Citizens should not meekly stay on the sidelines

My understanding of the job of an ICE officer is to identify, arrest, detain, and remove non-citizens who are unlawfully present or have violated immigration laws within the United States. Many American citizens are offended by the sometimes heavy handed and violent way that ICE officers treat people, especially as seen in Minneapolis.

Columnist Althea Cole wrote last Sunday that she'd observed a training session for citizens seeking an understanding of how they could safely conduct themselves if they feel an obligation to observe ICE officers in action.Cole was not impressed with the effectiveness of what she saw. Perhaps she was correct in her opinions, but she was sarcastic in expressing herself.

What really frosted me was her comment, "Chances are that ‘legal observers’ don't even know the names of the people their actions are designed to protect, let alone their legal or personal histories. That means that they also don't know if they're unwittingly shielding the worst of the worst by making it harder for the feds to apprehend them". Well, then, Ms. Cole, does that mean that citizens should meekly stand by while masked, weapons-carrying 'tough guys' rough people up? American citizens need to ensure that their fellow citizens are treated respectfully, don't you think? I sure do.

Stephen Kemble

Cedar Rapids