Anyone who watched the video of the killing of Renee Good by an ICE agent on January 7th in Minneapolis could only conclude that the officer was not justified in using deadly force against Ms. Good. The victim, a 37-year–old mother of three, was fleeing the scene. When he fired the shots at point blank range into her vehicle, the officer was just outside the driver’s side window, not in front of her vehicle where he could have been struck by her vehicle. The officer’s life was not in danger. If he believed the driver had committed a crime and was trying to escape, the officer could have easily shot her front tire, which would have prevented her from driving away without killing her.

An objective observer could not state that the officer was acting in self-defense, the only legal basis for using deadly force in that situation. Yet, that is what the Trump administration wants the American people to believe.

            In fact, no matter what the circumstances, we are only permitted to consider what Trump wants us to believe. That’s how autocrats operate. The truth is whatever the dictator says is true. Trump affirmed as much when he recently told reporters from the NY Times: “My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.”[1] So far, Trump has been able to get away with that charade, whether it’s the Epstein conspiracy to commit the sex trafficking of minors, or the alleged drug smuggling by fishing boats off the coast of Venezuela.

            But, in the murder of Renee Good, we are able to see what actually happened with our own eyes. And it’s clear that the Trump administration is doing whatever it can to cover that up. Why else would all the Republicans on the House Oversight Committee vote to block an investigation of what happened?[2] Why else would Trump’s FBI block Minnesota officials from accessing evidence.[3] Why else would Trump immediately claim that Ms. Good “violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer, who seems to have shot her in self-defense,”[4] when the video clearly shows she was driving away, and not trying to run the officer over. And, why else would Secretary of Homeland Security Noem immediately determine that Ms. Good was a “domestic terrorist” intentionally attempting to kill the ICE officer prior to any investigation.[5]

            In the wake of Ms. Good’s killing, NY Times columnist Michelle Goldberg wrote: “All of us, citizens and immigrants alike, are being ruled by people who think life is a privilege bestowed by authority, and death is a fair penalty for disobedience.”[6] It’s time all Americans – left, right, and center – stand up for our rights to self-governance and justice for all. We must come together and take back our government from Trump’s corrupt, lawless administration. We must do it now before it’s too late.

Bruce Berlin, J.D.

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.), and his new memoir, From Camden to Kathmandu. (See bruceberlinauthor.com) He is the founder of New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics, a former U.S. Institute of Peace fellow, and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com. Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/

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[1] https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01/08/us/trump-nyt-interview

[2] https://www.commondreams.org/news/ice-shoot-woman

[3] https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/us/minnesota-ice-shooting-news.html

[4] https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-baselessly-claims-ice-shooting-222722975.html

[5] https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/kristi-noem-calls-for-doj-to-prosecute-dead-ice-shooting-victim-as-domestic-terrorist/ar-AA1TMfKD?ocid=BingNewsVerp

[6] https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/opinion/renee-good-minnesota-shooting-ice.html

The great majority of Americans support democratic government. Clearly, Donald Trump does not. He is doing whatever he can to consolidate power and create an authoritarian state under his control. If all the people who believe in democracy come together, we can stop him from destroying our country and establishing an autocracy. But we must act now before it’s too late.

Too many Americans are sitting at home in fear and hopelessness. That is exactly what Trump wants. The more people his presidency can immobilize, the stronger Trump becomes. Anyone who is not actively resisting Trump’s autocratic regime is, in effect, helping him to succeed.

Fortunately, a country-wide resistance is being launched this week to stop Trump. One Million Rising is a national effort that Indivisible is organizing in all fifty states to train a million people in the tools and tactics to fight authoritarianism. This may very well be our best chance to stop Trump. But it will take all of us to beat him. I urge you to join in.

The first of three training sessions is this Wednesday, July 16, at 6 pm Mountain Time, 8 pm Eastern. To sign up for the training, go to https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/803953/. Together, we will save our country and build a better democracy.

Bruce Berlin

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.), the founder of New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics, a former U.S. Institute of Peace fellow, and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com. Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/. Join the movement to revive our democracy. Together we can save the soul of America.

The Save Our Democracy Campaign, a project of Indivisible Santa Fe, is calling on New Mexican Sen. Ben Ray Lujan (D) to establish a bipartisan caucus to save our democracy. We are urging him to reach out to Alaskan senator Lisa Murkowski (R) and offer to co-chair this caucus. Indivisible members in Alaska have already approached Sen. Murkowski with this proposal.

President Trump is clearly attempting to destroy America’s democracy and create an autocracy with himself in total control of our country. We must stop him now, before it’s too late. A bipartisan senate caucus would work to prevent this from happening. The more Americans, especially New Mexicans, who lobby Sen. Lujan to join our campaign, the more likely he will get on board. You can help by writing him at https://www.lujan.senate.gov/contact/ with a message like this:

Dear Senator Lujan,

It is quite clear that President Trump is working to destroy American democracy and establish himself as an autocrat in total control of our nation. Indivisible Santa Fe has initiated a Save Our Democracy (SOD) campaign to stop him. I am writing to urge you to join in this effort.

As an independently minded Republican, Sen. Lisa Murkowski has demonstrated her willingness to oppose Pres. Trump’s corrupt, unlawful policies. Many Americans from around the country are calling on her to form a bipartisan caucus to block those policies and save our democracy. Most importantly, this effort is catching on with her Alaskan constituents.

I am writing to urge you to reach out to Sen. Murkowski in support of establishing this caucus and offering to co-chair it with her. The caucus would ideally have an equal number of members from both parties and deal with issues that clearly threaten our democracy, like Pres. Trump’s ignoring Supreme Court rulings or an attempt to suspend the right of habeas corpus.

Time is running out to stop President Trump and his MAGA cohorts from overthrowing our democracy and creating an autocracy. I believe that a bipartisan SOD caucus could be a very effective tool for preventing that from happening. I hope you agree and will move quickly to create this caucus to save our democracy. I guarantee that the vast majority of New Mexicans, as well as Americans across the country, will have your back and want to work with you.

Respectfully yours,

(Your name)

Help Save Our Democracy Now, Before It’s Too Late! Ask your friends, family, and others to contact Sen. Lujan as well.

Bruce Berlin, J.D.

Chair, Save Our Democracy Campaign

We are entering the home stretch of the 2024 campaign with only 78 days left until Election Day. As the Democrats open their convention in Chicago today, the wind is at their backs. They now have a 3 to 6-point lead in national polls.[1] The big question is: Can they channel that momentum into a winning Blue Wave come November 5^th?

The convention is the first step in that effort. All the Party’s factions are coming together to ensure Democratic wins up and down the ticket. The future of our democracy is riding on that outcome.

But a full-blown Blue Wave carrying the Democrats to victory depends on all of us getting out and doing our part. The more time and energy we the people devote to this epic cause, the greater the likelihood of success as well as preventing serious setbacks down the road.

While Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will lead the charge, the tough work of getting out the vote will be up to us. Whether it’s making phone calls, knocking on doors, sending postcards, and more; hundreds of thousands of Americans dedicated to democracy will be needed to generate a Blue Wave and guarantee victory. Sitting on the sidelines and rooting for a Democratic win is not an option.

As usual, the election will be decided in six or seven battleground states. They are Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. That is where your help is most needed. And you don’t even have to leave your home to pitch in. Go to https://democrats.org/take-action/ or https://swingleft.org/ to learn how to get involved.

We are experiencing the biggest challenge to American democracy since the Civil War. The future of our country is in our hands. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.

Bruce Berlin

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.), the founder of New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics, a former U.S. Institute of Peace fellow, and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/.

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[1] https://www.politico.com/news/2024/08/18/harris-trump-polls-dnc-00174532

With less than five months until likely the most consequential election in American history, I’ve been trying to figure out what I can do to help save our democracy.

For a while, I considered going to a swing state like Pennsylvania or Arizona and working on the Biden re-election campaign. In which case, I would probably be making phone calls to prospective Democratic voters or going door-to-door. Neither of those motivated me. Nor did I believe my doing them would have any significant impact on the election.

Of course, I could send donations to the Biden campaign and other important races. And I am doing that. But again, I realized that my rather small donations would hardly make any meaningful difference.

That’s not to say that any of the above wouldn’t assist Biden and the Democrats. Every little bit helps advance their campaign toward victory.

Then, the other day I asked myself: what do I like doing that could potentially have some influence on the election? The answer that immediately came to me was working on policy. But what policy?

That same day I read Thomas Friedman’s piece in the NYT, American Leaders Should Stop Debasing Themselves on Israel. Friedman advocated:

“This is ultimatum time. Biden should be telling Israel that it should accept Hamas’s key demand: Totally end the war now and withdraw from Gaza in exchange for the return of all Israeli hostages. Israel cannot think straight while Hamas holds its people.”[1]

Having spent considerable time and energy on U.S. policy toward Israel, I felt Friedman’s article was calling to me. If Biden could get Israel to end the war, it would be a big boost to his re-election prospects.

While I have no illusions that I alone could affect U.S. policy in any area, here was something I believed was worth my time and that I would feel good doing. I have already attended two meetings of a local American Friends of Combatants for Peace committee (AFCFP) which is focused on influencing U.S. policy in the Middle East. One effort proposed at the last meeting was meeting with NM Sens. Heinrich and Lujan and encouraging them to urge the Administration to forcefully push for a permanent ceasefire. Though I had thought I would rather work on the elections than continue participating with this group, suddenly I saw it was my path to making a meaningful contribution to Biden’s re-election as well as to saving our democracy.

AFCFP raises awareness, builds community, and acts to advance the joint efforts of Israelis and Palestinians working for a just peace in Israel and Palestine.[2] If you are interested in joining this effort, email AFCFP at office@afcfp.org, or write to greggmanoff@yahoo.com in Santa Fe. And, if this project does not motivate you, with less than five months until the election, find something that does and start working now to save our democracy before it’s too late.

Bruce Berlin

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.), the founder of New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics, a former U.S. Institute of Peace fellow, and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/.

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[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/18/opinion/netanyahu-gaza-congress.html

[2] https://www.afcfp.org/ourmovement

I recently turned 79. Yes, it’s hard for me to believe, but it’s gradually sinking in. For example, I’ve noticed I’m definitely slowing down. As a result, I don’t always get my blog done every week. So, if you don’t get my blog some weeks, you’ll know I’ve slowed down again.

And that brings me to the larger issue of living life in balance. It’s a matter that confronts many of us at different times in our lives. For instance, we may spend too much time on the Internet at the expense of time with our friends and loved ones. Or we work too much and don’t leave enough time for relaxing and enjoying life.

It’s easy to do. We get caught up in one aspect of our lives causing us to ignore another interest or pay less attention to a valued relationship. Sometimes we don’t even realize what we’ve done. Once we do gain awareness, it may take us additional time to get back up to speed with a particular pursuit or to revive a neglected relationship.

Of course, there are many ways we may feel our lives are out of balance. Eating too much, sleeping too little, not getting enough exercise, watching too much TV, not reading enough, or not enough intimacy, to name just a few.

Personally, I feel the need for more time and space for my writing. In addition to my blog, the memoir I’ve been working on for over three years now requires more of my time if I’m ever going to finish it. I also want more time to deepen my relationship with my loving partner. To achieve these goals and get my life in greater balance, I have to figure out what to let go of or at least give less attention to. And that may not be so easy to do. But I’m working on it.

What about you? What do you want to re-balance in your life?

For my male readers, here’s something to help them in this re-balancing effort. A few friends and I are organizing a summer retreat with the theme, Living a Life in Balance. A New Mexican Men’s Wellness gathering, the retreat, with apologies to my female readers, is just for men. It will be held at Story Ranch in Mineral Hill, New Mexico, on the weekend of July 12 to 14. During the event, men will have the opportunity to explore where their lives are in and/or out of balance. It will be a time to step back and take a look at what is and what is not working for them.

In small groups, we will examine how we might get more of what we want in our lives to create greater balance and ease, while reducing or eliminating what we feel burdened by in our lives. You may have a good balance of fun, play, interpersonal connections, joy, quiet time, or whatever. On the other hand, you may feel a bit overwhelmed by too much work, a lack of connection, not enough time with your mate or family, busyness, alone time, or something else.

If you are a man thinking this is an issue worth exploring in your life, we hope you will join us next month. And please encourage other men you know to join us as well. We feel it will be a valuable experience for all. For details and registration, go to https://bit.ly/3yGKaEn.

Bruce Berlin

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.), the founder of New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics, a former U.S. Institute of Peace fellow, and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/.

No one knows for sure who will win the election this November. It’s still five and a half months away. Much will happen between now and then which could alter the outcome. Here are twelve critical factors that will likely play a role in determining who wins the election.

The Trump court trials

At this point, Trump’s New York hush money trial is probably the only one that will return a verdict before the November election. Despite all the media attention, the case will likely not have a significant impact on the election results, regardless of the outcome. Most voters have already made up their minds about Trump and the verdict will not change many voters’ opinions. At the same time, the strong evidence regarding Trump’s involvement in the January 6^th insurrection could influence swing voters even though that trial will probably not occur before the election.

The Youth Vote

The youth vote will matter. It is a vital component of President Biden’s path to re-election. According to a March Youth Poll by Harvard’s Institute of Politics, “If the presidential election were held today, President Biden would outperform former President Trump among both registered (50% Biden, 37% Trump) and likely young voters under 30 (56% Biden, 37% Trump).” This is true despite Biden’s approval ratings on major issues being in the 20 and 30 percentiles.[1]

The Minority Vote

A recent Pew poll indicates 77% of Black voters say they would vote for Biden, well below the 92% he received in 2020.[2] Only 52% of Hispanic voters say they support the president.[3] That is 14% lower than the Hispanic vote Biden received in 2020.[4] This could be particularly troublesome for the president in swing states with large Hispanic voter populations like Arizona (25%)[5] and Nevada (20%).[6] Democrats need to do more to bolster their support among black and Latino voters.

The Israeli-Hamas War

This war is a real wildcard. Right now, the war is hurting Biden, particularly with the youth and minority voters, and aiding Trump. If Biden can help orchestrate a permanent ceasefire in the next few months, it likely would bring many of those voters back into his camp. If the war drags on into the fall, Biden’s re-election will become more doubtful.

Inflation and the Economy

As for inflation and the economy, it’s not a winner for Biden and the Democrats. These issues are at the top of many voters’ concerns. If inflation goes down significantly, Biden’s electoral stock will go up. Still, inflation is not likely to get any worse, so it shouldn’t make matters more difficult for the president. That is true for the economy as well. However, while the economy has improved significantly, voters for the most part have a negative view of it. Biden needs to showcase how much he’s done to improve people’s lives as well as what more he will do if he’s re-elected.

Immigration Reform and Border Security

The need for immigration reform and border security are issues the Republicans have highlighted. But Trump’s opposition to the bipartisan bill to secure our southern border continues to prevent the implementation of a reasonable solution.[7] Again, Biden and the Democrats must make it very clear to the voting public that Trump and his pawns in Congress are responsible for blocking a good bipartisan bill that would have gone a long way toward securing our southern border and fixing our immigration system.

The Candidacy of RFK Jr.

In a recent poll, the presidential candidacy of RFK Jr. hurts Trump more than Biden by a couple of percentage points.[8] In a close race like this one, it could make a difference. But I doubt it will be as significant as the votes of Nikki Haley’s supporters or suburban women.

Nikki Haley’s Supporters

The fact is that seven swing states will decide this election. In the largest swing state, Pennsylvania, Haley received over 16% of its recent primary vote.[9] That was two months after she had already dropped out of the race. In the purple state of Arizona, Haley got nearly 20% of the Republican primary vote.[10] While Haley just declared she will vote for Trump in November, the Atlantic’s David Frum points out:

“Most of Haley’s supporters voted for her as a way to stop Donald Trump. Haley’s announcement today that she intends to vote for Trump won’t raise their opinion of him; it will only lower their opinion of her.”[11]

It’s a good bet many of the Republican primary voters who voted for Haley in the swing states will not be voting for Trump.

Abortion Rights and Suburban Women

The large segment of the population who have abortion rights high on their list of election issues will bolster the Biden campaign.[12] The battle over the right to an abortion has energized Democrats and will increase voter turnout. It probably is Biden’s best issue. Moderate Republican and Independent suburban women who support abortion rights and are turned off by the corrupt former president will help boost Biden. Together, they could put Biden over the top in those critical swing states.[13]

The Supreme Court

            The U.S. Supreme Court has been overtaken by radical justices thanks to Trump’s three appointments to the Court. Along with the other right-wing justices, they are responsible for eliminating the Constitutional right to an abortion.[14] In addition, they are continuously chipping away at our civil and personal rights, like voting rights and gun safety protections. If Trump wins the election, we likely could see more extreme right appointments which would dominate the Court for several decades. This possibility should further energize a broad range of the electorate to vote for Biden and Democratic senators.

The Survival of Democracy

Finally, there’s the overarching matter of saving our democracy. Trump has made it clear that he admires dictators like Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un. He has openly declared his fascist inclinations.[15] We must take Trump at his word. The great majority of Americans support our democratic form of government. Biden and the Democrats must demonstrate that voting for them is the only way to guarantee the future of American democracy.

Despite his shortcomings, Biden is our best and only hope at this point. Putting it all together, he might be a better bet at being re-elected after all.

Bruce Berlin

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.), the founder of New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics, a former U.S. Institute of Peace fellow, and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/.

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[1] https://iop.harvard.edu/youth-poll/47th-edition-spring-2024#key-takeaway–id–1564

[2] https://kansasreflector.com/2024/04/12/black-voters-were-key-to-bidens-2020-win-but-money-woes-make-some-question-their-support-in-2024/

[3] https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/04/24/the-biden-trump-rematch/

[4] https://www.as-coa.org/articles/chart-how-us-latinos-voted-2020-presidential-election

[5] https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2024/03/08/latino-voter-share-arizona

[6] https://naleo.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1_23_24_-_NEF_Release_NV_Primary_Profile_-_FINAL.pdf

[7] https://democrats.org/news/100-days-after-trump-tanked-the-bipartisan-border-deal-maga-republicans-are-still-standing-in-the-way-of-border-security/

[8] https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/rfk-jr-candidacy-hurts-trump-biden-nbc-news-poll-finds-rcna148536

[9] https://www.inquirer.com/politics/election/pennsylvania-presidential-primary-results-nikki-haley-20240424.html

[10] https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2024/03/20/trump-arizona-haley-primary-win

[11] https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/05/nikki-haley-trump-endorse/678461/

[12] https://www.npr.org/2024/05/02/1248599739/abortion-democrats-independents-republicans-voting-2024-election

[13] https://theconversation.com/biden-v-trump-winning-suburbia-is-key-to-clinching-the-presidency-in-2024-225248

[14] https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-metropolitan-washington-dc/ppmw-responds-to-supreme-court-decision-that-overturned-roe-v-wa?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwmMayBhDuARIsAM9HM8dCvsVu8ji9ICtdVvcmlXr5uFBv4smgQ6BH8cvfOb2BVjAjHDf5f5QaAjL4EALw_wcB

[15] https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-fascist-talk-bloodbath-vermin-dictator-1234992957/