For those of us who hoped for a better new year, its beginnings have been horrendous.  First, on his own authority, Trump sent a military force to invade Venezuela, seize its leader Maduro with his wife, and bring them here as prisoners.  He now seems to be attempting to keep Venezuela’s oil revenues for himself.  Second, in an interview with the New York Times, Trump asserted that he could do whatever he wanted without any authorization from Congress or the courts.  Finally, in Minneapolis, ICE agents murdered a woman, Renee Nicole Good, who was trying to get away from them.  She had done nothing wrong, but was just bearing witness as  ICE was rounding up immigrants.

     The last action may have gone too far.  A number of citizens recorded this incident on their phones.  These videos show her turning her car away, an ICE agent approaching the driver’s window, and then shooting at her a number of times.  Shortly thereafter, government officials, from Kristi Noem, the head of Homeland Security, to Pres. Donald Trump have falsely claimed that she was planning to attack ICE agents with her car.  This tactic of theirs was anticipated by the late Hannah Arendt, who argued that the goal of corrupt authoritarian officials was not to convince people of the truth of what they say, but rather to get them to not believe anyone.

     However, I don’t think this is happening now.  Numerous demonstrations against this murder and Trump’s other actions are planned for this weekend.  They are taking place all over the nation and their slogans are on the order of “No Wars, No ICE, No Kings.”  ICE in particular has been given tremendous power by Trump.  Its budget is immense.  The requirements for joining it have plummeted, as few want to become ICE agents even though it pays very well.  It is supposed to replace both local police and states’ National Guard, but many locales are fighting back.  In my own city of New York, ICE agents in Chinatown were surrounded by average citizens who prevented them from seizing anyone.  This is happening in many other venues as well.

     In addition to demonstrating in crowds, numerous citizens –- including myself –- have placed candles honoring Good in their windows at night.  I’m reminded of an old saying: “It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.”  I thought this phrase was ancient, but it was first uttered by a minister in the early twentieth century.  It was then frequently used and popularized by America’s greatest first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt.  I couldn’t agree with it more.  After all, a lighted candle melts ICE.