"Fun" With Facebook

Typically I have very little to say on Facebook.  Mostly vacation pix.  I try to avoid the political, saving those thoughts for this platform.  But I make a few exceptions now and then. 

 Recently I noticed that the daughter of an old friend commented on an article about an undocumented local Mexican woman who is defying a deportation order.  The woman came here 20 years ago to escape violence in her native country.  She works, pays taxes, has no criminal record, and has three children.  She wants to keep her family together and has been given asylum at a local church.

My young acquaintance, who's become a bit of a wing-nut, commented:  "Please.  Get out."

The posted article had about 400 comments, the overwhelming majority of which were quite unsympathetic and nasty.  (See link below.)

I was thus inspired to leave this comment:

"All these 'get out' comments from all the law-loving, upright white non-racists are disgusting.  This woman and her kids are not harming any of you.  And BTW, how did your ancestors get into this country?  An engraved invitation?  Don't look now but your hatred and bigotry are showing."

Got a doozy of a reply from a total stranger troll named Mike Binger.  Here it is, without corrections to spelling or punctuation:

"Do you know how stupid you sound when you comment on this topic.  Shows an education does not make a person smarter.  Millions of families came thru Ellis Island and other paths to legal immigration.  That is all the 'law loving people you call rasist' are asking.  Why do you believe people can pick and choose what laws they want to obey.  Do you kill neighborhood pets because you don't like cats?  After all you dont think it is wrong to kill a little kid's kitten.  You feel you can do whatever you you want because laws don't matter.  Try that on the IRS next year, tell them you dont agree with the tax laws so you are not paying.  Please Bob, tell  us what college course you went to that said laws only apply to those who agree with them.  Please let the government know that they can close all the prisons because there is no such thing as a criminal.  After all people dont have to obey laws."

I could not resist a reply:

"Wow, Mr. Binger.  That is one impressively disjointed rant.  Obviously we disagree, but indulge my stupidity for a couple observations.

From 1892 to 1954, Ellis Island was the port of entry for 15 million immigrants, mostly European.  The only requirement for legal admission to the U.S. was to know your name, where you came from, and to be in good health.  Easy.  Only 2% were rejected and deported.  And prior to the mid-1800's, the U.S. had virtually no immigration law or restrictions.  If you could make it here, you were in.

Killing cats?  WTF?

Laws do matter and criminals do exist, of course, and most of us try to be as law-abiding as possible.  But occasionally a law and its enforcement can be unjust, can be wrong, and people of conscience may speak out against it and disobey it.  Our country itself began from just such resistance.  If those long-ago law-breakers had instead adopted your unquestioning obey-or-be-punished attitude, our nation as we know it would likely not exist today.

Many people, including me, think that the current rush to arrest and deport the undocumented is unjust, unnecessary, more xenophobic posturing than sensible policy.  With 11 to 12 million undocumented people in the U.S., virtually all of them law-abiding, working and paying taxes, deporting one middle-aged mother seems arbitrary and harsh.

You're a little touchy about the whole education thing.

And what are you posing with in your FB profile picture?  Is that a rocket launcher?  Well, bless your heart!"

I bet he'll respond, but I'm through with this fool. 

https://www.facebook.com/WBNS10TV/posts/10156047854559369?comment_id=10156050958079369&reply_comment_id=10156054259894369&notif_id=1507864618662633&notif_t=share_reply