The Sanctity of Life Cannot Be Selective

Dear Editor,

Under Minnesota Statute 609.066 (dealing with deadly force by a peace officer) "Subd. 1a. Legislative intent reads as follows: (1) that the authority to use deadly force, conferred on peace officers by this section, is a critical responsibility that shall be exercised judiciously and with respect for human rights and dignity and for the sanctity of every human life. The legislature further finds and declares that every person has a right to be free from excessive use of force by officers acting under color of law;"

What I have seen in Minnesota with the deaths of Nicole Good and Alex Pretti by "ICE" and other Border Patrol officers, and the tactics used by these same agents, are greatly disturbing to say the least.  There must be a more humane and just way of dealing with immigration issues than using the tactics that we all have seen on our television screens.  It is time to deescalate this very volatile situation before more blood is shed.

With that being said, I want to go back to my first paragraph and repeat the last part of the first sentence: "that shall be exercised judiciously and with respect for human rights and dignity and for the sanctity of every human life".  The day before Alex Pretti was killed in Minneapolis on Saturday, January 24, 2026, about 555 miles due east in Washington D.C. thousands of people were participating in the annual "March for Life".

It is estimated that since 1973 when the right to abortion was first created by our United States Supreme Court, approximately 65 million abortions have taken place in our country.  Even with the ending of the federal right to abortion in 2022, many states still allow for the shedding of innocent blood, including Minnesota.  Planned Parenthood in its latest annual report, indicated they performed 402,230 abortions.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, former running mate to Kamala Harris in the 2024 Presidential election is a huge supporter of abortion "rights".  The hypocrisy is astounding.  All life is sacred from conception until natural death.

Lastly, I ask that more members of the Republican Party in the Senate and House of Representatives, show some backbone, and start standing up to President Trump.  This administration is taking our nation down a very dangerous path.

Patrick Hardyman

Blanchardville, WI