02/03/2026
We've all seen the horrific videos from Minneapolis; they remind me of the early 1960s and the way police in Birmingham and elsewhere in the South used firehoses, clubs and police dogs to brutalize civil rights protesters. Scenes of that brutality forced Americans into a choice: Would they back "segregation forever" or the rule of law?
And now we face another profound choice. The clashes in Minneapolis and across the US are embodied by two men: Gregory Bovino, noted for a reckless, take-no-prisoners machismo, indifferent to the law, defined by his willingness to attack protesters and passersby in a way that a Chicago judge earlier said "shocks the conscience"; and Alex Pretti, a nurse for veterans whose entire life has been about helping others.
Their choices should clarify ours. Which man would we want our children to emulate? Do we want to live in Alex Pretti's America or in Gregory Bovino's? Here's my column -- please do read and share with that uncle of yours who supports the Trumpian crackdown on protest:
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/opinion/minneapolis-pretti-bovino.html?unlocked_article_code=1.IlA.Mrhd.sQLqb1bUveE2&smid=url-share I welcome your comments.
