Donna and Brent Ganger Witness Testimony to U.S. Congressional Forum

DONNA GANGER, RENÉE GOOD’S MOTHER

Ranking Member Blumenthal, Ranking Member Garcia, and distinguished members of Congress;

My name is Donna Ganger, and I am Renée Good’s momma. I want to express my deepest condolences to all of the other families here today. I know the pain you are in, the frustration and helplessness... but also the HOPE that America can still do the right thing on behalf of our loved ones.

I am here alongside my oldest son, Brent, on behalf of our large family. 

Members of Congress, we need your help.

What I want most to do today is help everyone understand exactly what was taken from us on January 7^th, and what a beautiful woman our family and this country lost. We have not moved on. We struggle every day. We will never, ever be the same. It’s difficult to balance our gratitude for what a lovely soul Renée was with the anger and confusion at the violent way she died. And the total insanity of it all. She should still be alive. I’ll say that again. My daughter should still be alive.

I long to give Renée big hugs so many times every day. And that sadness is multiplied by watching our entire family grieve their own losses of Renée as a mom, sister, daughter, aunt, and partner. This is unthinkable pain for all of us. And why? For what?

All of the beautiful and joyful things Renée would have done with her life... are now simply silence.

At Renée’s celebration of life service, I told stories of Renée’s childhood. I would like to share one with you.

One day Renée, baby Brent and I walked over to the elementary school to pick up their sister Annie from kindergarten. On the way home, Renée struck up a conversation with a total stranger. She was about three years old. After we moved on, Renée remembered that she really wasn’t supposed to talk to strangers. She turned around, looked at us and said, “It was a good thing you were with me!” Yes, it was. As a parent, it is our instinct and our honor to protect our children. Fast forward to today... and it is torture that, as her mom, as her family, we could not protect Renée.  But no one can protect against others who are determined to disregard our country’s Constitutional rules and values, and that’s what happened on January 7^th.

Our family is a very American blend. We vote differently, but we love each other deeply. I am a registered Republican; I voted for President Trump. I was under the impression that these agents were here to protect the citizens of the United States, innocents like our family and the others here, against terrorists. Certainly not to accuse those of us here today of being terrorists and take precious lives. This is madness.

But far more than being a Republican, I am a Christian. Jesus teaches us to forgive. And I have. But what we are asking for and deserve is accountability and change.

Our family is deeply grateful for the outpouring of love and support from the community in Minneapolis, from people across the country and around the world. The prayers and words of support have truly brought us comfort. It is meaningful that these sentiments have come from people of all colors, faiths and ideals. That is a perfect reflection of Renée.

But thoughts and prayers are not enough. We need action. We need accountability. We need this never, ever to happen again and destroy another family or another community.

I’d now like to have Brent talk more about our family’s commitment to accountability.

BRENT GANGER, RENÉE GOOD’S MOTHER

Ranking Member Blumenthal, Ranking Member Garcia, distinguished members of Congress.

My name is Brent Ganger. I am the brother of Renée Good. I want to thank you for allowing me another opportunity to talk about Renée and express my concerns surrounding her completely senseless killing, as well as my increasing disappointment at the lack of change and accountability. I share my mother’s condolences for all here today who have had a loved one taken from them by agents of our federal government.  

Our family has waited, our country has waited, and we will not wait any longer. The time is absolutely NOW for accountability for the deep damage done by ICE and others. We will not be quiet. We will not go away.

The blatant violation of Constitutional values and rights we have witnessed has been an epic overreach and an assault on human decency and the rule of law.

I struggled writing these remarks because Renée was the one who would edit my writing and give me encouragement. She made you feel like no matter what you were doing, you could do so fearlessly because she had your back. The hole in my family and myself created by my sister’s passing is hauntingly apparent. Disbelief of her passing has turned into daily reminders about what we have lost. Renée was the first and loudest person to root for you. Renée exuded light. That light has been extinguished. We cannot unsee the video of how violently she was taken from us.

In the days since my sister’s death, ICE agents have continued to intimidate, assault, hurt and kill innocent people. Since Renée’s death, no meaningful change has occurred. Judging by the lack of attendance by your counterparts across the aisle, none seems to be planned. Deaths of innocent Americans by taxpayer-funded government agents should not be a partisan issue should alarm every American.

During the recent remembrance of 9/11, I was reflecting on the way our country united and took care of one another, leaned on our neighbors, and respected those who helped others. Sometimes it takes extraordinary circumstances to bring out the best in us. I keep waiting for that to happen now.

Renée and I liked to discuss literature. One favorite is Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. I find it endlessly eloquent and ever-relevant. Dr. King’s grace to convey his frustrations while wrongly incarcerated is hard to fathom. He rightfully claimed that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” I believe those words are equally applicable now. I assure you I do not make that reference lightly.

In the same letter, Dr. King spoke of his disappointment in the “white moderate,” referring to well-meaning white citizens and his fellow white clergymen. I am ashamed to say that I was a part of this generation’s “white  moderates.” Until my sister was killed, I in no way condoned the actions of this administration or these federal agents, but I also took no direct action to object to the senseless abuse I saw. Until my sister was killed, my family felt safe and had no urgency to be a part of the change and stand next to our fellow human beings during their unjustified persecution.

I deeply regret that it took the death of Renée to wake me up to the fact that no one in this country is untouchable. I’m sure many people feel as though they are safe. My family had the unfortunate privilege of learning the hard way, through the loss of our beloved Renée, that no one is safe while ICE continues to terrorize us. It has taken far too long for white people like me to know what it feels like to not feel safe in this country. Our brothers and sisters of color have always had to fight to feel safe on the streets and many, for good reason, still don’t. ICE cannot continue to be allowed to act with endless impunity and without accountability.

You’ve heard from my mother that she is a Republican, and that I consider myself moderate. We have other family members who lean more to the left. I speak to all members of Congress... including those who chose not to attend today but who I hope are listening.   Our family proves that even in the darkest of times, we can and should stay united. We expect nothing less from the leaders in this country and in Congress.

I urge each of you to find a common-sense solution to the problem of accountability for federal officers. There should not be a different set of rules and a different process to hold a federal officer accountable versus a state or local officer. We all want our law enforcement officers to perform at the highest standards, but when they don’t, it shouldn’t matter who their employer is. There should be a path to justice for those they harm.

Our family implores all members of Congress to work together to level the playing field and find common-sense reform that provides accountability and justice for all.