US Army officer brutalized by police in Virginia.  This has just got to stop.

Last night in Saline Michigan a meeting of parents in the local high school was held to discuss the problem of rising racism in this small town.  The town is mostly white, but also is populated by immigrants from Latin America and south Asia.  Racism against these children of immigrants including verbal and physical abuse.  During the meeting, Adrian Iraola, who immigrated to Michigan in 1980 from Mexico, was telling his experience with his son who has been verbally abused by white students.  In mid-sentence, Iraola was interrupted by a white guy sitting behind him saying, “Then why didn’t you stay in Mexico?”  The crowd in the room responded as you can imagine, but the man seemed non-plussed, and acted as if his behavior was somehow OK.

The problem we have building in America is that the current resident of the WH has made this attitude somewhat acceptable, at least in conservative circles.  This is the cancer in our society that has metastasized, threatening the entire body politic helped along by Trump.   Here’s a video of the incident.

Holy Jesus.  Today, for some unknown reason, Tarrant Country Sheriff, and Guy Who Listens to Too Much Rush Limbaugh, Bill Waybourn, was asked to address the nation from the White House press room about immigration.  Before I discuss his shameful tirade, I’ll give him a little advice about one bad habit that he, and many other ignorant big tuff guys from Texas have…

TAKE OFF YOUR FUCKING HAT.

If Ol’ Man Papa Jefe were alive today and in that room, he would’ve slapped that silly Cavender’s-Made-in-China Chamber Pot off his head telling him he had no manners wearing his hat in the house. He would ask loudly if he was raised in a barn, which apparently Waybourn was.  I learned that lesson early and well.

Now, onto said Waybourn’s hateful statement – during his rant, he had some choice things to say about those dark skinned people coming across our southern border.  Among his remarkable claims were that “they are drunks who will run over your children,” and “they will run over my children.”  He ranted on and on about a “California judge making law,” and other nonsense.

What an embarrassment.  Using the platform of the White House for these kinds of screeds in uniform is nothing short of shameful.  Here it is if you can hold your nose long enough.  The screed starts around 46:00.

UPDATED: Mark Tice, Chambers County commissioner, insulted Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo for speaking Spanish at a press conference about the aftermath of the ITC terminal fire that blackened our skies for several days last week.  On the live feed comment thread of a press conference, Tice blurted out, “She’s a joke; English this is not Mexico.”  When asked later by the Houston Chronicle about the comment, he confirmed saying it and added, “It’s real simple. This is the United States. Speak English.”

While shocking to normal people, this kind of language is common among Texas Teapublicans, who wear their xenophobia as a badge of honor.  Most of these guys, though, keep their ranting to Facebook and in private circles.  Some are blatantly offensive, like Texas Ag Commissioner Sid Miller who regularly spews bile on his social media pages.  Welp, here’s another one from Chambers County.  He’s a racist pig, and doesn’t care who knows it; he apparently thinks it’s fine to insult a colleague from a neighboring county government.  It will be interesting what Ms Hidalgo’s response will be the next time Chambers County asks for emergency assistance after a storm and/or flood.

Maybe “Habla Español” would be a good answer.

UPDATE: Mark Tice apologized publicly to Hidalgo for showing her and the public that he’s a racist prick.  When he spouted off to her on a public comment board to “speak English”, he was probably a little surprised that being a flaming asshole in public is generally not a good thing to do.  He issued a full apology sometime late yesterday:

“In regards to the comments I issued on Judge Hidalgo’s press conference: From my understanding, there were reporters asking questions in Spanish and Judge Hildalgo responded to those questions in Spanish, with no translation given. If that is not the case, then I sincerely apologize. Like many citizens concerned about the ITC fires, I was very emotional about the effect it was having on everyone. I apologize to Judge Hidalgo, the citizens of my County, and most importantly the entire Hispanic community for hastily acting out with transgression on social media. I recognize how my response could have been interpreted in a derogatory manner and for that I am sorry. I immediately regretted my choice of words. I’m not proud of my behavior, that is not the example I wish to lead by. I can only hope, in time, that my actions can be forgiven. Having grown up in Galena Park, Texas— a place that is and has always been a very diverse community—I was raised with the ideology that you do not judge anyone by their ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. Those values mean everything to me. It breaks my heart that I may have said anything that would lead anyone to believe otherwise. Those who know me well, know how deeply rooted I am within the Hispanic community. My sentiments on this issue were grounded in the passion and love that I have for the City of Houston and the surrounding areas. Again, I am truly sorry for for creating this unnecessary situation.”

When asked about his comments to the Chronicle, Tice wrote:

“My comments towards Judge Hidalgo today in the Chronicle were inappropriate. I apologize for that. I was very emotional, and said things that I regret. Again, I am truly sorry.”

“My response could have been interpreted in a derogatory manner.”  Ya’ think? In what other way could that insult be taken other than derogatory?  In what world does a guy like Tice live where being a caustic racist in public is OK? Chambers County, apparently. The good thing, though, is that occasionally, even mouthbreathers like this clown can be shamed into not acting like a complete prick to others 24/7.

This idiot is a guy named Graham Allen, who’s a loudmouthed radical partisan with a “show” on Blaze TV (that’s right, Glen Beck’s online manure factory).  Apparently, ol’ Graham didn’t like Gillette’s new television commercial that encourages men to stop teaching their boys to be ignorant assholes.  He WANTS his boys to be ignorant assholes, so he thought he would get them off to a running start by posting a pic of his small children holding deadly weapons.

This member of Y’all Qaeda wanted to get an early start for his recruits so he can do his part perpetuating ignorance, misogyny, and intolerance.  Looks like he’s doing a good job of doing just that.

Trump is an idiot, and we all know it.  Now it comes to light, via Lindsey Graham, that the shutdown is being lead by none other than Trump’s white supremacist boy, Stephen Miller.  Every time senators get Trump to pull his head out of this Twitter long enough to make a deal, Miller runs in and jerks it back.  This little shit is making life miserable for everyone, and it’s time for Trump to send him the way of Steve Bannon and all the other creatures who’ve been pushed out.  The Hill has good reading and video on the little snake.