this post was submitted on 25 Jan 2026
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In a heated interview with CNN‘s Dana Bash on Sunday, Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino said his agents were the real “victims” in the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis protestor.

Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old Veterans Affairs nurse, was killed by Border Patrol agents on Saturday. In videos of the deadly altercation between Pretti and several agents, he can be seen placing himself between an agent and several women that he was shoving. Pretti is sprayed with a chemical irritant and then wrestled to the ground, where one agent repeatedly hit him in the head with the irritant’s metal canister. Pretti, who was legally carrying a firearm, was fatally shot by agents while on the ground.

DHS immediately painted Pretti as a threat, saying that officers feared for their lives because Pretti was legally carrying a firearm. Multiple videos of the shooting contradicted the official line that Pretti was threatening agents. On Sunday, Bash pressed Bovino for evidence “that he was intending to massacre law enforcement.”

When Bash repeatedly asserted Pretti’s right to carry his firearm, Bovino made the bold claim that Pretti forfeited his Second Amendment rights via his actions.

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[–] BeautifulMind@lemmy.world 46 points 2 days ago (5 children)

At this point I think it's pretty safe to conclude that when the right-wing 2A guys argue that 2A is inviolable/shall not be infringed, they mean it only in the context of service to right-wing politics, not that it's a right that applies to anyone else. In other words, they support the notion of privilege, not rights.

[–] hanrahan@slrpnk.net 1 points 9 hours ago

Same thing with freeze peach,

[–] Azal@pawb.social 17 points 2 days ago (1 children)

My dad has always said it'd be the Republicans who would take guns.

They're working for it.

[–] chiliedogg@lemmy.world 18 points 2 days ago

California's gun-control culture started with a 1967 law (Mulford Act) designed to outlaw carrying loaded guns. It was specifically written to keep the Black Panthers from patroling their neighborhoods with loaded firearms.

It was signed into law by Ronald Reagan.

[–] tocopherol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I was actually surprised to see a lot of comments on r/conservative talking about how the stuff the feds are saying about the second amendment is wrong and unconstitutional, and a good number saying that the killing wasn't necessary, they'll ultimately support Trump and ICE over any kind of progressive though but it was interesting. Even the NRA posted about how Pretti was a legal gun owner and there should be an investigation before people jump to conclusions.

[–] M0oP0o@mander.xyz 8 points 2 days ago

This. Don't fall into the team based bullshit, this level of jackbootery should piss off everyone. If not for the red/blue bullshit I am sure that the vast majority of americans would rally together to counter the government overreach but instead everyone is doing the Two Minutes Hate.

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 7 points 2 days ago (6 children)

When the order to seize the guns comes, it will come from the right, and not the left. Those with money can have guns, those without, can't, no matter what party they belong to.

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[–] wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz 33 points 2 days ago (4 children)

I didn't realize constitutionally-enshrined rights were something a single appointed official could wave away simply by saying they "don't count."

And even if the victim had broken a law (say, if he didn't have a permit (which he did)), then the legal recourse isn't a summary execution. He was disarmed, he was no longer a threat, and even if he had been carrying illegally (which he wasn't), the law says that he be arrested and granted due process in a court of law.

These federal agents violated due process and the rule of law, and the victim didn't even break any laws.

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[–] cheesybuddha@lemmy.world 24 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The NRA and right wing gun culture has convinced a generation that the 2A is about your right to own a gun.

The 2A is explicitly about your right to organize members of your community in order to defend your community, the fact that you need weapons for that means that you must also have the right to own weapons.

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[–] ClownStatue@piefed.social 248 points 3 days ago (4 children)

Weird thing is this is the “government takeover” the 2nd amendment nuts have been screaming about for generations. Not at all surprised that they’re mostly silent now. Also not at all surprised it their own political party who’s doing this.

[–] krashmo@lemmy.world 28 points 3 days ago (2 children)

I keep seeing this take and it's half thought out at best. First of all, I don't think it's true. There are plenty of armed citizens not sympathetic to ICE in any way. They are reasonable adults who have not felt it necessary up to this point to engage in a last resort effort that is likely to endanger tens of thousands of people at minimum. You may think we are already past that point, and we may well be, but you can't deny that wanting to be sure it is necessary before taking up arms against their countrymen is exactly what a reasonable adult with a firearm should do.

Second, if what you are saying is true and there are no reasonable citizens with guns then the logical course of action is to buy a gun, organize in your community, and practice your 2nd Amendment rights as you see fit. They don't just apply to conservatives despite what Bovino is trying to argue. Complaining about the past isn't going to change the future so if you see a gap, fill it.

Now I don't know if you're American or not but I do see this sentiment from Americans on a regular basis and that is who am I addressing.

[–] null@piefed.nullspace.lol 59 points 3 days ago

I don't think they meant "all gun owning citizens" when they said "2nd amendment nuts". I think they were talking about a particular type of person who bases their whole identity around owning guns to fight against the government.

[–] breezeblock@lemmy.ca 23 points 3 days ago (4 children)

I don’t think he’s saying the second amendment tells you use your guns to shoot people when there is anything you consider tyrannical government oppression, only that having the guns are supposed to preempt that problem in theory — and the theory is clearly invalidated.

The fact that traditional second amendment proponents (the NRA) have backed away from that theory and now side with the proto fascist tyrannical government demonstrates the argument was always bankrupt and was never a principle in practice.

That said — you correctly point out that there still room for people to actually start using said guns for shooting, which is indeed the logical next step. Putin is shitting himself laughing.

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[–] xenomor@lemmy.world 156 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

The fascist will say anything, regardless of reality, logic, or even internal consistency, to advance his self interested power grab and all of the violence it requires. He has no moral code and no allegiance to law. He cannot be reasoned with doesn’t deserve that kind of deference. Once he achieves control, he cannot be voted out of power.

[–] n4ch1sm0@piefed.social 32 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

Wielding postmodernism as a weapon; the only truth to them is their truth. Fucking psychopaths.

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[–] Bakkoda@lemmy.world 29 points 2 days ago (7 children)

That is the rhetoric the regressives have used incessantly to defend their rights to firearms. Now that the KKK and proud bois have been given guns and federal authority suddenly those rules don't apply anymore.

Who couldn't have seen this coming other than most of us. The people I work with are 90% non white. They don't think this will apply to them. They don't like me talking about it. They think they can just keep their head down and someone else will take care of it.

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[–] FauxLiving@lemmy.world 105 points 3 days ago (1 children)
[–] saimen@feddit.org 41 points 3 days ago (1 children)

“When Fascism came into power, most people were unprepared, both theoretically and practically. They were unable to believe that man could exhibit such propensities for evil, such lust for power, such disregard for the rights of the weak, or such yearning for submission. Only a few had been aware of the rumbling of the volcano preceding the outbreak.”

– Erich Fromm, Escape from Freedom

[–] TotallynotJessica@lemmy.blahaj.zone 15 points 2 days ago (1 children)

We STILL haven't even seen the worst of it. People consistently lacked the willingness to recognize that it could happen here, even when the threat was imminent. They don't want to think unhappy thoughts, don't want to think their world is crumbling, don't want to acknowledge that things will never go back to how they were. It's incredibly frustrating how much people delude themselves so they don't need to stare into the void.

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[–] Etterra@discuss.online 6 points 2 days ago
[–] neuromorph@lemmy.world 14 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I am a lifelong supporter of the 2nd Amendment, but not a single issue voter. So no one can really place me politically.

What bothers me most is fellow gun enthusiasts (cough republican gun nuts)... always say its a "God given right".....

these events are going to be a brain melting contraction to their beliefs that the GOP supports them and that the 2A is immutable.

The GOP did a great job of convincing the feeble minded that they are their supporters and guns are their greatest political topic to rally behind... Now trump is having a come to jesus moment for the party, as his DHS, FBI, and others in his administration are saying they will kill you if you have guns around them

[–] TheBunGod@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The idea of "god given rights" has never been true. Humans have always had to fight for every right they have ever had, and it takes away power from those rights to insinuate they were given to us by some magic sky man.

[–] neuromorph@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

No argument here. Just giving the talking points the right uses.

[–] DaddleDew@lemmy.world 59 points 3 days ago (1 children)

There was a lot more than just the 2nd amendment right that was being violated there.

[–] PattyMcB@lemmy.world 19 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Something, something, inalienable rights, something, something, life, liberty...

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[–] Fredselfish@lemmy.world 45 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I hate that fucking smug face, where is a Lugi when one is needed.

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[–] shittydwarf@piefed.social 47 points 3 days ago (11 children)

This guy certainly is embracing the nazi lifestyle, he ever gonna face consequences?

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[–] anon_8675309@lemmy.world 13 points 2 days ago (3 children)

The Right is coming for your guns.

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[–] DarkFuture@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Does anyone else not give a flying fuck what traitors say?

[–] sturmblast@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

There's my peoples. Fuck these nazis.

[–] TheBunGod@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago
[–] some_guy 10 points 2 days ago

In that case, nazi fucks also have no rights.

[–] Passerby6497@lemmy.world 11 points 2 days ago

Man, I wonder if the second amendment set is finally realizing the right has always wanted your guns more than the left.

Or did we forget "take the guns first"?

[–] Soulphite@reddthat.com 31 points 3 days ago

ICE agents carry weapons and citizens fear for their lives... so by their standards....

[–] Rhaedas@fedia.io 28 points 3 days ago

"Rights aren't rights if they can be taken away. They're privileges. That's all we've ever had in this country: A bill of temporary privileges. And if you read the news, even badly you know that the list gets shorter and shorter" - George Carlin

[–] Draegur@lemmy.zip 3 points 2 days ago

Never seen a bovine more ripe for the meat packing plant. Not that I'd let any dog i care about touch the filth that comes from his carcass in particular.

Americans, show them your second amendment counts already

Cool. Do I get to decide which rights apply to Bovino and his bullshit army now? What he's doing doesn't sound much like "...support[ing] and defend[ing] the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic..." or "...bear[ing] true faith and allegiance to the same..." so his actions ought to have consequences too.

Before the reply: No, I will not elaborate, fed.

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