Afternoon Read
The New York Times has an amazing article about a woman who stopped and rendered aid to three central American migrants on the Texas border. She is Teresa Todd and she is the elected county attorney of Jeff Davis County.
Three teenagers flagged her down and she stopped to help. It was two young men and their sister. The sister was on the verge of death and the young men were not much better.
Struggling to communicate using her broken Spanish, Ms. Todd told the three young people to get out of the cold and into her car. She was phoning and texting friends for help when a sheriff’s deputy drove up, followed soon by the Border Patrol. “They asked me to step behind my car, and the supervisor came and started Mirandizing me,” said Ms. Todd, referring to being read her Miranda rights. “And then he says that I could be found guilty of transporting illegal aliens, and I’m, like, ‘What are you talking about?”
She spent 45 minutes in a holding cell that night and it appears they are going to charge her with transporting undocumented people. They confiscated her cell phone and have put her on alert. It’s a long story but it is worth your time to read.
Here’s my question: If the Super DeLux Brand Christians can use their deeply held beliefs to be mean to gay people, why can’t I use my deeply held regular sinner Christian beliefs to be good to all people? I never heard of Jesus saying to be mean and judgmental to gay people, but he was pretty damn clear on being a Good Samaritan.
It just pisses me off that we’ve let them steal our country, our religion, and our common decency. They are a bunch of money hungry charlatans and some mullet wearing thugs who don’t begin to understand the teachings of Jesus or Thomas Jefferson. Or they do just don’t damn care.
Sorry for the downer. I’ll go look for something funny.
One more thing: Teresa Todd is a genuine star-studded damn Texas hero.
Thanks to Kary for the heads up.
When I see a story like this, the thought in my head is “PLEASE put me on that jury.”
1Mike – I’m with you there. I’d even move to Texas for the privilege.
2I hope she comes out swinging, and cold-cocks this outrageous policy.
3Common sense and compassion seem to be in very short supply among law enforcement types if they exist there at all. As for Christian, I’m guessing they have a different Bible. Maybe Falwell Jr could send his for comparison. If he can find it.
4She is indeed a hero. The work of caring for migrants has many parallels with the Underground Railroad. I’m sure that the storybooks of the future will show people like this as the heroes, and portray deservedly as villains the people who drag parents and children apart, punch holes in water barrels left in the desert to save lives, and rescue those who cross their paths.
Normalizing viciousness and demonizing humaneness is not new. But it’s time to stop it.
5The simple point here, is, you are allowed to help desperate people, to keep them alive. It’s the Christian thing to do. Doesn’t matter if you think they should be crossing the border in the wrong spot, if you’re a decent human being, you give them water, warmth, and weetabix to save their lives.
If you don’t, you’re no better than a murderer.
6Think about the corollary of this arrest.
7If rendering common simple human compassion, of offering sick people, temporary shelter from the cold can now be seen as a criminal act because she did not ask for their “papers” before she let them into her car whats next?
If Salvation army soup kitchen feeds an undocumented alaien will that mean that all of their voleenteers are criminally liable?
If a church offers aid to the poor and one or more are shown to be undocumented will they be criminally liable?
If an airline/ bus/train is found to have seated an undocumented alien does this make all employees, and companies, as criminally liable?
Lawyer Welch’s dismissal of tail gunner joe can be used for the entire thuglican party now.
They have no decency or shame.
Hmmmm. County attorney. Makes decisions on filing on people charged by police. Border patrol don’t get a ticket in Jeff Davis county
8If they can do that to an elected government attorney what do you think they can do to you?
9So is the take home that you shall render assistance only outside of your property, or that the first act is to call the police?
Outside of common decency and being human, what is necessary to cover our asses from the Millerites?
What I want to know, how did the police even know the people in the car weren’t US citizens unless they had them under surveillance…
10https://www.cbp.gov/about
Empty. Words.
I am overwhelmingly disappointed in the disconnect between this story and the Ethos and Core Values defined by this web page.
11I think local cops should start arresting border patrol agents for kidnapping children. That might lead to some values clarification.
12Whereas a good 40% of the country are authoritarian followers,
13and the far-right has a massive 24/7 propaganda machine, we are skating on very thin ice as a truly free and decent society.
I wouldn’t bet the ranch on the good guys at this late hour.
I live about 20 miles south of the Canadian border.
Can’t imagine anyone leaving kids to fend for themselves without trying to help first question later.
Proverbs 28:27
14Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse.
Amazing
15There is presently a trail occuring about demented donnie walking up and kissing some (Alva Johnson -Florida) female voleenteer.
This occurred prior, but (close to similiar time frame) as the access hollywood tape hit the news.
First she had to beat the NDA’s and attempts to force her into arbitration.
Could one even imagine the media frenzy if a d was being sued for unwanted sexual assault? Think Bill Clinton, Gary Condit, Gary Edwards etc.
Yet this fly’s under the radar.
Jim Jordan has been named in a Ohio state U wrestleing team abuse case.
Yet he can appear on TV with out this ever being mentioned or being asked about it.
Gee its too bad that liberal media is so blood thirsty.
Here’s how I read those “good Christians” who arrested a Good Samaritan:
“What Jesus never said: Feed the hungry only if they have papers.
Clothe the naked only if they’re from your country.
Welcome the stranger only if there’s zero risk.
Help the poor only if it’s convenient.
Love your neighbor only if they look like you.”
Obviously reptiles don’t think like the Sermon on the Mount.
16Republicans did not do this by themselves, Repugs only account for approximately 40% of the US adult population.
In order for a Repug to get elected, Democrats and independents either vote for Republicans or else boycott the election.
Stupidity (of the extreme) must cease to cause such disasters.
17When our army first went into Bagdad, along the way one of our GI’s saw a wounded Iraqi soldier prostrate on the other side of a low barrier along the road. The GI fixed him up with some water from his own canteen etc. We applauded that Act of Mercy. We need to remember that and keep on being merciful no matter the outrageous response that might ensue from the “authorities”.
18Dan # 17
19“Republicans did not do this by themselves,”
You are right.
They have had the help of those “good” d’s such as lipinski, cuellar, munchin and all so many others who are so morally bankrupt that the agree with thuglican agenda but because of political make up of districts/states find it more convenient to run as a false flag candinate d. Usually because the thuglicans became so foul that voters rejected the party now these fools like lipinski and cuellar are trying to drag down and besmirch the d brand to as low a level a the r’s to “balance” the playing field at the lowest point possible.
That is part of why the dccc’s recent attempt to ban any primary challenges against these dishonest incumbents is so damageing to the party and the country.
That coupled with the dccc’s historical preference of a thuglican just recently claiming to change party’s while holding same positions.
It is time to chase these thuglicrats out of office and out of the party back to the thuglican sugar daddies who have paid them off for all so many years.
K says…
20There you go again with that saintly ‘Dem purity’ bullshit.
Go ahead, flip a few seats to ‘R’. Reckon you’ll be just peachy-keen with Gym Jordan as permanent Speaker of the House, eh? Putin’s puppet Trumpy and his fascist cabal would be ecstatic.
Your grasp of actual, raw, political power [IE: reality] wouldn’t survive a preschool sandbox dust up.
So you think the dccc protecting bogus d’s who are anti choice and vote with thuglican over 70% of the time is pragmatism? By that standard chamberlains Munich agreement was a great deal because it avoided such terrible purity as human rights.
21The protection they have given lipinski and cuellar has already caused a large number of college d organizations to formally boycott the dccc.
So protecting quislings is worth alienating grassroots supporters?
As for the “purity” claim it is the so called “pragmatic moderates” who have repeatedly sold out d candidates who didn’t bow down before the catechism of power for those who have used that power to promote an anti woman, anti progressive, anti human rights agenda while ingratiating themselves to their thuglican sugar daddy’s for their sweet sweet cash.
As for what is apparent about your political acumen is that you appear to be willing to sell out any and all principles, constituents and country for the inane idea that surrender is better then resistance.
Your arguments are the same as Strom Thurmond in ‘48, or lierman, or munchin. How they vote and behave in office is as, if not more, important then an political label that they conspicuously neither believe in nor support.