Hello, readers.
It’s a somber moment. Regardless of our feelings, we should think of the six-year-old who lost his mother yesterday.
What happened to her? In a literal sense, she was killed by ICE agents. But, I think there’s more to it than just that.
What happened to Lennie Goode?
Recently, I appeared on a radio show to talk about a mass shooting that differed significantly from the one in Minnesota yesterday. It involved a black man, an allegation of racism, and a white man who, in my view, was wrongfully imprisoned.
If you’re interested in more details, here is the link to my piece titled, “Shut up and let this nigger fuck you.”
During that radio discussion, I remarked that we may never fully understand the true death toll linked to the Black Lives Matter movement. The number of (mostly black) lives lost during the protests is known, but the broader consequences are trickier to measure.
What’s harder to grasp is how propaganda related to these events has affected black individuals. Not just from BLM, but also from various media outlets. We’ve seen police departments retreat from economically struggling communities, a phenomenon termed the Ferguson effect. Consequently, incidents of violent crime—including murder, rape, and assault—have surged.
Yet, what’s less clear is how many everyday interactions were disrupted by the heightened anxiety prevalent in those communities.
The prevailing sentiment was almost delusional, echoing itself endlessly: “The black man is right, the police are wrong.” This repetition led media networks to invite figures like Jacob Blake for soft interviews.
Blake was involved in a violent altercation and breached a restraining order, assaulting his partner while threatening to kidnap their children when police intervened. His refusal to cooperate led to a police shooting.
A clear case of law enforcement protecting the public, yet the narrative painted him as a victim. He appeared in a wheelchair on a major news network, expressing dread of becoming “the second George Floyd.”
The message of this delusion was pervasive, bordering on mass hysteria.
Interactions with law enforcement grew fraught with unpredictability. It became common for black individuals to confront police, often recording the encounter for social media clout.
Things that would typically result in a ticket morphed into pursuits, violence, injuries, or worse. No one knows how many cases spiraled into chaos.
In wrapping up my radio segment, I said, “The message we’ve sent to young black men and the black community overall has been detrimental. It’s hard to quantify the damage.”
I don’t have extensive information on Renee Nicole Good. She was married to a comedian who passed away unexpectedly and had at least one son, along with two other children from different relationships. An artistic soul, she wrote poetry and navigated her identity, choosing to marry a woman.
By most accounts, Goode fit the mold of a liberal individual. In her circle, this might have seemed trendy, yet in a more eclectic setting, it may appear rather mundane, especially among politically diverse groups.
In the video, it seems her vehicle bore a sticker, and during a chaotic encounter, she was shot by an ICE officer. The aftermath was horrific. After sustaining a serious head injury, she likely experienced a seizure, causing her vehicle to accelerate and crash. Blood covered both her airbag and her partner.
Footage showed her distressed, stating, “I have a 6-year-old in school right now,” and, “It’s my fault, I brought her here.”
It’s deeply troubling.
Unfortunately, the incident was quickly weaponized by those with extreme views. The anti-ICE sentiment erupted, with claims that “the American people” had been “murdered,” a narrative fueled by a kind of collective delusion.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem made an absurd assertion, labeling Goode a “domestic terrorist.”
To be clear, she wasn’t joking—true domestic terrorists include the likes of Timothy McVeigh and Ted Kaczynski.
Goode appeared to be a troubled individual impacted by delusions fueled by social media hysteria.
It wasn’t an ICE agent who caused her death. Rather, it’s a long-standing propaganda narrative that has led to a rise of individuals who feel compelled to intervene in ICE operations, often inappropriately.
We’ve witnessed ordinary people transform into agitated mobs, threatening violence just because ICE was executing a warrant. They truly believe they’re acting nobly. And the media continually amplifies this narrative.
I’ve seen numerous videos of ICE agents advising individuals to stop pursuing them on the streets, telling them, “Go home.” Thankfully, some complied, fearing legal repercussions.
It’s this paranoia and hysteria, not ICE actions, that is harming—and in Goode’s tragic case, killing—people.
I wish I had a solution to offer. I don’t support cracking down on speech or censoring the media. None are wholly accountable for these situations. They continue to profit from sensational stories while ignoring the potential damage. “Show us more footage of police confrontations and ICE interactions; it’s good for ratings!”
Had Renee Goode not succumbed to her delusions, I believe she would have exited the vehicle when confronted by the officer. Sure, it might have led to some trouble, maybe even court hassles, but she would likely be alive and with her son today.
And perhaps she’d have an intriguing story to share, gaining admiration within her social circle.
But now, she won’t survive. Delusion persists.
