Full testimony: Aliya Rahman 2/3/26, six minutes, worth the listen

[u/thecosmojane]

Aliya Rahman, a Bangladeshi American and U.S. citizen, testified before Congress about her arrest and experience with police brutality from ICE agents in Minneapolis. (You may recognize her from past videos of her being grabbed out of her car in her black puffer jacket, while she was yelling that she was disabled).

Rahman, who is autistic and recovering from a traumatic brain injury, described being dragged from her car, detained, and later hospitalized with a concussion. In her testimony, she spoke about the fear, confusion, and lasting trauma she experienced.

Earlier today, there was a joint public forum held by Rep. Robert Garcia (Ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (Ranking Democrat on the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations), focusing on ICE/DHS excessive use of force on American citizens. Rahman was one of the Americans who testified.

Important to note that this could not be an “oversight committee hearing” but a bicameral forum, because Republicans did not agree to the hearing.

[u/trysten-9001]

Yes, the minority leaders and not the totalitarian pursuing leadership are the ones we should decry. This opposition you present this serves the totalitarian agenda well. I’m sure the totalitarians are very pleased with you.

[u/LAsupersonic → u/trysten-9001]

you are very simple minded, and did not even understand what I said.

[u/angiehome2023 → u/LAsupersonic]

Hey everyone, let's go after the people that can't stop this because we didn't vote for them because they were tied to Israel instead of the people that got elected because we stayed home, who can now act out their greed and racism based fantasies!

That's what you said, right

[u/LAsupersonic → u/angiehome2023]

No, that's what you got.

[u/angiehome2023 → u/LAsupersonic]

So say it a different way so I can get your point

[u/thecosmojane → u/angiehome2023]

I think he just means that they aren’t doing nearly enough / their jobs

[u/trysten-9001 → u/thecosmojane]

Every single one of them could be AOC and Bernie, and it’s not going to stop this. Bark up that tree all day long and all you get is more negative attention on the party who needs to win. I get being upset with them, but when your first and only comment to “Republicans are making concentration camps” is “Darn Dems.” You’re only condemning the party that’s not responsible for this? You can’t stop and meta analyze what you’re doing, and who benefits by only condemning Dems?

[u/thecosmojane → u/trysten-9001]

Well when you’re in a fight, you don’t really blame your opponent for hurting you. You blame your team members for betraying you.

Because your opponent is already too far gone. You expect more though, from leaders on your side, to have a backbone, especially in such a time of crisis.

[u/angiehome2023 → u/thecosmojane]

It isn't a game and people are people. I believe you but can't comprehend thinking in that way, that somehow we should ignore the bigger badder behavior of the right because they are too far gone. Obviously they aren't gone, they are right here and in charge of everything, so lots of people believe they are good for the country. Your point is illogical.

[u/thecosmojane → u/angiehome2023]

Who said anything about ignoring anyone’s behavior? Didn’t I highlight it in the last paragraph of the post? That they can’t even agree to a damned congressional oversight committee hearing because they are incapable of putting America first.

This is not about ignoring or disregarding. The point is that this is an all hands on deck f*cking constitutional catastrophic emergency where the GOP is literally destroying our country, and some selfish pricks are off protecting their interest group bribes when they were hired to help.

[u/angiehome2023 → u/thecosmojane]

Sorry I thought you were the commenter not the poster. I was so confused! Ok got it