By EDUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ
McALLEN, Texas | The note from the Texas state trooper was one of those profiles in courage. We say that because the trooper could have just looked the other way, as most troopers nearby were doing. But he'd seen the carnage being cause by razor wire Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered placed along the U.S. side of the Rio Grande.
"I truly believe in the mission of Operation Lone Star; I believe we have stepped over a line into the inhumane," trooper Nicholas Wingate wrote to a Dept. of Public Safety sergeant. "We need to operate it correctly in the eyes of God. We need to recognize that these are people who are made in the image of God and need to be treated as such."
At his feet were desperate women with children bearing ripped skin, bloody scratches running up and down arms as they had tried to get past the indomitable wiring more often than not used in military operations. Abbott's cruel orders had also included the instructions that children be thrown back into the river.
More troopers declined that one.
It is the top story of the day in Austin, Dallas and Houston, major metropolitan cities where the governor's cold-hearted approach is not selling.
Most Texans agree that the border should be monitored; they do not agree with the use of razor-wire or with the idea of grabbing kids and then tossing them back into the river.
Trooper Wingate is a medic with the DPS. He is trained to take care of injuries, but he sets limits on being part of the operation that is causing the injuries.
Abbott, a Republican, has said nothing about the trooper's bold stance, or about whether he will amend his policy. He has never backed-off previous approaches to stemming the tide of migrants wanting to get across the river and into the U.S.
It also is not known whether the "big drop" in migrant apprehensions of late plays into his mental methodology.
Is it amendable based on the extent of the problem or is Abbott whole hog wanting to be the national ogre here? Up to now, during this term in office, the governor has not wavered from a hard-ass approach to a problem on the border he sees as being more "out of control" than it likely is. But that's politics, only some Texans do not want children bleeding as they try to seek asylum, refuge from what their parents left back home, usually crime, few jobs or oppressive governments.
Will Abbott relent?
Will other troopers brave firing by noting the ugly, inhumane side of the governor's policies?
It says here that Abbott will not budge. It is not his children being lacerated.
Slashed.
Mangled.
Butchered.
Snagged.
Pick any one of those words. That's what happening at the northern banks of the Rio Grande. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has to have heard about Trooper Wingate's email to his supervisor. Nothing, however, came back from Abbott in the form of a response...
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Border security should be at the forefront, but if these actions are accurate, it goes beyond inhumane treatment & should be denounced by all. There's got to be a better way to secure our border without causing deaths or serious injuries to anyone.Human smuggling, many of which are children, illegally cross our border daily. How do we address this?
ReplyDelete1) more boots on the ground along our Southern border, with the necessary tools to curb the crossings & better vetting of all child sponsors. 2) Increase law enforcement on our roads & highways inland. 3) using K9 units for all Southbound traffic trained to detect cash & weapons. 4) sentencing guidelines to include a minimum of 20 yrs or life in prison without parole for those convicted of human smuggling.5) electing people that will support border security & our initiatives that curb illegal crossings. Stopping any illegal activity along our border is a multi prong attack. It takes addressing several components of these issues & recognizing that there is no easy quick solution.