On Sunday, Feb. 22, there was a shooting near the U.S.-Canadian border. Blu Zeke Daly, a resident of Manchester, N.H, shot a single bullet at a Border Patrol officer after a traffic stop and a 30-minute pursuit.
According to NHPR, “The Border Patrol officer, whose name has not been released, returned fire, striking Daly,” going on to say that “The Border Patrol officer was not injured.”
It’s important to note that the reasoning behind Daly fleeing from the officer and making a break for the Canadian border is not clear. Why they decided to fire at the officer is also not clear. However, Daly has been charged with attempted murder in the shooting.
I grieve for the state of the country and any victim of violence, but I can’t help but feel that the altercation was brought on by the recent shootings.
As detailed by The New York Times, “Shootings involving federal immigration agents have been under scrutiny in recent weeks amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration.”
I find it interesting that the shooting happened near the Canadian border and that, when questioned, Daly fled towards Canada before trying to turn around. It almost feels dystopian in a sense, and brings in imagery of stories such as The Handmaid’s Tale, where people fled to Canada as the U.S government fell into tyranny. It also evokes reminders of the Vietnam War, where young men conscripted into the draft tried to flee to Canada for sanctuary.
I don’t condone violence, nor do I encourage it, but I feel that in the cases we’ve seen thus far, Border Patrol and, by extension, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have been the aggressors.
The U.S. is trapped in an endless cycle of violence between its own people, and it’s disheartening that previous killings have been defended by government officials in the name of “self-defense,” despite recordings from bystanders that lead me to believe otherwise.
While Daly received proper care following the altercation and survived the shooting, it’s possible their name could have easily been added to an ever-growing list of victims of violence at the hands of Border Patrol and ICE agents. If a federal agent feels even remotely threatened, then they are allowed to shoot at their own pleasure, yet when everyday citizens feel threatened, they are expected not to defend themselves.
I believe that to ensure future situations such as the altercation at the border don’t occur, the government has to properly address the crimes committed against its own people at the hands of its agents. They cannot justify the killing of mothers, fathers and bystanders in simple acts of “self-defense.” Especially when the evidence shows how trigger-happy their agents are.
Not everyone should be given a weapon. To prevent further death and destruction, the ICE raids need to stop. The crackdowns from Border Patrol need to stop.
If it doesn’t, things will only continue to get worse. ICE will continue to detain innocent people and shoot protesters when they stand up against injustice. Border Patrol will take further precautions to stop people from fleeing the country.
There’s no justice or freedom in a country that kills its own citizens for speaking up against the government.
The sight of your own people fleeing the country should not be an open invitation to start firing.
Chloe Erno can be contacted at
