Good morning…weird morning…

I posted a reply from Texas Dan the other day, along with my reply, along with his reply, and then along with my reply. I posted it because I wanted to have folks see different views and thoughts on a touchy subject. All seemed to go well…till this morning when I read the latest from Texas Dan.

Texas Dan replied to that article…and I started having some doubts creep into my head.

In the past I have caught several AI bots and a couple of agent-provocateurs posting comments to my articles. For the most part it was pretty easy to do. Now I’m not so sure…at least when it comes to Texas Dan.

The actual reason I am posting all of this will be at the end of this article.

So let me post Texas Dan’s latest reply in total, then I will make a couple comments…

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Texas Dan writes:

Your blog, your rules and this will be my last comment or visit because you have clearly set yourself as similar to the 30 odd % during the Founding who predated Reginald Denny with the mewling “why can’t we all get along”.I love how you immediately label me as right wing and pro violence – but I think it’s a mantle I will wear with pride. The problem with you moderate libertarian types, is you actually can’t have it both ways in situations like this.

So here’s a thought experiment. I actually take more issue with the current protestors and the “squishy middle” than I did with the war protestors in 68 or even Ms. Sheehan. Why? Because things like police actions or interventions in SE Asia or the Middle East can be abstract enough to engender thoughtful protest. And forget saying those were government sanctioned and thus legal activities. No declaration of war for 11 and 18 year conflicts is bogus and everyone knows it.

Today, you have a fully funded mob that is advocating the complete nullification of federal law and our borders and are willing to impede, obstruct and even harm the people we entrust to ensure those laws and our borders are enforced. If you had Dr. King marching peacefully, totes cool. But this lot? No.

You and they want to change the laws, there’s a process and if you can’t get want you want that way because throwing open our borders is a death sentence to legislators, you work to fully gain the levers of power in the government and you go Lincoln on the people that actually prefer secure borders and deporting the 50 million people here who are breaking the law, just by being here!

You can beleive that failure to protect our borders and that illegals are not corrosive to our society, all you want. I don’t. And I actually do wish we could all get along. But I am curious, at what point do you finally reach a moment when you are willing to stand your ground and say this isn’t the America I signed up for? Understanding that violence orders of magnitude worse than two idiots getting killed in MSP may be required? I lived in Europe for years in my youth and there are places today in London and Paris I now can’t go. It’s too late there, probably too late for MSP. I have chosen that I’m not one who will say “everything is fine” and leave this rot to my great grandchildren.

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Texas Dan made a reference “…why can’t we all get along…” and the Founding Fathers…making it sound like he was complaining about me wanting the citizens of the US to get along. I am kind of baffled by that. Why? Because the Founding Fathers worked for decades trying to do just that…get along as British subjects loyal to the King and avoid a bloody revolution that they weren’t even sure they could win. It wasn’t until years of attempts to improve conditions did the Founders finally decide on armed resistance. So I am not sure what Texas Dan is thinking here.

Then Texas Dan said this “…I love how you immediately label me as right wing and pro violence…” Ah, problem…I never said that in my posts…or even intimated that.

Next Texas Dan goes off on an anti-war binge. One I actually agree with, but it sounded as if he was arguing with me when I essentially agree with his position in my original post. Weird.

Next he makes it sound as if not only do I want to change laws to not secure our borders but to also not deport folks. That is the exact opposite of what I have said from the very beginning of this mess some 5 years ago. I’ve even publicly thanked President Trump for securing our borders. And I’ve made it perfectly clear I want to deport the illegal aliens, especially those who have committed crimes in our country. Again, weird.

But here is where Texas Dan goes way off the rails…”But I am curious, at what point do you finally reach a moment when you are willing to stand your ground and say this isn’t the America I signed up for?” Whoa…I have been standing my ground on the American situation and it not being our Founder’s America since 2009 on the Internet…posting thousands of comments and articles. I’ve also made it clear that I do not support the violent protesting in MN and I also object to the violence against the ICE officers. Yes, I oppose some of the violence against peaceful demonstrators, especially killing them. Who wouldn’t oppose killing people that are not an imminent threat to anyone?

But here is the kicker that makes me think that Texas Dan is either an AI bot or an agent-provocateur…

“Understanding that violence orders of magnitude worse than two idiots getting killed in MSP may be required?”

Read his statement again, please. Did you catch the two parts of that statement that should rock you to your very core?

#1 – He called both of the people killed by I.C.E. agents “idiots”? Yeah, he is disparaging two dead people who died for no reason whatsoever. Both were passionate folks doing what they thought was right trying to defend who they saw as not being able to defend themselves. That’s called perspective. Neither person was an actual threat to anyone else. Maybe you disagree with their position on the issue, I get that. Maybe they were doing things that you object to, I get that also. But to call these two dead folks idiots…that is not decent behavior by any decent person…period.

#2 – He is clearly calling for the violence against the protesters to increase? Yup, he used the term “required”. Who in their right mind wants violence against the protesters to be more than killing them? Read his words, “… violence orders of magnitude worse…” What decent, or even sane person, wants this situation to escalate beyond the killing of two people? I would think that a decent, sane, normal, reasonable person would want the violence to deescalate so more protesters aren’t killed and more ICE agents aren’t attacked. But, it appears Texas Dan wants that violence to set worse…at least that is how I read his words.

When I take his post in total…a complete read…I am more and more convinced that Texas Dan is an AI bot trying to stir up trouble and conflict. Its post rambles, refers to things I didn’t say, and clearly has no connection to the positions I’ve taken and words I have written.

However, I could be 100% wrong…maybe Texas Dan is an agent-provocateur. There is one main reason I say that…he is clearly advocating for more violence against the protesters…more violence than killing two of them. And he uses very violent terms such as “… death sentence…” when referring to politicians.

But I could be wrong about all of that…maybe Texas Dan is just a fellow senior citizen that is passionate about his vision of America. My clue to that comes when he refers to having “great grandchildren”. So maybe all-in-all this is simply about him misunderstanding what I am saying, and advocating for vs his vision of what the situation is. That is a very real possibility.

To Texas Dan, if you are actually a real person…I appreciate the time you took to respond to my articles and my replies regarding this situation. I can see your passion and your love for America. And if we sat down over a lunch of chicken fried steak I bet we would be lock-step on 90% of everything American. And here is the sad part…all we can do is share our thoughts and opinions via the words on a screen vs knowing a person in real-life and know their soul. I am sorry you won’t be back, I’ve always welcomed different opinions…although I am not shy about voicing my opposing opinion(s) as needed. But, Texas Dan, you are always welcomed here should you decide to come back.

To all, As I get older my view of America has changed. No, my patriotism hasn’t changed…well, it’s gotten stronger. What has changed are my views on life and the sanctity of life…even with those lives I may not agree with. Taking a life, or watching someone’s life being taken, is a troubling situation as best…horrifying at worst. And I think that is as it should be. Someone losing their life is a tragedy by any definition. Taking a life should be a last resort above all. The words to American the Beautiful come ringing back in my ears…

“O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!”

The last stanza is the one that has impacted me the most lately…”mercy more than life!”

And these words have also come to have more meaning to me as I grow older…

“And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us.”

Then again…maybe I am just turning into an obstinate grumpy old man who thinks I know everything.

Whatever the case…please pray for America…we need it…

…they need it.

 

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