Sunday, June 19, 2016

MY TURN - response to letter printed in our local newspaper

by Javier R. Garcia
Our local newspaper has been giving a lot of attention to a subject that is as ridiculous as some of the rest of the news we read happening across the nation which has to do with the removal of confederate symbols.  Brownsville may be poor economically but it is rich in history and forgiving of those parts of our history in which all our ancestors were guilty of treating others unfairly so I digitally took apart piece by piece a letter written to the editor to address this individual's rant.
The two groups he may be referring to are members of the LGBT community and advocates for the West-end Hike & Bike trail.  There's nothing wrong with organizations banding their resources  to help each other make their demands heard.  God bless America - Home of the Free.  The museum he is referring to is only one block away from park where stone marker sits.  I do not know if these individuals have raised the money it would cost to move the stone marker but the city should not have to pay for it's relocation.  Should they?  Are you willing to pay for that?  If so please contact the rock haters.
This cannot be proven as a fact and I don't need to counter-prove it unless he is willing to confess another man's superiority or supremacy over him.  There is no such thing as a white supremacist except in their own mind.
The young ones he is describing are probably a few social justice millennials.  You know the type -- mindless, zombie-like, irresponsible, disrespectful of their elders, pot smoking, all-day video game playing part-time college kids living in that rebellion stage some of us in the above-40 category went through when we were up and coming in the world while facing little responsibility in life.

Their older supporters are in the West-end group and anti-Liquefied Natural Gas* (both groups) of which I have little or no disagreement with.
Here's where I come in.  I responded to a college drop-out who verbally attacked me on our Facebook page "Bronsbil Estacion" and talked down to our readers by boasting how "highly educated" he was so I called him out and discovered he had not completed a formal education whatsoever by his own admission.  As an administer for a tribute Facebook page with a few thousand readers and blog, I have experience with trolls - people who make insulting comments for cheap thrills.  I beat them at their own game.  It's really no big deal. 
The writer is referring to me and another Mr. Garcia who does an outstanding job of sharing our history on his Facebook page "Yesteryear's Brownsville."  I happily admit that posting photos does not qualify me as a "legitimate historian" but I pride myself of the knowledge about our local history where I was born even though I was raised in Pacoima, California.  But the other Mr. Garcia is a long-time Brownsville citizen and a well studied self-motivated sincere and talented historian and artist in my opinion.

No need to be confused over which Garcia is which.  We do not do what we do for name recognition.  By the way did you know that Brownsville has TWO historical museums?  That caused confusion in the past but now they are in the process of merging and working together.  Anyway....

I think the writer should prove an instance where I or anyone "belittles young female" but this is just a manipulative ploy to gain sympathy for his cause and generate hatred for me (yes, I have haters)  just like he did by whimpering in front of a camera videotaping him.  If his sympathizers accuse me of having an agenda then my agenda is to promote our local history - not all of it - just the parts that I learn about so I know what I am talking about.
This is the part that interests me most - his use of the racial epithet "Whitewashed" used to describe people of Latin ancestry who have assimilated into the American culture.  Picture Marco Rubio or Ted Cruz and you'll get the idea.  Other insults these Chicano-type social justice warriors like to throw out there are:  "Coconut" or "bollio" (bread roll) to describe the American of Latin descent for his or her skin color being brown on the outside while suggesting he is "white" on the inside.  They will also call a person a "vendido" which is basically a traitor to their own race when they disagree with you or take the side of the "oppressor" whatever that is.  I have also been called wetback - dirty Mexican - and beaner (I like that one) while growing up in California.  Being called names does not bother me.

No need to waste time on his hystorical rant.  The guy is a divisive person....   By the way, kudos to the BHA for ignoring him.  The Herald sure loves to give him all the attention he asks for.  People also hate on Brownsville's founder, Charles Stillman.  There is a blog that constantly hates on the city -- sometimes to point out the blatant corruption -- and to criticize our founder which is just plain weird coming from a city as great as Brownsville but then again, there are some in Salt Lake City who do not revere Joseph Smith who founded the Mormons etc. so go figure.
There's talk -- just that.  Talk.  Empty talk actually.  The BHA does recognize the history of Spanish land grant families and Mexican/Tejano contributors to our history.  I know -- I'm still a volunteer for them.  No one historic group is oppressing any other group in Brownsville. 
Some history lesson, eh?
LoL - city pardon soldiers from 1906....   This person and his friends have harassed our commissioners to the point that they are no longer willing to listen to him.  The Brownsville Herald still is because they want to join the mainstream media that thrives on controversy.  This blog does not thrive on controversy and is only responding to attacks against our city, historical association and now, me.
The writer should apologize to the city and historical association for not coming to the table as a mature adult and politely asking to be heard and helped to find a resolution.  A local businessman who is in agreement that the stone in the park should be moved offered $1500 start-up money but they will never see it because the "rock haters" started off by insulting everyone that did not agree with them.  I hope the city continues to ignore them. 
About 20 people showed up according to an anonymous source posting on another blog.  I'll bet that insincere line about respecting "most people's day of worship" comes from an atheist.  While atheists are capable of respecting religious views, this particular one doesn't respect the handful of historic-minded citizens of Brownsville and calls them racists and people of Hispanic origin who join or volunteer their time to promote our mutual history as "whitewashed".  That is wrong - plain and simple.
Actually, only 20 people is not a lot.  There used to be more but they finally got tired of the long winded social justice warrior but a few were willing to sit under the hot sun for nothing on Saturday.
Most people who have read this blog may not be accustomed to reading such drama here.  This is mostly meant for those who know me personally and would like to know how I feel about said individual.  Please do not bother to submit insulting comments on this page.  They will be ignored.


*[No to LNG unless tax abatement offer is rescinded and LNG companies offer training and high-wages to our local citizens comparable to those earned for similar jobs across the U.S.A.]

11 comments:

  1. Count me in KBRO! I'm with you! Leave The Rock alone rock haters!

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  2. As the only person to frequently submit non-insulting comments to me - that is much appreciated. :D

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  3. Well, that is unfortunate that two blogs of widely different perspectives and topics have chosen to battle it out over their differences.

    There is already too much intolerance in our world, in our nation and in our communities. Personally, I am intolerable of the intolerant. Not that it matters. Just saying.

    How sad commentary has fast become methods used to aggravate instead of to educate. It is counterproductive.

    I recommend...Everyone step back, reflect and respect each others right to their own opinions and projects.

    The old clichés..." Can't we all just get along?" "Live and let live"...celebrate our differences otherwise the world would be so boring.

    I enjoy Broncbil's Estacion tracing our community's history with the assistance of citizen's contributions. At no time did I mistake him for a historian. To assert he claims to be such is inaccurate.

    I also understand the desire to relocate historical markers that celebrate the history of our nations leaders as individuals although they fall short of representing the good side of our nations history in part.

    Both blogs seek to educate in their own ways. Let it be just that... In your own ways.

    Have a good day. Happy Blogging.



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  4. What two blogs are you referring to Teresa? This is a response to the Herald's publishing of a letter. I tolerated this fool long enough and only stepped on him and his friends when he came on my Facebook to talk smack. The rock hater and blogs that hate on Brownsville are divisive -- I am not. Thanks for you recommendations but people do things their way -- especially me. I cannot and will not get along with assholes like the rock haters - it's a free country. Thanks for agreeing with the rock hater about my lacking qualifications to be a "legitimate historian" but I still know more about the local history than him or the average citizen who has lived here their entire life. I also understand their desire to relocate the rock in the park. I could have helped them get funding. But their attitude is that --- They are growing in number and are young and never going away and making demands instead looking for compromise and their method of calling good decent Christian people-loving people "racists" pisses me off to no end. The lies that asshole wrote about me doesn't make me want to just "get along" -- No it makes me want to punch him in the face first chance I see him alone but as my friend wisely reiterated to me after reading this blog post -- "The pen is mightier than the sword." I agree with him. Next time asswipe offends me I will respond in kind and you and Citizens Against Voter Abuse can help him all you want. This is Brownsville - no one cares -- but I'll be damned if I will help them remove the stone, rename Washington Park, erase any references to Charles Lindberg from our history or any other stupid idea he comes up with. Have a good day Teresa -- no hard feelings. We're Californios still scratching our head over a little ol' place called Brownsville, Texas.

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  5. Whimpering? You're still with that? I read the posts on your Facebook page a few weeks ago and they were quite ridiculous. It sounds like he's running out of breath. He is quite friendly with RGV NORML so that might be the reason. ? Stop acting childish. Are you going senile? You should have gone to the park this past Saturday to talk to them. No wait, you would rather go watch some old cars. Get a life!

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    1. Marco you don't make any sense but I will allow your stupid comment to be read by others so you can show your friends and maybe they will think you're somebody doing something with your life

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  6. I'm curious. You mention Freedom of Speech, but you don't allow opposing comments. Why not? My wife attended the Juneteenth event. I saw photos and they looked like more than 20 people, unless you're just counting about the kids who got a free plate of food. That park needs a playground. Would you support something like that?

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    1. I don't allow rude / insulting comments like those you find on other blogs. I don't care were your wife spends her Saturday afternoons and I was only going by what someone wrote elsewhere about attendance but your reading comprehension skills may be lacking so you should probably work on that. As for a playground I support the idea but playgrounds don't magically rise from the soil so if that's what you rock haters REALLY want maybe you should work for that instead of removing the rock. I am making a new rule just for you Marco: No more time wasting on you :D

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  7. I was not supporting his or anyone's assertion about you not being a historian. When I hear the title Historian I think of a Professor. I was not aware you were a professor of History. My ignorance. No big deal.

    Evidently I misunderstood some part of what you wrote, thinking you were stating you never claimed to be such...no skin off my nose. You are a Historian. Done.

    As for all that other stuff...I am unaware of the back and forth between you two or the letter to the Editor, aside from this writing here.





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    2. The only problem I have with anyone calling me a historian is that there are many other people I know and respect who are local historians and being a historian does not require a degree - any asshole can earn one of those. Please know what you're talking about before leaving a comment. As for any more back and forth reiterating and restating ourselves to be understood there's no point in it since this post was really meant for the rock hater to impress his followers who believe in his "cause" and for others who pay more attention to local drama than history.

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