The thing about most Republicans is that they’re vile, despicable, horrible, and deplorable creatures whose first thought when something terrible happens is to say something terrible. But what sort of compassion would you expect from someone who uses the most vulnerable people in our society as political props?
Francisco Oropesa murdered five of his neighbors in Cleveland, Texas last week with an AK-47 after one of them asked him to stop firing shots in his yard because their baby was trying to sleep. Oropesa is currently a fugitive.
In a statement released Sunday night, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced a $50,000 reward for information that would lead to capturing the fugitive, who Abbott said was “in the country illegally and killed five illegal immigrants.”
What Abbott did that’s horrible, this time, was focus on the legal status of the victims. He didn’t even have confirmation on their legal status and it appears that at least one is a legal resident. But ya know what? None of that matters.
Other Republicans are blaming “open borders” and our immigration system for the murder while ignoring how easy it was for someone who was probably in the country illegally to obtain an assault rifle.
Nobody should be murdered or be a victim of another mass shooting, whether they’re a citizen, an immigrant, or even in the nation illegally.
When the Uvalde shooting happened, Abbott initially praised the police, who waited outside while children were being murdered. He later blamed others for the information he had received. After calling murder victims “illegal immigrants,” Abbott again blamed others for the information he had received. Greg Abbott isn’t big on taking responsibility except for deporting refugees to blue cities like Chicago for political stunts.
But even if Abbott had confirmation that each of these victims was in the country illegally, he still shouldn’t have used the term “illegal immigrant.” His back peddling over using the term doesn’t grasp that. Even the legal status of the gunman isn’t important right now. What is important is catching the killer and then doing something so that people like him don’t acquire assault weapons.
Abbott was condemned widely for his insensitive comments.
Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa said in a statement, “There is no limit to the depravity of Greg Abbott and his Texas Republican cronies. To use a mass shooting, in which five innocent souls were slaughtered execution-style – including an 8-year-old – to fearmonger and lie about migrants and the victims’ immigration status … this type of sick behavior is truly beyond the pale.”
Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter was a victim of the 2018 Parkland, Florida, school shooting, didn’t hold back and tweeted to Abbott, “you are a low life asshole. This shooting has nothing to do with immigration status and much to do with your policies. On behalf of those like my daughter who are victims of gun violence, FUCK YOU!!!”
The term “illegal immigrant” should never be used in any situation. It implies guilt before a verdict, dehumanizes and scapegoats people, is racist, and being in the nation is a civil offense, not a criminal one. It’s mostly used as a political term to rile up white people.
One of the victims was a child. San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said, “My heart is with this 8-year-old little boy. I don’t care if he was here legally. I don’t care if he was here illegally. He was in my county. Five people died in my county, and that is where my heart is — in my county, protecting my people to the best of our ability.”
Governor Greg Abbott should have said something like that, but honestly…he’s not capable. Not only can’t he express genuine sympathy without being vile, but he’s not even capable of hiring someone to do it for him. You would think that one person on his staff would have said before the statement was released, “Hey, maybe we don’t use the racist term today.”
But how genuine can your sympathy really be toward individuals that if you had the chance beforehand, you would have just deported to Chicago as a political stunt to own the libs and play to your racist yee-haw base? I’m with Fred Guttenberg. Fuck you, Abbott.
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Yee-haw abbott and his merry band of racists strike again – a person is a human being, regardless of their status, but they look down ( like we all look down at abbott) because of what, a piece of paper that says your legal to be there. Totally agree – Fuck you abbott.
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Reblogged this on It Is What It Is and commented:
LOATHSOME sack of skin!! … Abbot sucks!! — “What Abbott did that’s horrible, this time, was focus on the legal status of the victims. He didn’t even have confirmation on their legal status and it appears that at least one is a legal resident. But ya know what? None of that matters.”
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I agree with all you say. When I first heard of Fred Guttenberg’s comment yesterday, I did a fist pump with a loud “YES!” Governor Abbott is just like DeSantis … all mouth, no heart, no brain.
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These politicians, are, basing their policies, off of the political parties’ beliefs, instead of doing what’s right or, just, based off of what’s, conscientious, that is why, countries all around the world are, crumbling, down, being RULED, by, politics.
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The politicians are deplorable and represent the voters that voted them in office.
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This sad, sad story gets even sadder when you come to the realization that the person who sold the gun to Francisco Oropesa, who clearly could not produce legitimate identification, will face no repercussions.
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Clay and fans: everything all of you have said is true. No excuse for Abbott. I recently watched Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and it was about the “crisis” at the Mexican Border. He had clips of republicans bitching about how every single american’s life is at risk. Blaming Biden of course. Actually didn’t Biden specifically assign VP Harris with 1 task and that was to find solutions to the immigration situation (which she has NOT done). (I really couldn’t be less impressed with her.) Anyway republicans will do SAY or do ANYTHING to avoid gun control. I heard that in Texas there is a bill about to pass which would require all 3rd graders(on up) to be taught how to administer first aid to gunshot victims using first aid kits in classrooms. You will notice that school shootings are considered inevitable and are NOT going to be stopped therefore kids need to know what to do. WTF???
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What about all the angry white guys armed to the teeth who seem to be involved in a shooting nearly every damn day? They’re American citizens. Where can we deport them to make the country a little more safe?
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