TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HEARTLESS

Normally, I begin with Key West activities and matters of interest. Then move on to political observations, etc.

This morning a couple of things are sufficiently bothering me that I am opening with them. Key West matters follow.

The law is the law. Sounds absolute. It is and is not. There are exceptions to every law. I know. I practiced law for 46 years.

A present day example involves blacks killed by police officers. In most instances appears to be murder. However indictment of police officers extremely rare. There is an exception to a murder charge where the police officer is the perpetrator. If the police officer believes he is in danger of death, he can shot  and kill with no legal liability.

A national disgrace occurred yesterday morning at the Orlando Airport. Alejandra Juarez was deported to Mexico. Alejandra is 39. Illegally entered the U.S. 20 years ago. Married Temo. Temo became a naturalized citizen before his first deployment to Iraq. He deployed 3 times to Iraq as a Marine.

They have 2 daughters. Pamela 16 and Estela 9.

Alejandra has no criminal record.

She duly reported to immigration each year. Never a problem. Permitted to remain. Till now.

As part of Trump’s zero tolerance program, she was deported. Leaving behind her husband and daughters.

Immigration laws are not absolute. Not all here illegally need be deported. There are exceptions. One is “parole in place.” It is discretionary. Permits the authorities to allow an illegal to remain. It is generally applied where the person is a spouse of one who has served in the military.

Alejandra applied 4 times for the parole in place exception. Four times denied.

Alejandra’s Congressman, together with several other Congresspersons, wrote a letter to the President asking that she be allowed to remain. No response.

Temo wrote a personal letter to the Trump explaining he had fought for his country 3 times in Iraq and asking that his wife be permitted to remain. To no avail.

Temo’s job requires traveling. Sixteen year old Pamela is remaining home to live with her father. Nine year old Estela will soon be following her mother to Mexico, however. She needs a mother’s attention. With Temo’s work schedule, such is not possible.

A shame. The story sick.

The dark side of the immigration crisis.

Trump proclaimed “zero tolerance.” Means to me all illegals return to where ever they came from. Not the case in practice.

Syracuse University on July 24 analyzed deportations under the zero tolerance policy. Concern existed especially because of the number of parents and children being separated.

The government is playing games.

In April, 8,298 illegals were apprehended. Zero tolerance came into being. In May, the  number jumped to 40,338. Thirty two percent of the 40,338 were prosecuted.

Here is where the chicanery comes into play. Prosecutorial discretion applies. The government selects those to be brought before a court and deported. Parents with children were singled out for prosecution. Understand clearly, parents with children to be deported swiftly. Illegals without children generally not referred for prosecution.

My point. The government practiced a policy whereby parents with children were selected for deportation. The administration wanted to show how tough it was and children made no difference.

The Trump administration succeeded. However now selective prosecution rears its head. Similar to no records re the children’s whereabouts. What more will we learn as time goes on?

A blot on the character of the United States. Disgraceful.

Is this who we are? What we have become?

One more story involving immigration.

Two male employees at Arizona Migrant Children Centers have been charged with sexual abuse. The facilities operated by Southwest Key Programs. Southwest Key has received $995 million since 2015 in federal contracts to provide shelter services to children in federal custody.

Two separate facilities involved in the sexual abuse matters.

At one, a male employee was discovered kissing and fondling a 14 year old girl. At another, an HIV positive worker was discovered to have gropped 6 teen age boys and having performed oral sex on 2 others.

Whether Alejandra’s story, zero tolerance pin pointing parents with children, or pedophilia situations being discovered, a new swamp has been created. A more dangerous one. To be drained or permitted to go on?

Last night a change of pace for me. Decided to go down to the waterfront. Schooner Wharf and Waterfront Brewery.

Schooner Wharf always fun. Packed with tourists last night. Spoke with an English couple. Both work with Parliament. First time in Key West.

Walked over to the Waterfront Brewery for a bite to eat. Sat at the bar and watched a replay of yesterday’s PGA tournament. Tiger Woods up there. Could win. I pull for the guy. He has paid his dues for any wrongdoing. He deserves a couple more times in the limelight as a winner.

I eat at the Brewery rarely. When I do, I order fish and chips. The fish outstanding. Large, crispy, and juicy.

Donna and Terri’s tonight for dinner. Donna cooking. She called this morning to ask if I liked scallops. Of course! Whatever she is preparing will include scallops.

Bear is 8 months old. In 10 days, he is scheduled to be neutered. Disgusting!

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

BOB…..CRAPPING IN YOUR PANTS

Bob Smith’s BOB was written over a period of time ending in 1997. Bob viewed the world at that time. I knew Bob. He talked of world/political events frequently. A concerned person.

The chapter I draw on today is titled Remedial Reasoning. Expresses Bob’s thoughts on how to correct things and why.

First, a new college was to be established. The University of What’s Happening Now. Bob would be a full professor, of course. A primary motivation reflecting the need for the new type institution was that the bizarre at the time was being accepted as the norm.

Sound familiar?

Bob intended teaching Wisen You Up 101. Other courses included Humanity and how not to be a victim, Real estate and sexual assault and how to discern the difference, The entire legal system and how never to be involved, and Pragmatism the word of the day.

Bob ventured that people can be toilet trained, but could not be trained to deal with new matters unless in imminent physical danger. He was referring to then matters of concern such as global warming, the ozone layer, etc.

Bob compared people’s inability to get it or act on a potential danger was a consequence similar to “crapping in your pants.”

Things have not changed much since 1997 when Bob shared his thoughts. Most do not want to learn. Some have a vested interest which mandates they close their eyes.

Spent my sunday afternoon writing this week’s KONK Life column. World Running Out Of Sand. Excellent reading. Most unaware re the nature of usable sand and that in due course it will exist no more. Sand being a non-renewable resource.

Later stopped at the Marriott Beachside for the sunday newspapers. Then to Sandy’s Cafe for dinner. My usual. Cuban cheese toast with tomato and a diet Coke.

Home or the Chart Room next? Decided to stop by the Chart Room for a drink and some conversation. Glad I did. Old friends Cheryl and Roger at the bar.

Cheryl and Roger from the Chicago area. Still have a home there. For years, Key West snowbirds. They enjoyed a huge RV that they parked several months a year on Stock Island.

We became friend. Two finer people, I do not know. Loyal blog readers. Bought Irma and Me right away. Have introduced their friends to this blog.

I also like them because I enjoy their company.

I knew they would be arriving for a few days. Not exactly when. They arrived at the Pier House where they were staying around 5. I met up with them at 7.

Cheryl and Roger purchased another home somewhere on Florida’s west coast. They drove down and will be staying till wednesday.

We will be together tonight. Roger’s turn to buy. We will dine at Antonia’s. Earlier, they will be my guests at Dueling Bartenders. They have never been.

This morning’s Key West Citizen ran an article about parking in the 100 block of Simonton. A real problem. Recent construction contributing.

The problem will be resolved in due course. Some parking on a pay basis will be permitted. Not the whole block, however.

My concern even greater. Fix Simonton Street in that area. The road condition horrendous! Terrible! Stop paying for generally useless studies for a while and put the money into road repairs. My kidneys are beginning to hurt!

Continue to love whoever does the Citizen weather reports. In very fine print under each day’s forecast is an interesting and/or humorous tidbit.

Humidity has been heavy lately. A breeze generally non-existent. Even a small one would help.

The weatherman’s comment for today: “Can I buy a breeze?”

Someone at a criminal court house in Miami writes a blog that I read. The Justice Building Blog. Sometimes merely legal matters. Others, tell it like it is.

The blog always ends with the admonition: Fight The Power!

Yesterdays blog contained a phrase worth repeating: “…..where we don’t yet burn books…..we do rip infants from the arms of their mothers.”

There will be demonstrations across the land this weekend. Protesting the Trump administration separating children from parents, maintaining immigrant children in detention type facilities, most information concerning the children kept secret, etc.

I am concerned. Violence could erupt. Retaliatory to the President’s actions. If so, the seeds of rebellion will have been planted. To erupt another day.

I recall vividly the Vietnam War demonstrations. Some violent. I thought terrible. I was concerned. Where was my country headed?

The two events different. As bad as the anti-Vietnam cries were, the situation with the immigrant children even worse. Separating children from parents strikes at the core of one’s being. Party lines disappear. The evil that men are capable of doing becomes obvious.

What will come of all this?

Enjoy your day!

TENDER AGE SHELTERS, TENT CITIES, WALMART DETENTION CENTERS…..AMERICA’S WARSAW GHETTO

Trump’s handling of immigrant children his shame, America’s shame. Something must be done. Now, not several months or a year from now.

This morning, I share certain facts.

Zero Tolerance went into effect May 5. From May 5 to June 9, 2,342 children have been separated from their parents. Children’s ages 3 months to 18 years.

Pictures of children were provided by the  government. The media picked up right away that the photos were only of boys. Where were pictures of babies and girls?

No government response for 4 days. Then yesterday, the media was advised that baby pics (described as toddlers by the government) and girls would be made available. In two days. Could not be done immediately.

Why?

Major reporters were in border cities yesterday trying to determine what was going on. Especially in south Texas. They were denied access to places housing children. Could not even get close to the buildings.

As 10 last night was only 1-2 minutes away, a breaking news report. Provided brief information re toddlers. Babies and those up to age 5. Where they were being held.

Rachel  broke down reading the report and cried on national TV. She could not complete her report. Stephanie Ruhle was in south Texas yesterday. She filled with tears describing what was going on.

Maddow and Ruhle had been asking for days…..Where are the babies, where are the girls?

Recognize that children can qualify as illegal immigrants. Under Trump/Sessions guidelines, they can be tried and deported.

They are being tried. Children 4 and 5 years old are brought before an Immigration Judge. The trials/hearings quick. The child asked a few questions and declared illegally in the United States and subject to deportation.

The children appear before the judge without counsel. However to make sure they know what is going on, prior to trial groups of them have a briefing session to explain their rights. Children 4-5 years old!

An Immigration Judge said the trials were proper because the children had the benefit of the pre-trial briefing. The fact no counsel was provided and the age of those being tried 4-5 years old did not matter under the circumstances.

The children appear to have been separated into different places. I call them child internment camps. The government refers to the toddler camps as tender age shelters. Others, tent cities. Former Walmart buildings being used in several locations to house the children.

Border guards and other type federal employees generally not taking care of the children. Private corporations have been contracted with to do the job. Generally, private prison corporations.

A lot of money involved. It has been reported the former Walmart buildings alone cost $10 million to use for the children. It has also been reported that the cost to care for each child is $134 a day. Thousands of children confined. The dollar numbers big.

I am willing to bet corruption is or will be involved. Too much money moving too fast for there not to be.

Pay attention to the length of time many of the children will be interned. Supposedly, they have to be dealt with in 20 days. Good luck! The private corporations will find reasons why they have to remain confined longer. The dollars will continue to ring up on a daily basis.

Private prison corporations have been used by the federal government and some states for several years. They are under scrutiny. Poor treatment to those confined one of the problems. How are and will the children be treated?

It took only four weeks for the Nazis to confine 400,00 Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto. October through November 16, 1940. It has taken the Trump administration a comparable time period to confine the children.

I have been warning of Trump having a Hitler mentality. Recent comments by me suggest Trump actions resulted in situations comparable to what were occurring in the early to mid 1930’s in Germany. The Warsaw Ghetto was 1940.

Trump is becoming more authoritarian by day. The immigrant children situation the most recent example.

My column in this week’s KONK Life edition hits the stands today. In an article titled Sit At Attention Or Die, I made mention at the end that it is possible we may not have a Presidential election in 2020.

Trump has been in office 1.5 years. Look at how much damage he has done in that time frame. He still has 2.5 years remaining. More time to do considerably more damage.

Remember, Trump is a person who admires dictators: Kim, Xi, Putin and Duterte. He appears to no longer respect leaders of the free world. Most recently, Canada’s Trudeau.

We must be vigilant. All of us. The America we know and value is rapidly slipping away.

Normally, I end this blog with: Enjoy your day! I cannot today. My admonition different: Beware!