If some big news story broke — like the bomb threat emptying the Los Angeles school district — would CNN or any of the other cable news networks cover it? CNN has given it little thought today, this being the Republican presidential debate day. Well, there is Fox News, but we won’t talk about them. Al Jazzera perhaps, or not.
But all of the CNN stars are back from the terror attack in California and talking non-stop from Las Vegas with the clock ticking away: “15 min. 36 sec.” “22” “11” “02.”
I will probably watch a little of it — very little. There are new episodes of “NCIS” and “NCIS, New Orleans” to watch.
Oh well, I’m sure the hot air from the Republican candidates on CNN will remain into the 9 p.m. (Central) hour. If not, that’s all that that will be discussed on whomever is hosting the after-debate programs.
Crap. I’m already tired of this election and it is still many months from today.
Hidy hi friends and neighbors. I realize it has been a week or so since I last published but, well, you probably don’t want to hear my lame-ass excuse so I will just leave it at that.
Yesterday, I traveled across the border — of Texas and Louisiana — to Lake Charles for a visit with my brother. He is recuperating in a hospital following a quadruple coronary bypass.
Somewhere between the Texas-Louisiana border and Lake Charles, I spotted the tell-tale white and green SUVs used by the Border Patrol. I think they are called “Customs and Border Protection (CPB)” nowadays although the two trucks sitting in the median of I-10 bore the traditional name of Border Patrol.
I wondered what they were doing there in Southwestern Louisiana less than 30 miles from the Louisiana and Texas border. I see Border Patrol trucks in Beaumont once in awhile but never stalking motorists, at least in this part of the country.
A couple of scenarios about Border Patrol hanging out on I-10 in Southwestern Louisiana, came to mind. Perhaps they had intelligence about some truck coming out of Texas hauling illegals. Perhaps they were making stops of anyone with a brown or olive complexions. I would not be surprised if the agency, part of the Department of Homeland Security, was out there to protect the homeland.
A CPB agent cuffs a Mexican national. Border Patrol photo
I found out by searching the Web that the Border Patrol has a station in Lake Charles because, like Beaumont, it is a port city. I also found that a “port of entry” station is located in Port Arthur that also serves Beaumont. The Border Patrol has a number of stations and checkpoints throughout the South and Southwest. Perhaps the most notorious of those can be found at Sierra Blanca, on I-10.
Since 1974 the Border Patrol or CPB as it is now known has maintained a checkpoint near the small town of Sierra Blanca, which is almost 80 miles southeast of El Paso — as the crow flies. Every car traveling east on I-10 must enter that station. It wasn’t much of a big deal from 1977 to 1984, the times during which I most traveled through the station. Back then, the exercise was much like entering back into the U.S. from Ciudad Juarez to El Paso. You didn’t come to a complete stop, most of the time, and would be on your way if you answered the question — Nationality? — from the border agent as “American.” Sometimes there were random checks. I never went through one there in Sierra Blanca, thankfully. I went through a not-so-random check once while riding as a passenger in my friend’s car returning to El Paso.
My friend, who is Mexican-American, said the Border Patrol kept a database of cars that had been involved in previous incidents such as a stop in which pot had been discovered. I don’t think he had ever been busted at the border, but perhaps a friend was wanted on some charge.
So in El Paso, the big German Shepherd dope dog sniffed all through my friend’s car. I knew with reasonable certainty that no pot that was carried back from Mexico. Brought into Mexico, well … ? The dog was sniffing like crazy at what was a portable bar in the trunk. My friend said it was possible some weed had been stashed in it at one time. The agents couldn’t find anything on the car or on us, so there we went on our merry way.
But that was then and this is now. The Border Patrol these days has dogs that supposedly can sniff out drugs of all kinds — and possibly explosives or gun powder — when a vehicle drives up. The people get caught, more often than not, with small amounts of marijuana. It is quite routine in Sierra Blanca, Texas.
Those with many famous names have been popped and eventually taken to the small courthouse in Sierra Blanca where often-overwhelmed deputies will many times write a ticket for possession for a small amount of pot. Among the celebrities were Willie Nelson and Snoop Dog. This process, and how it reflects on a portion of the drug war gone very badly, is told in this excellent Texas Monthly story written by Al Reinert. The writer, who co-wrote the screenplay for “Apollo 13,” was arrested with a small amount a couple of years ago and tells a very entertaining story though it depicts how millions of taxpayers’ dollars are doled out on small-time pot busts in Sierra Blanca.
The checkpoints are numerous in the Southwest. If you want to transport illegal drugs, you best go through one of the checkpoints without drugs and buy them somewhere like Kansas City and head to wherever it is you are going. Then good luck with all the small towns who all have their own drug dog.
I know the CPB does very important work and are a big part of preventing people like the San Bernardino terrorists from killing more Americans. Perhaps the current homegrown or self-radicalized terrorists we are facing like to get high, although it doesn’t seem like any self-respecting Jihadist would be your average pothead. Still, I hope those two Border Patrol trucks I saw yesterday on I-10 in Louisiana aren’t spending their time trying to bust a person with a small amount of marijuana. There are more serious tasks.
It also seems as if these days with all the danger we supposedly face in the homeland, a bong hit might not be the worst treatment for what ails you.
I don’t think I can add to the statement below. I hope even those who support Trump realize that such a “policy” is xenophobic with a capital “X” or perhaps it is bigotry. Why quibble on words? It is wrong. It is wrong for a leading candidate for a party nomination for president of the United States to even float such a notion.
Read it. Think about it.
A proposal that would prohibit those of an entire religious group from entering the United States of America — a religion that is the world’s second largest. What if nations, our allies, like the United Kingdom were to prohibit Episcopals ? What’s next Donald, a war with the Vatican?
If it comes to this, ISIS or Al Quida or whomever these people call themselves, have won.
It turns out this shooting in San Bernadino, Calif., is more complicated and much likely terrorism of some sort.
This incident takes many paths much like 9/11 but, the pathways are potentially more dangerous if you can get a handle on that. We face threats ahead, some are from our own political hacks. Republican senators shot down (sorry) a bill that would allow those on the FBI’s terror watch list to buy even more guns.The GOP says nothing can be impeded in buying guns. It’s guns, guns and more guns! Our own Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn, was responsible for that great legislative move. Old bastard, he needs to retire so our Texas voters can vote in another crackpot like Ted Cruz.
I was thinking yesterday how the NRA and its supporters here in Texas want everybody armed and that those Texans should wear those weapons on their hip. That might pose a challenge for some people carrying long guns. I mean, people armed with a handgun would be outgunned with people like this couple in California. Unless! Unless the NRA decides everyone should buy AR-15s or big freakin’ tanks!!!
At least our younger Americans are learning a good history lesson, Unfortunately, some of those lessons are not so good.
Police in Beaumont, Texas, where I live, received several calls during the early afternoon yesterday, saying gunshots were being fired at a Beaumont school district alternative disciplinary center.
“On Thursday, December 03, 2015 at approximately 2:40 pm Beaumont Police dispatchers received a 911 call of “Someone shooting at Pathways Learning Center, Beaumont Police Officer Jose Ornelas, said in a press release.
“First Officers arrived at 2:47. the caller called a second time at 2:52 saying they are still shooting, Officers began to enter the school and searched room to room and hallway to hallway. The caller made two more calls and said they were passing ‘Target’ (the store) at that time it was determined that the caller was on a school bus. Dispatchers contacted the Bus Dispatchers and advised the bus driver to stop the bus.”
Police found three students, ages 11, 15 and 17 on the bus. Ornelas did not say what the officers did with the kids. Officers did file reports for “Abuse of 911 System.”
The police spokesman said 15 Beaumont police officers responded to the call along with a school district police officer.
Just another day in the life in Beaumont, Texas, USA. The land of guns, guns and more guns,
Another massacre. Does it really matter if it foreign terrorists, religious fanatics, anti-government, mass stupidity, etc. etc.? I suppose it does but for the moment just cops, bad guys.
My friend Paul, e-mails me from Tokyo he has awakened to this. The first thought as I stand in line at a CVS that, man I still can’t believe I am communicating in relatively real time. That’s a strange thought because I was in my 30s before using a computer as a matter of routine.
Just now a Los Angeles TV helicopter from KABC, is showing a shot up black SUV. The suspect reportedly fled the mass shooting in a black SUV. The reporter from the helicopter says there is a body, possibly a long gun at his feet. Police officers are staying back to ensure there isn’t someone else or a bomb in the vehicle. Live, in (somewhat) living color TV.
Lots of cops, lots and lots of cops. CNN reporting that a police official says one suspect is down. I am watching the live scene in a San Bernadino, apparently it is not a long distance from the scene of the senseless slaughter of at least 14 dead and 17 wounded. Sorry if I use an oxymoron “senseless and slaughter.”
I will write more later. How much later, I don’t know. ‘Scuse any errors. This is being hastily done because so much is taking place. Later.
