A few years ago, during the waning days of the second Obama administration, a couple returning from a vacation in Mexico faced an unsettling encounter in South Carolina. After landing for a connecting flight, they were met with derision from a customs officer. When asked about their relationship, the officer’s dismissive reaction led them to be sent to the back of the line—an experience that not only delayed their travel but underscored the often complicated interactions faced by couples of diverse backgrounds in America.

This incident has resurfaced in my mind following the tragic death of Renee Good, a Minnesota woman shot by an ICE agent. The administration justified the use of deadly force as self-defense, a claim that diverges from the narrative presented in the available videos. In the moments leading up to the shooting, Good and her wife directly addressed the agent with a tone that combined sarcasm and bravado, oblivious to the potential threats in their surroundings.

In a healthy democracy, citizens should comfortably express dissent without fear of violence; however, the reality is starkly different in the U.S. The use of deadly force by law enforcement is alarmingly frequent, with estimates indicating that around 600 individuals are killed annually. While the precise motivations of the ICE agent remain unclear, the videos from the incident reveal a heartbreaking miscalculation by Good and her wife—they underestimated the risks they faced during that encounter.

Some commentators have critiqued the couple’s lighthearted dismissal of authority as emblematic of a privileged worldview, suggesting they engaged in protest without understanding the gravity of their situation. Their experience is reminiscent of the chaotic events of January 6, when participants in the Capitol riot approached their actions with a similar misjudgment, believing they were safe in their defiance.

This misunderstanding of civic norms can have dire consequences. Reflecting on my own past experiences with law enforcement, it’s clear that indignation and resistance may lead to unnecessary risks. A brush with authority while traveling left me indignant, yet my outspoken nature could have had severe repercussions, a lesson that echoes Good’s situation. The key takeaway is that engagement with a system characterized by aggressive law enforcement requires an acute awareness of the potential for severe responses to any form of dissent.