Day: July 18, 2022

It is strange to see the uproar that has been occurring due to comments Jill Biden made complimenting the breakfast tacos that are eaten in the Texas region where she was giving a speech, where Hispanic organizations have been speaking out about what she said, and hundreds of memes have been made about it.

She said: “Raul helped build this organization with the understanding that the diversity of this community — as distinct as the bodegas of the Bronx, as beautiful as the blossoms of Miami, and as unique as the breakfast tacos here in San Antonio — is your strength.”

Obviously there was nothing inappropriate about what she said, especially since she is (supposedly) an advocate for Latin Americans.

The statement is no different than mentioning maple syrup in Canada, bratwurst in Germany, pierogies in Poland, or sushi in Japan, for example.

Also that situation is not the same as if a politician made some sort of a “watermelon” comment to African Americans for example, due to the history of issues with that.

The world is going up in flames, and Joe Biden has made proven useless and deadly vaccines available for young children under five years old, yet hundreds of activists everywhere have for some reason decided to dedicate thousands of hours to making a fuss about the nothing issue of her statement, such as making memes about it.

I’m very opposed to illegal immigration, but I don’t have anything against Hispanic people.

I’m fan a genuine tacos (but not really the American-ized crunchy shell variety,) and recently I’ve been making them frequently (perhaps even too frequently) after buying a tortilla press.  Real tortillas need to be prepared from scratch and eaten immediately after being made, therefore they are not able to be purchased in stores; which is somewhat similar to how pre-made pancakes can’t be bought in stores, although tortillas are not the same as pancakes of course.

I like the cookbook “Vegan Tacos: Authentic and Inspired” that explains how to make veganized versions of genuine tacos, where is also explains the large variety of chilies, salsas and condiments that are used.

Here is a “real” taco as opposed to the Americanized crunchy-shell variety.  The picture is from the cookbook Vegan Tacos: Authentic and Inspired.

Image from Wikipeida.

A Center Square article explains that people in nearly a thousand vehicles have evaded capture in Washington State so far by simply refusing to stop when the police attempt to pull them over, after a new law was passed last year restricting police from engaging in pursuit of vehicles.

House Bill 1054 which was passed last year outlaws police from engaging in pursuit unless there is “probable cause” to arrest a person in the vehicle for committing a specific violent crime or sex offense, such as murder, kidnapping, a drive-by shooting, or rape.

A Spokane County Undersheriff John Nowels said that criminals are taking advantage of the law and refusing to pull over for police, and the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) put out a statement saying that vehicle thefts have increased 93% since that law and other “police reform” laws went into effect at the end of July 2021.

WASPC Executive Director Steve Strachan said in the statement:

“The data shows what our law enforcement and communities are seeing out there every day – the word is out and criminals know what they can do under our current laws.  …  I have never seen criminals as emboldened as they are now.  Our mayors, law enforcement, and the community asked for help, and the Legislature made the specific decision to continue to allow for brazen contempt for the law.  No one wants more pursuits, which are inherently dangerous, but current law has created an atmosphere of flouting the law even on simple traffic stops.  This is one example of a change in atmosphere that is, and will continue to be, unacceptable and dangerous to public safety.  Fleeing in a vehicle should not be a get-out-of-jail-free card.”

Legislation that would have eased such restrictions on police pursuits failed to pass during this year’s legislative session.

Ridiculously, Democrat Senator Jesse Johnson who was a sponsor of the original Bill 1054 is still applauding the law despite its obvious consequences, saying in a March interview, “I just do not believe pursuits in a 21st century policing system are needed.”  [Note:  Don’t ever vote for a Democrat.  Both parties are controlled by the same people and Republicans are bad too, but they are the lesser evil.]

A University of Washington study says that 30 people died in pursuits in Washington between 2015 and 2021, with “nearly half of them bystanders or passengers in the fleeing vehicle.”  [Note:  Why didn’t it occur to the makers of the study to distinguish between the number of bystanders and passengers?]