By Star Nolwazi
Former President George W. Bush issued a stark public statement on Sunday, condemning what he described as “horrible scenes” unfolding in Minneapolis and across the United States, and issuing a grave warning about the potential permanent loss of American freedoms.
In a written statement dated January 25, the 43rd president expressed dismay over recent federal operations. “In recent weeks, we’ve watched horrible scenes play out in Minneapolis and other communities that I never thought would take place in America,” Bush wrote.
The statement specifically referenced reports of masked federal agents seizing people from homes, workplaces, and streets, and the forceful suppression of protests and citizen observers. Bush highlighted the deaths of two individuals, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who he said were “shot and killed” in these incidents.
“All of this is unacceptable and should have been avoided,” Bush stated. He further accused authorities of dishonesty, writing that “the people in charge have lied to us, told us not to believe what we’ve seen with our own eyes, and pushed increasingly aggressive and antagonistic tactics.”
The former Republican president framed the current moment as a historical inflection point. “Over the course of a lifetime, we face only a few moments where the decisions we make and the actions we take will shape our history for years to come. This is one of them,” he warned. “If we give our freedoms away after 250 years, we might never get them back.”
Bush, who led the nation from 2001 to 2009, called for public action, urging those who believe in American democracy to “stand up, speak out, and show that our nation still belongs to We the People.”
The statement from Bush, who has largely remained out of the political fray since leaving office, represents a significant and rare intervention into contemporary political affairs. It comes amid ongoing tension and controversy surrounding federal law enforcement tactics deployed in Minneapolis and other cities in recent weeks.
