the attitude with arnie arnesen the Thurs edition Jan 29
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Arnie Arnesen
Jan 28, 2026, 7:37:29 PM (2 days ago) Jan 28
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The Attitude with Arnie Arnesen
opening thoughts: a cop speaks out...a story from MPLS and Alex Pretti's sister speaks out
producers: Dave Scott and Stephanie Collins
Chloé LaCasse (the best of the attitude)
streaming live at wnhnfm.org noon EST on the dial-94.7FM Concord NH
podcasts available at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/attitude-with-arnie-arnesen/id1634055179
opening thoughts:
This is message from a former police officer friend that I admire and respect, Jim Shepard. He is speaking truth.
He writes:
These aren’t my words but they capture my feelings on the Renee Goode situation pretty well
“I wore a badge long enough to know the difference between a dangerous situation and a manufactured one.
What happened in Minneapolis wasn’t split-second chaos. It wasn’t a tragic accident. And it sure as hell wasn’t “necessary force.”
It was escalation. Illegal, reckless escalation—and any law enforcement official who tells you otherwise is lying, or hasn’t done the job.
From what we’ve seen so far, the encounter didn’t begin with a threat that justified lethal force.
There was no imminent danger to officers or the public that required bullets. There was time. There were options. There were off-ramps.
And they weren’t taken.
One of the first things you’re taught as a police officer is that force is not a punishment. It’s not a tool to assert dominance. It’s not something you use because someone doesn’t comply fast enough or says the wrong thing.
Force is a last resort governed by law. Period.
The standard is simple: Is there an immediate threat of serious bodily harm or death? If the answer is no, deadly force is unlawful. Full stop.
What we’re being fed now—by Trump officials, right-wing media, and the same law-and-order grifters who never hesitate to excuse police violence—is a familiar script.
They cherry-pick moments. They speculate about “what could have happened.” They inflate fear after the fact to justify an outcome that was already decided before any real threat existed.
That’s not analysis. That’s propaganda.
I’ve watched this play out too many times. A civilian is killed. The facts are inconvenient. So the story gets rewritten—fast. Suddenly the victim is on trial. Suddenly we’re told the officer “felt threatened.” Suddenly every rule of policing bends to accommodate the result.
But feelings don’t determine legality. The Constitution does.
If a cop “feels” scared but the objective facts don’t support deadly force, the shooting is still illegal.
Law enforcement isn’t vibes-based. It’s rule-based. Or at least it’s supposed to be.
The Trump administration knows this. They also know that if they repeat the lie often enough—if they shout “violent suspect” and “split-second decision” and “officer safety” into every camera—they can muddy the water long enough for accountability to disappear.
That’s the real pattern here. Not law enforcement. Not justice.
Covering your ass cause you just did something morally abhorrent and don’t want to admit it.
As someone who has been in violent confrontations, who has had to make real decisions under real pressure, I’m telling you this plainly: restraint is part of the job. De-escalation is part of the job. Walking away alive with everyone still breathing is the job.
When officers abandon that responsibility—and when the federal government rushes to excuse it—we don’t get safety. We get impunity.
And when the state lies to protect unlawful killing, it doesn’t just dishonor the person who died. It poisons the legitimacy of every officer who still believes the badge means something.
This wasn’t a tragedy without cause. It was a choice.
And no amount of propaganda can change that.”
alex pretti's sister responds to his murder
A statement from Alex Pretti’s younger sister, Micayla Pretti:
“Alex was kind, generous, and had a way of lighting up every room he walked into. He was incredibly intelligent and deeply passionate, and he made people feel safe. But most importantly, he was my brother. I had the privilege of being his little sister for 32 years. I will never be able to hug him, laugh with him, or cry to him again because of those thugs—and that is a pain no words can fully capture.
Alex always wanted to make a difference in this world, and it’s devastating that he won’t be here to witness the impact he was making. Through his work at the VA caring for the sickest patients, and passion to advance cancer research, he touched more lives than he probably ever realized. All Alex ever wanted was to help someone—anyone. Even in his very last moments on this earth, he was simply trying to do just that.
I want to thank everyone who has reached out to my family and me, whether you knew Alex personally or not. The messages, posts, and overwhelming positivity shared about him truly reflect his character, work ethic, and passions. My brother is, and always will be, my hero.
When does this end? How many more innocent lives must be lost before we say enough? Hearing disgusting lies spread about my brother is absolutely gut-wrenching, and my family is deeply grateful so many people have stood up and helped tell his truth. He would be very proud.”
part one: Sophia A. McClennen is Professor of International Affairs and Comparative Literature at the Pennsylvania State University. She writes on the intersections between culture, politics, and society. Her latest book is "Trump Was a Joke: How Satire Made Sense of a President Who Didn't.
Why the guardrails against Trump aren’t workingCan institutions save us even when we no longer believe in them? https://www.salon.com/2026/01/24/why-the-guardrails-against-trump-arent-working/
thought of the day:
Meta Is Blocking Links to ICE List on Facebook, Instagram, and ThreadsUsers of Meta’s social platforms can no longer share links to ICE List, a website listing what it claims are the names of thousands of DHS employees. https://www.wired.com/story/meta-is-blocking-links-to-ice-list-on-facebook-instagram-and-threads/?_sp=7ce7215f-fc27-4f9a-b511-68e48a5943f2.1769607589549
nugget: Meta has started blocking its users from sharing links to ICE List, a website that has compiled the names of what it claims are Department of Homeland Security employees, a project the creators say is designed to hold those employees accountable.Dominick Skinner, the creator of ICE List, tells WIRED that links to the website have been shared without issue on Meta’s platforms for more than six months.“I think it's no surprise that a company run by a man who sat behind Trump at his inauguration, and donated to the destruction of the White House, has taken a stance that helps ICE agents retain anonymity,” says Skinner.
part two: race class with Jonathan Feingold Law Professor at BU
Legislation restricting the teaching of race and racism in public schools and government entities has spread across the country. In an effort to respond, Boston University Law Professor Jonathan Feingold and The Attitude with Arnie Arnesen are offering "Race Class" - a once a month course/conversation where listeners can hear what it is like to approach race and racism from a place of curiosity and history rather than fear and anxiety.
The class/conversation is available on the last Thursday of every month
In describing the foundational purpose of "Race Class," Arnesen and Feingold note, "We know race matters. Part of this project is to make sense of what that means."
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