I detect a little hypocrisy in Duane A. Rasmussen’s Trumpian letter criticizing Congressman Filemon Vela.
I say Trumpian because he seems to want to copy the President’s practice of always labeling his critics by referring to the Congressman as “Little Filemon.” Remember the President calling Senator Cruz “Lying Ted” and Sen. Warren “Pocahantus?”
What good does that do?
Rasmussen also is critical of the Congressman “trashing” the President. Well, I think history reflects that every person who has served as president of our great nation has been criticized for one reason or another.
The language, nowadays, has something to be desired. But who started this trend? From the very day he announced for president, Mr. Trump started trashing everyone everything he did not like and anyone who did not agree with him.
I guess Rasmussen did not see the speeches Mr. Trump gave during the campaign where he used various vulgarities, not only in front of adults, but in front of children.
If Rasmussen heard those vulgarities, I wonder if he thought of telling Melania to clean up her husband’s “speech so that he doesn’t punctuate his hate so much with vulgarities” like he suggests Mother Vela do?
Rasmussen also questions the Congressman for not getting a deal done on DACA. Unfortunately, the political climate now in Washington makes it difficult to make deals.
He doesn’t understand how those things work. Republican’s are in control, they have the votes and thus can get just about anything done.
Sometimes they need the democrats and they try to negotiate an agreement.
However, sometimes they cannot all agree. Some folks still vote on principal, which the Congressman did.
I don’t know why so much hatred for these DACA kids. Look, my dad left Mexico in his teens during the Mexican revolution of 1917.
He and another fellow crossed into Texas at a time when many Anglo-Americans “migrated” to south Texas in search of opportunity.
They bought land that was nothing but brush and a lot of mesquite trees.
My dad, like many other Mexicans, worked clearing land from Brownsville to Falfurrias. They were needed for this work and so they weren’t bothered like they are today.
A border patrol supervisor befriended my dad and suggested he get his papers in order. Not only that, but he helped him get that done and in 1924 he became a permanent resident. I still have that card.
After World War II started a lot of farmworkers went off to war. There was then a need to have people cultivate and harvest the crops that were needed to support the war effort.
No one was deported like they are now. Everyone, including pre-teens like myself, were needed and we did our part.
After Korea came up, the same thing happened, only this time they started the Bracero Program to legalize the entry of Mexican workers. Why.
Because there was a need for labor.
Immigrants are here because not everyone is going to work the fields, the dairy farms, or do the other menial jobs that only immigrants will do.
They do it because they need the work and know how to do it and there is a demand for that labor. Ask the dairy farmers up north or the farmers who have crops to harvest.
The DACA kids have grown up in America, they know nothing other than being American, many are educated and can contribute to the betterment of our country. They’ve been doing it for years.
As for the Border Patrol being in favor of the wall, no surprise, it makes their work easier.
Melchor Chavez, Harlingen