Killings in Minnesota, Weaponization of Government Agencies, and Donald Trump: My Open Letter to Utah’s Federal Delegation©

 Killings in Minnesota, Weaponization of Government Agencies, and Donald Trump:

My Open Letter to Utah’s Federal Delegation© 

Introduction:

Today I sent the following letter to Utah Senators Lee and Curtis and my Representive Blake Moore, with the second to last paragraph appropriately adjusted for him. This is the first time I’ve written such a letter.

I did this because I GENUINELY BELIEVE that with the killings in Minnesota and Trump’s weaponization of the DOJ, DOD, FBI, and DHS, among many, many other things, constitute existential threats to our constitutional democracy. This must stop. And... WE CAN STOP IT! It only requires a few Republican senators and representatives with courage and integrity to join with the Democrats to impeach, convict and expel the twice impeached, convicted felon, and rapist who sits as president.

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Dear Senator (Representative):

My name is Dan Bachman. I am an 82-year-old citizen of Logan, Utah. I was a lifelong conservative Republican until I became an Independent in 2023. I write to you now as a constituent deeply concerned about the rule of law and the future of our constitutional democracy.

I am protesting two matters of grave concern.

First, I am outraged by the recent deaths of two individuals in Minnesota at the hands of federal agents—one involving ICE and the other the U.S. Border Patrol. I have personally viewed the video of the shooting of Alex Pretti. Firing ten rounds into a man on the ground surrounded by multiple federal agents cannot reasonably be described as a lawful use of force. It appears, in effect, to be an extrajudicial killing.

What compounds this outrage is the President’s immediate public declaration that both killings were justified, which he made before any independent investigation. Even if Mr. Pretti were guilty of the allegations against him, guilt does not justify execution by federal officers.

Further, the President, Vice President, and Attorney General have declared that no investigation is warranted into the homicide of Nicole Good, while the Department of Homeland Security has announced it will investigate the Pretti case internally. Long-standing law-enforcement practice nationwide requires independent investigation of officer-involved deaths precisely to prevent abuse and overreach. Allowing DHS to investigate its own agents—particularly in the current federal climate—is the textbook example of letting the fox guard the henhouse.

I urge you to insist upon open, fair, and independent investigations into both deaths and to demand limits on the excessive federal agent presence now operating in Minnesota.

Second, I am deeply alarmed by the ongoing weaponization of the Department of Justice, the FBI, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Homeland Security. These institutions are being used to punish political opponents, brand dissent as disloyalty, and threaten retribution against those who refuse submission. The deployment of masked federal officers as enforcers marks a dangerous step toward authoritarian rule.

I respectfully urge you to help safeguard our constitutional democracy from a President who has placed himself above constitutional restraints. You hold the power to act. Working with a small number of Republican senators and Democratic colleagues, you have the constitutional authority to impeach, convict, and remove a President who has shown open contempt for the Constitution and the rule of law.

I am confident history will judge how Congress responds to this time of profound constitutional peril.

Respectfully,

Danel W. Bachman