"Kinney County Calls for Aid"
Good Morning friends,
“Kinney County calls for Aid.”
That’s a line we’ve stolen this morning, after seeing it in another substack, titled “Current Revolt.”
Readers may recall, we’ve mentioned them in the past— a collaborative effort by one cheeky gang of jokers, calling themselves “Texas’ Paper of Record.”
Typically “Papers of Record” are institutions like the New York Times, or the Washington Post. That’s the joke, and we enjoy it every time.
There’s only dark humor and darker humor to be found in the state of the border these days.
What they’re referring to is the recent letter we highlighted by the County Sheriff, and sent out to other county governments in Texas and other states, calling for any and all assistance they can render.
We also mentioned that some preliminary work has been done to have memorandums of understanding ready to go, for when any agencies respond. A similar document is what’s responsible for Galveston County being able to render aid and make arrests in Kinney County.
Before we go too far in rehashing what we’ve already reported, we should go ahead and link to their take:
Current Revolt is typically rightward facing and hard on Governor Abbott and other lawmakers, some of whom one might accuse of making mouth-noises, but committing to little other action.
As supporters of the Governor point out, he’s committed a ton of money and manpower to the border already— more than just about any other Governor in history. Even so— many around here would say it hasn’t been enough.
A piece by Bethany Blankley in the Center Square covers much of the same ground in a more traditional fashion. A check via Google News shows it’s been reprinted in local papers all over the country, serving towns and cities in Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Ohio.
What some readers of the Dispatch may find equally interesting, is a piece of historical analysis also by Blankley— finding an instance where Governor Sam Houston was preparing to declare a state of invasion, because of lawlessness on the southern border— right before the Civil War broke out.
Fascinating stuff, backed up by information and records found in the state archives.
Of the state’s many challenges, Houston said, “a considerable portion of our State, bordering upon the Rio Grande River, is in a state of tumult and war – our frontier is unprotected and harassed by Indians, and our treasury … is without a dollar … beyond the amount necessary to meet the current expense of government for the present year.
“Difficulties like these, impelled immediate action, and the peace and security of the State being a paramount object, my attention has first been directed towards quieting the disorders upon the Rio Grande, and providing for the defence of our settlements against Indian depredations.”
The disorder “upon the Rio Grande … may be readily traced to the insecure condition of our border, arising from the withdrawal of federal troops,” he said, referring to those in the Brownsville region who successfully drove back Cortina rebels and Mexican bandits.
“Mexico is in a continual state of anarchy,” Houston said. “Her population feel none of the influences of a stable government. Lawless chieftains plunder them with impunity, and light the torch of civil war at pleasure. Riot, murder and revolution reign above law and order.”
—Reporter Bethany Blankley, The Center Square
Pretty cool, no?
It seems as though Mexico is once again in a situation where lawlessness reigns— even if it is somewhat more stealthy now, as the Cartels and corrupt State Police all pretend that the Lopez-Obrador and others are still in charge. Perhaps they actually are, to some degree, when they’re able to play the cartels off on each other.
So— that’s a look at what’s happening in Kinney County and this corner of Texas, more or less.
What about the rest of the border?
Well, Yuma County, Arizona’s Administrator was on Fox News— sounding a lot like Sheriff Coe and other Kinney County officials: saying the Border Crisis has gone national. It’s not a Arizona problem, or a Texas problem— it’s a U.S. problem.
Britain’s Daily Mail, says Yuma is on the brink of collapse, after an unprecedented surge over the weekend.
The problem with Yuma’s observation that this is a national problem, is that after more than two years of this stuff, Washington has had all the time in the world to come up with something and get it straightened out.
The fact that it’s only gotten worse— that it’s been ignored and neglected— tells one that perhaps Current Revolt and others are right— and this is all by design. Cheap workers for big business and reliable votes once an amnesty happens, and so forth.
In the Epoch Times, there’s word that U.S. House Republicans are attempting to mount an investigation into the Border Crisis and the Biden Administration’s actions. Sounds good, but doesn’t really hold much immediate hope for farmers and ranchers and rural communities that are getting crushed.
We find ourselves returning to a portion of the Sheriff’s letter, quoting Governor Abbot, encouraging Counties to “Combine their resources and coordinate their activities to protect their own residents.”
It’s meant to sound encouraging, perhaps. But it also seems to be a tacit admission: Don’t expect any rescue from his office or the legislature at this point.
A rather dark forecast.
We’ll be back again later this week as circumstances warrant. Hopefully, we’ll have news of various counties reaching out in response to that letter.
Until then— have a great day.
As always this newsletter is an independent production, and should not be mistaken for an official communication from Kinney County, despite our day job at the Sheriff’s Office.
Any errors, misdeeds, or bad takes on current events are entirely ours alone.