January 19, 2026
A prominent YouTube influencer offers his perspective on the Minneapolis-ICE shooting. In the process, did he dehumanize Renee Good?
And was his analysis collectivist instead of constitutional?
Bill Protzmann and I felt that a Reaction Video was warranted, and Gracearchy with Jim Babka could do the most respectful job of it.
The Making The Argument Podcast has three important things going for it…
- The host is a conservative who is libertarian-adjacent.
- The show has a large audience – some recent videos reached millions of views.
- A former Green Beret, with combat experience, is “making the argument.”
The host is Nick Freitas. We met one time. And I’ve watched some of his content over the years. Since the Charlie Kirk assassination, I’ve been watching more of Nick’s arguments.
As YouTube viewers know, a show’s preview includes a “thumbnail.” This is a picture with a purpose. It’s a grabber that says, “There are a lot of other videos to choose from; here’s something to catch your eye and make you choose it with a click.” Thumbnails come in two types: Clickbait or Promise. And I believe Nick was fulfilling a promise with the title, “Is Minneapolis About to Burn?”
Nick is concerned. He hates riots. He hates the victimization they entail. But he notices that many on the political Left see virtue in them. Leftist leaders encourage looting, burning, and mayhem.
Nick is law-and-order. And his background gives him deep empathy for the ICE Agent who actually pulled the trigger. In fact…
He doesn’t believe the Agent, who pulled the trigger, bears actual responsibility for taking Renee Good’s life.
As for Renee Good, she goes nameless in his commentary. At best, she’s a mother. A radical and activist. But mostly, she’s just The Left.
It’s practically suicide by ideology.
OR…
Freitas image by Gage Skidmore, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0
Reaction videos tend to run a bit longer. In this case, that’s because we wanted Nick to be able to speak in full context. Here is a partial list of his problematic arguments.
On Narratives
Are narratives untruthful stories told by people who care about agendas more than truth? That seems to be Nick’s take. Also…
Only the Political Left has narratives.
This ignores the Right’s early and forcefully-stated narratives. Indeed, he reads the statements of his political allies, but ironically fails to identify the narratives he just read aloud.
So we help.
On Constitutionalism
For Nick Freitas, ICE is constitutional. We explain why the existence, let alone the practices of ICE are unconstitutional.
We also explain the (formerly conservative) principles that Nick overlooks as he tries to justify the overwhelming presence of ICE in a Leftist Governor’s state.
On Law Enforcement
Then, despite his expertise, there’s cognitive dissonance about law enforcement.
First, ICE is not like the police or the sheriff. They are something else that every conservative should recognize, since at least Ruby Ridge and Waco. We explain.
Then, he raises the myth of “training” and how it helps justify this shooting. But if you treat Renee Good as an actual person, not a political tool, that argument also goes flat. We’ll show you why.
Dehumanize Renee Good to Win the War
A politician understands politics. In addition to his aforementioned qualifications, Mr. Freitas has served some terms in the Virginia legislature. Politics is war by other means, and Nick’s message is militant.
The political game involves seeking out groups to blame. Simplistically, The Left becomes a sentient, thoughtful monster that wants more death and destruction. When Nick names an actual person, it’s because they are the head of the monster, like Governor Tim Walz.
It’s not as if he doesn’t recognize the need for nuance and grace. Nick Freitas goes far in trying to help his audience understand the feelings and experience of an agent who pulls a trigger. But he offers nothing similar for Renee Good, seemingly because she has no political role to play.
But collective blame is a dirty lens. We show why this technique fails to light a path to social harmony and peace in our neighborhoods.
You can listen while you work or drive on these podcasting platforms: Spotify * Pandora * iHeart * Apple, and several other platforms.
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ZAP The State and have a nice day,
Jim Babka
Host, Gracearchy with Jim Babka
Co-creator, Zero Aggression Project
P.S. In the podcasting realm, debate is expected. Smart podcasters welcome it. Who knows? Maybe Nick gets tens and tens of viewers out of my critique!
Jim Babka is the co-creator of the Zero Aggression Project. However, the views expressed in the show do not necessarily reflect those of the board, staff, or supporters of the Zero Aggression Project (Downsize DC Foundation). Sometimes, we use ChatGPT or AI to help with blogging elements (but not this time).