For decades, the biggest lie the GOP and Right Wing Media outlets knew they could count on for DECADES during election years was the idea America is being "invaded" by immigrants throug the Southern Boarder.
This past weekend, conservative activists and White Christian nationalists from across the country have started to arrive at the U.S.-Mexico boarder. What have they found?
NOTHING. Absolutely nothing.
No caravans, no trucks packed with "illegals". No traffickers. NOTHING.
What does this mean for those who for decades were told by Right Wing Media media America was being "invaded" by illegal immigrants? No idea but now that they're seeing the truth with their own eyes, we'll see.
I'm not expecting people to change their views overnight or anything like that but hopefully, these people will start thinking for themselves. This is also why I'm not bashing those who took the time to travel to Texas to see what's going on for themselves. If that's what it takes for people to understand they're being deceived, more power to 'em.
Anyone who's lived in New York City or spent time there at night has likely seen these folks in red patrolling the streets. Founded in 1977 by Curtis Silwa, the vigilante group patrols the streets of New York City largely looking out of acts of violence and crime.
They have allegedly intercepted hundreds of attempted muggings and dozens of attempted sexual assaults in just NYC though they've expanded to other U.S. cities including Philadelphia, Denver. Chicago and Los Angeles.
I'd heard a lot of positive things about the Guardian Angels until about 16 years ago. I know a lot of people who live and work in New York City. I mean people who've had encounters with the Guardian Angels. They're referred to as a vigilante group and a pack of thugs with good reason. There's been documented cases of the Guardian Angels taking the law into their own hands--often at Silwa's urging--and attacking people they suspect of having just committed a crime before they call the police.
The Guardian Angels like to publicly flaunt their friendly relationship with law enforcement but in truth they've become a nusiance to NYPD. Silwa had a few failed mayoral bids over the years and many now think he's taking his political failures out on the people his group targets on a nightly basis. More so given Eric Adams--a former cop--is the current mayor of New York.
Last year, Silwa was recorded shouting anti-immigrant rhetoric outside of a migrant shelter. What made it shocking was the fact he did it while dressed in the Guardian Angels' signature jumpsuit and some of his people present. To be fair, his group is made up of people from all background male and female but it's clearly just for sake of appearances. People who've known Silwa for decades have long spoken out about his racist ideologies.
That brings me to last week. During Silwa's interview with Fox "News", members of his group suddenly turned and tackled a man he claimed was a migrant caught shoplifting live on TV. It was later revealed the man his group assaulted was neither a migrant or a shoplifter but the damage has already been done. The person who was assaulted can and should sue Silwa to say the least.
All that said. This incident is every black and brown person's worst fear come true: Being targeted by groups like this because you look a certain way. Even worse is the self-justification people like Silwa like to use for arbitrarily doing that to others.
That brings me to this past weekend's shooting incident at prominent Televangelist Joel Olsteen's mega church in Houston, Texas.
I've talked about this a bit on Xitter with a few folks but the more I look at that incident, the more it stinks of setup. It's nothing more than speculation on my part but circumstances make it hard for me to believe that was a "mentally ill person" who randomly chose that location to target.
For one, it's well known to people in the area Olsteen's church has armed security who patrol the halls while it's open and 24/7 closed circuit security everywhere.
Second, the only person who died was the shooter herself. Not saying she never fired a weapon but it looks like she never actually shot anyone. Her 7 year old son and another bystander were shot--her son critically--in as a law enforcement spokesman said was "an exchange of gunfire". It's easy for them to claim that when the suspect was killed on sight and from how it sounds her son may not live very long either.
Third, the "good guys with guns" happened to be nearby when she came in and shot her before she could shoot anyone. Meaning the "good guys with guns" shot her, her son and a bystander. Let that sink in. THAT is the reality those who worship the NRA deem "acceptible collateral damage".
All that said. What I'm saying--and to be clear, this is nothing more than speculation on my part--is this was a setup. The shooter and her son were Hispanic and they happened to enter just when Spanish worship services were about to began. The incident has already been twisted and repackaged by White Christian Nationalists to claim the shooter was an illegal immigrant which obviously was not true.
That aside, it's not a secret Olsteen has local law enforcement in his pocket. It would not be hard for him to fabricate a story and distort facts to his liking with the cooperation of local law enforcement. My point is don't expect the truth to ever be known. Olsteen holds a lot of power and influence in the area as well as in most Evangelical circles not just nationwide but worldwide. It would not be hard for him to fabricate this kind of setup is what I'm saying.
Hours before yesterday's mass shooting event in Kanasas City happened, I was listening to the latest episode of Joe Trippi's podcast. In the February 13 episode he had Simon Rosenberg as a guest. Rosenberg made a comment that really stood out to me: Republican voters in red state are really getting left behind.
For the second year in a row, Massachusetts was just named the most educated state in the country and with MassReconnect they might happen a third time next year. By "most educated" we're not not talking about college or secondary education but primary education (K-12), Preschool/Pre-K (K-0-K2) and access to Museums and public libraries.
I live in Boston but I've seen the inside of public libraries in New Bedford, Chelsea, Athol and a few other places in Massachusetts. Despite retail bookstore chains like Barnes and Noble and Boarders going out of business in recent decades, Public Libraries have been and continue to be a constant here.
This is to say nothing of the fact life expectancy is much higher in "Blue" states compared to "Red" states. Yes, nationwide life expectancy is trending in the wrong direction but the reasons and causes for that are largely in Republican policies and ideologies. Even worse is culturally, they're "proud" of their apparent "race to the bottom".
This brings me back to the outrage machine that is Republican propaganda going back almost 100 years now. At the beginning, I talked about those who went to see the Southern Boarder in Texas for themselves seeing no sign of an invasion as they'd been told was happening by Right Wing pundits and politicians for decades.
I do think many will now start thinking for themselves and asking the right kinds of questions. It may not be obvious right now but we are seeing the beginning of the end of the current Republican Party. The media is not talking about the growing number of former Republican politicians at all levels who are making plans as we speak to campaign for Biden.
This is to say nothing of former MAGA people like ex-"MAGA Granny" Pam Hemphill who bravely infiltrate Trump rallies to try to talk to people and get them to start thinking for themselves. I've said this many times on this blog in 2023 but like it or not, the rest of us need to be willing and able to welcome those who've been subjected to in many cases generations of undue influence back into society. True reconciliation can't happen otherwise.
I want to end with this and it is important. Just like most Democratic voters in Red states who don't see a reason or need to move just because their political views are different from the majority, the same is also true of Republicans in Blue states. In most cases, they've lived in the state they live in all their lives and rightfully shouldn't have to move just because their political views are different from the majority.
We also NEED Democratic voters living in Red States to stay where they are and not give in to pressure to move to a Blue state. The last thing we want to do is exaserbate the political discord by having a lot of people move en masse to or from states based on their political views. That certainly should be be discouraged to say the least.
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