private email to two of my close cousins, with additional written comments from myself, and also attached a one-minute video of myself so my family would have an authentic voice and video recording of me just in case.
Here is my somewhat more public way of storing the written part of this information. Both so my close people will know my heart, and also to give all of you, my wider community, an example of how you yourself might create such a communication for your loved ones.
From Mike Hoag (author of Beauty in Abundance and other acclaimed books; founder of Transformative Adventures community):
In case I am shot and die in the street at the hands of “the Department of Homeland Security”, and they make me out as a “radical extremist terrorist” while my body is still warm, let me make a record of what I actually believe—what “radical” beliefs make me worthy of execution on the street with no trial by my own government.
Here are the core tenants of my “radical” belief:
I don’t think a masked secret police force should be killing people with “absolute immunity” in our streets. I think that in free countries, the Presidents don’t have secret, unaccountable masked police forces larger and better funded than most countries’ armies. Yet, here we are.
I believe it is deeply disturbing to watch federal officers cheer and applaud after killing a US Citizen in the street. The sworn testimony of the first doctor on the scene stated that those officers made no attempt at first aid, and instead appeared to be casually counting the bullet holes in the body when he approached. I believe those men should not be federal agents, and they should be subject to the laws of our nation, investigation, and a trial before a jury of their peers. Instead, they are still out there, masked, unaccountable, and armed, and given “absolute immunity” on our streets.
I believe we have been—and should continue to be—a nation of laws, where even law enforcement, executive officials, and the President should be expected to abide by the rule of law, and follow the constitution. But I believe this administration has now radically broken with our traditions and laws.
I believe in Democracy. An executive should not claim that constitutional checks and balances no longer apply, that congress and courts cannot check its powers. A President shouldn’t repeatedly state that we should cancel elections. A President shouldn’t repeatedly say “sometimes you need a dictator.” It is a fact that our President and his staff have done exactly these things.
I believe an executive branch should not boldly and unapologetically lie to the people. When we allow that, we no longer have democracy. Yet, DHS, and even the President himself have stated things that all our eyes prove to us are false, that Alex Pretti “brandished a weapon” at DHS agents, “pointed a gun at them,” that he became violent, that he was a “terrorist,” an “assassin” who planned to “cause maximum damage” to ICE agents. If you believe the government is telling the truth, I challenge you to show me any evidence.
I believe the evidence of my own eyes, that a man in a mask became visibly enraged, and illegally assaulted a women, pushing her to the ground with unnecessary force. And Alex Pretti instinctively, calmly, and peacefully, positioned himself between an attacker and a woman being assaulted, without violence. He was then instantly maced, assaulted, beaten by multiple attackers, disarmed, and THEN—unarmed— was shot 10 times by masked assailants who then applauded and cheered. Then these masked men assaulted witnesses, and stole their cameras. All of this is on video. I believe the government gaslighting us about this is definitively “abuse.”
I believe that there is objective good and bad, right and wrong, and I try my best to be a good person. I believe we’re each endowed with moral judgement to know which is which. In school, I learned about the Milgrim “obedience” experiments, where authority figures instructed people to do crimes and harm other people—and many did as told. I learned about the “bystander” effect, where too many of us stand and watch our fellow humans assaulted or murdered, rather than taking action—especially when “authority” is involved. Learning these things, I swore that would never be me, and that I would follow my moral judgement as Alex Pretti did, and attempt to be a helper, rather than a willing supporter of injustice and tragedy.
I believe that we are one American people, and that a government characterizing people with my beliefs stated here are “enemies of the people,” and “terrorists,” and “extremists,” is unAmerican, and will lead to long-term division and ruin for us all. Yet, this is what the executive branch and President are saying.
I believe when a government behaves like this it doesn’t only justify protest—it obligates it. I oppose this administration for the reasons above.
I have the audacity to believe that my views are not actually the extreme, but actually quite conservative, and that the position and actions of this Administration are radical, extremist, and dangerous.
Most radically of all, I believe in our Constitution and our Declaration of Independence.
In 2026, some say these beliefs are so “radical left” as to make me a terrorist, and to justify my assault and execution in the street, without trial, by my own government.
I wonder which of my friends would call me a terrorist if I had been on that street that day instead of Alex Pretti.
PS. Mike is also, along with Laura Oldanie, one of the two lead co-authors of the book Living FREE. Of which I and Eric Brown am among the minor co-authors.