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I’m a double PK—a preacher’s kid on both sides. Both my parents are retired United Methodist ministers. Since the killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by masked, armed federal agents, I’ve had a scripture that has been in my head—it’s found in both Mark and Matthew.
Mark 8:36 asks:
“What does it profit a person to gain the whole world, yet lose their soul?”
We usually assume that question is meant for people in power. I don’t think it is anymore. I think it’s meant for us.
In the first 25 days of this year alone, at least nine people have died in ICE or Border Patrol custody or at the hands of their agents. Last year, there were at least 31 deaths reported. That means this violence is no longer accidental—it is policy, and it is the legacy of any member of the Republican Party who refuses to denounce it.
Alex Pretti didn’t wait for permission to act. He filmed. He exercised his rights. And for that, he was killed. He didn’t choose to be a symbol—but he’s become one, because he refused to look away.
We’ve been told the usual lies: that he should have complied, that this is about immigration, that this is necessary. But the truth slipped out this weekend when the Attorney General told Minnesota the killings would stop if the state handed over voter rolls, Medicaid and SNAP data, and abandoned protections for migrants. In other words: surrender your power. Gain the world. Lose your soul.
That’s why Matthew 16:26 adds the second question:
“What will a person give in exchange for their soul?”
This is no longer about Republicans versus Democrats. It’s about what we, as Americans, are willing to trade away for comfort, fear, or silence.
They’ve already launched the propaganda campaign—criminalizing victims, attacking witnesses, smearing organizers. We’ve seen this before. The only question is whether we comply.
Across our country, people are refusing to.
From Minneapolis to Chicago, Los Angeles to New Orleans, Portland to DC, Americans are pushing back because it does not profit us to survive by surrendering our souls.
The response is clear: keep filming, share Know Your Rights resources, save evidence before it disappears, support local organizers and legal defense, check on the most vulnerable. Don’t amplify lies. Don’t look away.
We can’t all risk the same things—but we all have to do something. Decide what you can afford to risk. Be clear about the consequences. Then act anyway.
This isn’t about political leverage anymore. It’s about the cost of freedom—and who pays it. The question was never just what they would do. It’s what we will do now.
Join me in Savannah
I’m excited to join the Savannah Book Festival on February 7, 2026, for Free Festival Saturday! We'll be talking about my latest novel, Coded Justice, where I explore themes around artificial intelligence, corporate greed, and biased technology. I hope to see some of you at this wonderful event with so many authors. More info here.
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