Border Patrol in Training?

This makes me want to cry:

The Explorers program, a coeducational affiliate of the Boy Scouts of America that began 60 years ago, is training thousands of young people in skills used to confront terrorism, illegal immigration and escalating border violence — an intense ratcheting up of one of the group’s longtime missions to prepare youths for more traditional jobs as police officers and firefighters.

“This is about being a true-blooded American guy and girl,” said A. J. Lowenthal, a sheriff’s deputy here in Imperial County, whose life clock, he says, is set around the Explorers events he helps run. “It fits right in with the honor and bravery of the Boy Scouts.”

The training, which leaders say is not intended to be applied outside the simulated Explorer setting, can involve chasing down illegal border crossers as well as more dangerous situations that include facing down terrorists and taking out “active shooters,” like those who bring gunfire and death to college campuses. In a simulation here of a raid on a marijuana field, several Explorers were instructed on how to quiet an obstreperous lookout.

“Put him on his face and put a knee in his back,” a Border Patrol agent explained. “I guarantee that he’ll shut up.”

One participant, Felix Arce, 16, said he liked “the discipline of the program,” which was something he said his life was lacking. “I want to be a lawyer, and this teaches you about how crimes are committed,” he said.

Cathy Noriego, also 16, said she was attracted by the guns. The group uses compressed-air guns — known as airsoft guns, which fire tiny plastic pellets — in the training exercises, and sometimes they shoot real guns on a closed range.

“I like shooting them,” Cathy said. “I like the sound they make. It gets me excited.”

Reflections

It's been a while since I've posted, and that has had a lot to do with my emotional state. I don't want to go on and on but on top of the normal chaos of graduating and feeling insecure and stressed about major transitions in my life, the shooting of Johanna Justin-Jinich has been a huge emotional trauma and violation of any personal feelings of safety I had, as well as a major loss to our community and a close friend of mine who is her boyfriend.

I will try to get back on board and keep posting. One interesting article my dad sent me is an Op/Ed from the NYTimes about how race affects media reception/attention to crimes, especially murder crimes. It's called "What Color is That Baby?" and is linked here. For a while I considered not posting it but ultimately, after learning more about Johanna, I believe she would have wanted us to honor her memory in continuing to ask the same critical questions about our humanity that we would have done anyway.

In love and peace.