“We should be sending the Red Cross to the border not the National Guard..."

[babylonsister]

http://www.politicususa.com/2014/07/21/democratic-rep-strongly-criticizes-rick-perrys-decision-militarize-texas-border.html

Democratic Rep Strongly Criticizes Rick Perry’s Decision To Militarize Texas’ Border
By: Justin Baragona
Monday, July, 21st, 2014, 4:08 pm


On Monday, Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) criticized Texas Governor Rick Perry’s announcement that he will send 1,000 National Guard troops to Texas’s border with Mexico. Perry is calling this move Operation Strong Safety and said it is necessary to help further secure the border. The governor has also called on President Obama to hire 3,000 more border patrol agents to patrol along the Rio Grande River. This is all in the wake of the ongoing humanitarian crisis involving migrant children from Central America, who are making their way to the U.S. border.

Politico reported that Castro sent out an email after he was informed of Perry’s decision to send troops to the border. In the email, the Congressman had the following to say:

“We should be sending the Red Cross to the border not the National Guard to deal with this humanitarian crisis. The children fleeing violence in Central America are seeking out border patrol agents. They are not trying to evade them. Why send soldiers to confront these kids? Militarizing our border is the wrong response to the arrival of children.I remain hopeful that our state can provide a more helpful response than to send armed soldiers to greet children seeking refuge from violence.”

snip//

Besides the cost, there really isn’t a reason to send the National Guard to the border. The children who are fleeing Central America are willingly going to agents and turning themselves in once they reach the border. Border security isn’t an issue so much as there is a logjam in the system when it comes to dealing with the high number of individuals who need to be processed after being detained. Also, there is a basic need for supplies and housing to deal with the increased amount of detained refugees.

Instead, Perry is merely interested in creating a certain visual to appeal to right-wing voters as he prepares himself for another sure-to-be ill-fated run for the White House. He gets to send National Guardsmen to the border in order to stop the invasion that is coming through. He gets to tout himself as a man of action and even gives this operation a cool-sounding name. However, this won’t do anything to actually address the crisis. The National Guard can’t enforce immigration law and can’t even stop immigrants from crossing the border. They are merely there for window dressing, all in an effort to make Perry look ‘strong.’

Perry, like other Republicans, isn’t interested in finding any real solutions. Instead, he just wants to use this humanitarian crisis as a way to rile up the ‘Old Angry White Guy’ base ahead of 2016.

[sheshe2]

1. Joaquin Castro is exactly right.

We should be sending the Red Cross to the border not the National Guard to deal with this humanitarian crisis. The children fleeing violence in Central America are seeking out border patrol agents. They are not trying to evade them. Why send soldiers to confront these kids? Militarizing our border is the wrong response to the arrival of children.I remain hopeful that our state can provide a more helpful response than to send armed soldiers to greet children seeking refuge from violence.”

Thanks bsis. What could possibly go wrong when the national guard arrives at the boarder heavily armed? Oh right... never mind.

[Wait Wut]

3. Hopefully...

...Rep. Castro can keep this up long enough to humiliate Perry. Is that possible? Anyway, maybe if everyone copied and pasted that paragraph and emailed/faxed/mailed it to Perry, news agencies/sites, other TX critters...it would grow legs.

[Wait Wut]

2. Love the Castros!

Granted, I don't live in TX, so not exactly sure how effectual they are, but looking forward to hearing more from the twins down the political road.

Excellent idea, Rep. Castro!!

[sheshe2]

4. Kicking! nt

[DeadLetterOffice]

5. K & R

[Thinkingabout]

6. I guess I must have missed something along the line, the kids have not broken any laws before

stepping on US soil. After they step on our soil and he throws his national guard in front of them this would mean Perry is ordering the national guard to break the law Bush signed in 2008 which says they have to be processed before sending them back. Could someone help me on this?

Back on the sensible side, WHO in their right mind would send armed national guard troops to meet a bunch of kids? Goes to show the world Perry should be examined to see if he is sane. A presidential hopeful, the GOP needs to jump on top of this and tell him they will not back him for anything if he continues with his insane decisions.

[Submariner]

7. That's not manly enough for a Texas republican

Ricky needed to puff up his chest and try to come off as a bad ass and not the maggot turd that he is.

[OneAngryDemocrat]

8. There is a Reason...

There is a reason why Gov. Rick Perry wants to deploy the National Guard on our southern border in Texas, rather than deploying the Regular Army, or simply increasing the personnel who serve with the Border Patrol...

There is a reason as to why Republican Congressman Tom Tancredo once characterized any potential Guard deployment to our border with Mexico, when he said, "We train National Guard all over the country, and there is no reason why we shouldn't be conducting that training on our borders,'' despite the fact that this ''training'' would include un-planned live-fire exercises with Mexican Coyotes, and drug smugglers...

Soldiers in the Regular Army receive more benefits (Veterans Administration housing, and business loans, a beefed-up GI Bill college program, as well as family medical care, etc) than either Reserve component, or National Guard, troops.

Deploying Guard units would enable Rick Perry to send America's Citizen Soldiers into harm's way, for two week tours, without having to honor these dedicated warriors with all of those benefits that Congress has seen fit to bestow upon those who serve their nation, full time.

Soldiers serving in the Reserve, and National Guard, must be on Active Duty for 90+ days to be considered for those benefits which Active Duty soldiers receive as a matter of course.

The Rickster's planned deployment would not give these Guardsmen the 90+ days they would need to qualify for these Active Duty benefits.

In other words, Rick Perry plans to endanger the lives of those men and women who have volunteered for the Guard, by placing them into the line of fire, without actually owning up to the dangerous service that they would be asked to perform.

The Governor's plan is, therefore, shameful, and a complete disgrace.

[SalviaBlue]

19. Interesting

and sounds about right. Shamful and disgusting.

[malaise]

9. I thought border control belonged to the Federal government

not states.

[GeorgeGist]

11. Maybe Perry plans to pull a Cliven Bundy™

[Half-Century Man]

14. Excuse me sir, are you that big an idiot?

You are in an urban area with your finger on the trigger of a cocked firearm when there is not a crisis event going on.
I gauge the frivolity of the moment by your vapid grin.

You are a remarkably poor role model. Everyone but you knows that.

[libdem4life]

18. 1st Place Winner for Blithering Idiot.

[Stryst]

10. I'm actualy pretty worried

hat the cartels are going to eiher start holding these kids for ransom, orconvincing them to mule drugs across the border with false promises of sending money to the kids families. Having compasion with these kids is the best way to convince them to tell someone about it.

Apologies for the errors, I cant type on these tablet things so I'll fix it later.

[Half-Century Man]

12. Send a thousand troops

A MASH unit, The Army Corp of Engineers, the Sea Bees, and every cook, medical orderly, office clerk, and teacher you can lay your hands on.
Come armed, cause there are a couple hundred armed racist dickheads working themselves into a frenzy.

[oldandhappy]

13. OMG Kudos to Castro.

Yes. The Red Cross. Doughnuts, not guns!

[hedgehog]

15. Bravo!

[Iwillnevergiveup]

16. Right - it's a humanitarian crisis

not an invasion. Rep. Castro deserves a lot of credit and respect and PUBLICITY!

K&R

[libdem4life]

17. Seeing the Castros in the news more and more...add in Wendy Davis...gets an old liberal

darn near riled up. Texas Purple, maybe?