MIDLIFE [RESIGNATION]-19, Monday, February 12, 2024 – Houston, Hidalgo, and a Veiled Assumption.
Judging Judge Lina Hidalgo’s race-baiting conduct; the conduct is unbecoming. I would go so far as saying that her words are terroristic.
@LinaHidalgoTX
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“Judge Lina Hidalgo is the head of Harris County’s governing body. She is the first woman to be elected County Judge and only the second to be elected to the Commissioners Court.
“Harris County is the third largest county in our nation. Its population of more than 4.5 million rivals that of the entire state of Colorado. The Harris County Judge and four County Commissioners oversee a $4.3 billion budget that helps fund key county services and institutions” (1.).
The position is a pretty big deal, but not just locally, it is proportionately of national importance.
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The issue at hand? Hidalgo’s official statement (1., 2.) in response to what appears to be an attempted mass-casualty event at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, on Sunday, February 11, 2024.
Joel Osteen is an American (Caucasian), a Christian Pastor, a televangelist, and is often the subject of criticism for his wealth.
The Judge’s focus?
Whether or not it was a hate crime targeting, Spanish speakers?
“As investigators hunt for clues Monday as to what motivated a still unidentified woman to open fire inside Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, on Sunday, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo wants investigators to examine whether the attack is a hate crime because it happened during a service for Spanish speakers” (3.).
The above is an excerpt from The Christian Post’s reporting, the headline of which read, “Judge asks for Lakewood Church shooting to be investigated as possible hate crime” (3.).
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In her official statement, Hidalgo concluded:
“I will not make any assumptions because information continues to come in as to what motivated the shooter, but I am asking the investigation look into whether it was a hate crime, given the shooting took place at an all-Spanish service” (1., 2.).
Well, actually, when you insinuate based on an assumption, while saying, “I will not make any assumptions,” you are in fact making an assumption.
It is highly suspect – plausible, but suspect – that Hidalgo, would not have been aware of a critically important piece of evidence specific to reporting, that the weapon allegedly used was, “[…] an assault-style rifle with the word ‘Palestine’ across it” (3., 4., 5.). It turned out to be a sticker (5.).
With or without that information, it did not change her focus, what I would call selective implicit bias. She could have assumed a number of biases, but she selected race, where at face, race was less likely.
Additional reporting went like this:
Again, from The Christian Post, “The shooter who opened fire inside Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston has now been identified by police as Genesse Ivonne Moreno – a 36-year-old woman who allegedly carried out the shooting using an assault-style rifle with the word ‘Palestine’ across it” (3.).
The Independent (United Kingdom), reported the headline, “Lakewood Church shooter named as Genesse Moreno as police confirm word plastered on AR-15 rifle” (4.).
From there, the Independent reported the same events, verbatim, likely from a Houston press release, “The shooter who opened fire inside Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston has now been identified by police as Genesse Ivonne Moreno – a 36-year-old woman who allegedly carried out the shooting using an assault-style rifle with the word ‘Palestine’ across it” (4.).
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In order to play this out, we can play a semantic game of logic.
What is more logical?
One, an active shooter at a Christian Church, globally known for its “White” Christian Pastor, a venue of which was hosting a Christian event, and one where patrons were attending, “an all-Spanish service,” was targeting Christians.
Or two, an active shooter at a Christian Church, globally known for its “White” Christian Pastor, a venue of which was hosting a Christian event, and one where patrons were attending, “an all-Spanish service,” was targeting “Spanish” … listeners. It is absurd when you read it.
Leaving aside the probability that the congregation was not “all-Spanish” people, the former would seem to be the most plausible – logical – assumption, but that was not the Judge’s non-assumption assumption. The Judge assumed the absurd later, the less plausible-logical assumption, that the shooter was targeting people who could interpret Spanish speakers.
Why would the good Judge make such an absurd comment, including qualifying it that it was not an assumption?
Unless she was simply spouting off about events, she would in fact be participating in selective implicit bias. That behavior does not demonstrate the maturity necessary to hold a position of such authority and reach.
If she knew the information regarding the markings on the rifle, then she knowingly mislead the city, and ultimately the Nation.
Either option is condemning; the only reasonable conclusion is that the Judge was race-baiting, by including clearly misleading, and divisive, information at the end of her statement.
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Monday evening reporting?
“While investigators recovered some antisemitic writings and found a ‘Palestine’ sticker on the weapon, police said an official motive behind Sunday's shooting has not been determined.
“’We do believe that there was a familial dispute that has taken place between her ex-husband and her ex-husband's family,’ according to police, who added that some of her family members are Jewish’” (5.).
Police said “Jewish” … cough, cough. We definitely … cough, cough … want the, “investigation [to] look into whether it was a hate crime, given the shooting took place at an all-Spanish service” (1., 2.).
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Houston, Hidalgo, and a Veiled Assumption.
- Matfucius
1.) https://cjo.harriscountytx.gov/
2.) https://twitter.com/HarrisCoJudge
3.) https://www.christianpost.com/news/judge-questions-if-lakewood-shooting-is-potential-hate-crime.html
4.) https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/lakewood-church-shooting-genesse-moreno-b2494967.html
5.) https://www.yahoo.com/news/child-fights-life-wake-houston-230938337.html
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