Saturday, April 25, 2015

IN THESE MAY 9 ELECTIONS, AN EXTREME SEASON OF MEAN

By Juan Montoya
This period leading up to this election has been eye-opening in the level of viciousness and mean-spirited dialogue loosed upon the candidates, their supporters, and political pundits.
Whether it's from self-righteous bloggers letting loose upon one another, bloggers letting loose upon candidates, or commenters preening for public attention at the expense of others, the vitriol has been extreme.
We have learned more about private personal relationships, wayward fathers and mothers – even children – about alleged moral failings, and perceived offenses against the Almighty than we really cared to.
Candidates for office have been called cowards, bootlicks, panderers, puppets, you name it.
The bar has been lowered below any acceptable measure and we fear that it will remain so or dip even lower than the gutter level it has reached.
We have one less blogger in the cybersphere. And anyone who dares tread in their perceived private realm of political or moral superiority best be braced for the onslaught of these self-appointed defenders of  the moral, spiritual and human virtues of this community, even if they are recent arrivals or don't even live here.
Snarkiness has replaced thoughtful and respectful debate over differences of opinion. A well-placed insult is preferred rather to a reasoned response. Others' discomfort gives these folks a perverse pleasure. It comes, we guess, with the Internet where no one knows who you are, or where if someone has a difference of opinion, they can simply attempt to silence you rather than debate it.
This may seem trivial to some. But there is a more insidious motive here. If these self-righteous keepers of our morality succeed, there will be no diversity left in the blogosphere. There will only be one correct way and that way, unfortunately, will be theirs and theirs alone.
The campaign against the bloggers goes way back. It is, at its very basis, an attempt at controlling political speech. It is the imposition of one way of thought over everybody else's based on the authors' imagined superiority over others.
It's hedonism pure and simple, a principle of attaining some sort of sick pleasure at the expense of others. There is no denying that there have been excesses. Jerry pushed the envelope many times. But then again, so have his detractors.
We are now at a moment when the word has become flesh, when a scurrilous social recluse can, by mere fastidiousness and wicked passion, wag the dog. And once the tail wags the pooch one time, he'll do it again because he found out that he can.
The campaign against Jerry had its roots in his excesses, to be sure. But there has always been a germ of truth to his posts. McHale sniffed out the Hernandez's continuing criminal enterprise long before anyone else did. Even the Brownsville Herald and other pundits fell in line as revelations of the wrongdoing of this group and their acolytes became obvious. Jerry was the canary in the mine.
There is something sinister in the campaign waged by commissioner Jessica Tetreau, Cameron County District Attorney Office PIO Melissa Landin (AKA Zamora) and their Cardinal Richelieu, local blogger Robert Wightman. Wightman's own criminal past and excesses are too numerous to list and this post is becoming way too long, so we will just include the link to a small number of his misdeeds. ewightmanfile.blogspot.com
Just as Richelieu sought to consolidate royal power and crush domestic factions, so has Wightman in his defense of these fair damsels. More than once he has told his readers that they have sought his counsel on how to deal not only with Jerry's criticisms, but also with other bloggers and their perceived political opponents. Wightman has been wily, condescending, deceitful and vicious in his attacks on local residents, all the while cloaking himself in a mantle of righteousness, religion, and morality, all refuges of the scoundel.
His sense of "justice" is also highly selective. In a recent post he agonizes over candidates campaigning adult day cares (a photo of city commissioner candidate Cesar de Leon) but never once did he post one showing Norma and Erin Hernandez who had been doing the very same thing accompanied by their politiqueras for decades.
He (and the two ladies) seem to overlook the fact that Tetreau and Landin are public figures in the full sense of the word. No one told Tetreau and Landin to seek public office. They did it on their own. As such, they are open to criticism, valid or not, from the public.
Landin, for example, was goaded into action by Wightman to file an information request from the school district, McHale's employer. That followed Wightman's complaint that she had done nothing to defend herself from what he saw as vile attacks against her purity and chastity. Tetreau got the same treatment. He was told – and he believed it – that there was a letter sent to her by Jerry that proved he tried to extort advertising money from her, although it was never produced by this "document-driven" disbarred attorney. Then he published parts of McHale's divorce proceedings and said that he was sending a package to Google to show that he had violated the court's order. The aim here was to silence the pesky blogger.
He emailed Landin on April 16, 2013 to her office at the D.A. that "Montoya - Zeke (Silva), and Duardy (Eduardo Paz-Martinez) are never going away - it would be nice if you could find a pro bono lawyer to sue the lot for internet harassment. Common law could be applied - it would be more of a shut them down for good - Duardy would end up in a mental hospital from the stress, Montoya would get stoned drunk and get arrested (he did that each of the three times he was sued) and Zeke would simply fade away."
And the Wightman formula: "For Google to shut them down all you need is an order that they have defamed you - you do not need damages - just a court finding the statements false."
It doesn't matter that none of the rantings are true, anyone who has wasted their time reading Wightman is used to him stating his assumptions as if they were Gospel. It's always "It is clear," "it is a fact," "there is no dispute" when he makes his sonorous and pompous claims and assumptions based upon his extensive legal knowledge.
"Eunuchs," "vindictive dicks,"homophobics," etc., are some of his predictable epithets to describe his targets. He did it against Landin's boss DA Luis Saenz, and against innumerable other local people.
Silva was doubly targeted because he once ran against Tetreau for city commissioner and was Melissa's co-worker at the DA's Office.
 The writer of this blog has also been targeted by the Grand Inquisitor and his minions. He once filed an affidavit and sent it to Saenz to have me indicted. Again, the aim is to silence.
But first, there is the veiled threat of a lawsuit against the perceived offender. Landin sent us an email that is tailored to the Wightman formula after we posted a photo this past St. Patrick's Day where she is partying with some (obviously intoxicated) friends:

"Juan, As one of 108 employees of the District Attorney's Office, I don't quite understand why you are so interested in my employment here – and my life, for that matter. Could it be that a former disgruntled employee/convicted felon is obsessed and funding your booze-fueled diatribes? Someone who pretends to be your friend, shakes your hand, then anonymously goes on a cyber-bullying rampage? Surely if I file a civil lawsuit, Google would identify where these many defamatory/libelous comments about me, my husband and my family are coming from. City Commissioner Carlos Cisneros' wife was successful in doing just that when she sued Capt. Bob over what he posted about her under ficticious names. Please advise your employer that this photo was taken at an evening BBQ with friends a few days before St. Patrick's Day in 2014. I made it my Facebook cover photo during my lunch break (which is not a designated hour) on March 17, 2015. Melissa Landin PS: Please let your employer know that."

Now, Melissa is not just some disgruntled reader.
She is a former city commissioner and a current employee of the Cameron County District Attorney's Office. Tetreau is also a public official. Don't they realize that they carry around the power of those public offices when they write stuff like that above? And has Saenz allowed the power of his office to threaten and to settle personal vendettas?
Just as Wightman trashes his so-called friends, he has done the same to countless other public officials who were gullible enough to engage him in a dialogue. Ask Rick Zayas, Otis Powers, Carlos Cascos, Cris Valadez, and lately, Minerva Peña, just to name a few. Lulled into a false sense of security, they soon found themselves being threatened with the disclosure of the most intimate personal details they had allowed themselves to confide in this malingering misanthrope.
He wails at length about "Bela's," treatment in local schools, but fails to tell the readers that the little girl is his relative. He blasts local court-appointed attorney Louis Sorola and Judge Arturo Nelson for their role in the trial of a certain Hector Negrete – and Saenz for not seeking victims' compensation for the two Harley motorcyles allegedly damaged by criminal mischief after an altercation in a bar – but doesn't say that one of those "victims" is his nephew who is seeking $3,000 to fix his bike.
His generalized demands for a fair judiciary is dubious, as a judge asserted, because his personal self-interest in these cases is so obvious.
We will predict this: Wightman will publish my mug shot again. He will call us liars, convicted drunks, homophobic eunuchs, etc. We have never claimed we were angels. But some people still value free speech and dialogue in this country. And we don't place public officials on a pedestal. The media (including social media) was not meant to be a lap dog for officialdom. If that be the price to exercise our First Amendment rights (albeit responsibly), then so be it.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's about time Melissa fought back. She's been your target and that of your friend Jerry for many years.

Him said...

Juan, old sport, where were you when McHale was going insane against DP-M, his supposed friend? You were part of that attack on DP-M's mother, so don't come now re-writing that history, 'cause this might be enough to get DP-M on your soiled ass...

- HIM

Anonymous said...

The blimp is a fat, hairy, sweaty berijas PENDEJO dudes...and those are his good points...lol!!

The round mound of ass pound goes after people he dislikes like he goes after men's rectums......with vigor dudes...lol!

The hairy ball of GRASA is known by all as looney to say the least. The grotesque oddity calls everyone a criminal and wishes them jail time.....this from a guy that has had more procedures than Frankenstein dudes.....on the tax payer's dime no less. The hairy fat BABOSO continues to diagnose himself and set meetings for himself at the VA hospital....taking precious appointments for veterans that need them.

The funny thing is dudes....the gay ball of Mrs. Tucker's grease was heard overstaying that he talks to people to get information dudes....that everyone is corrupt.....everyone but you right hippo?....lol!

Anonymous said...

The only one soiled is your mother....HAHAHAHA

Anonymous said...

Is the blimp still boning The imp?

Anonymous said...

Damn, Sam, Cardinal Richelieu and the French monarchy, which probably a mere 10% of your readers have any frame of reference to understand your train of thought! Your University of Michigan background is showing, sir! No wonder you are a blogger extraordinaire. All others pale in comparison.

Anonymous said...

The women Montoya and Jerry attack are the same ones every week. And they call them mean and play the victim. Por favor. It's about time someone called you out on it.

Anonymous said...

Our major problem here in the RGV and especially Brownsville is that we have an ignorant electorate who can be easily bribed to vote by money or even a good fajita plate; and most know little about the candidates or what the candidates would do if elected. When we have an ignorant electorate, we get unqualified candidates or we get egomaniacs who think they can make the world move.....then they find out they can't, so they waste tax dollars. Only a crisis will wake up the sleeping voters.

Anonymous said...

You and Jerry have desseminated years of extreme mean for a few measly bucks. You endure one season of so-called mean and ask for sympathy? Spare us your crocodile tears. Don't confuse freedom of speech with the attacks and defamation you are paid to write.

Anonymous said...

"For journalism that borders on literature, there are the elegant and erudite musings of Eduardo Paz-Martinez at The Paz Files. He pens: "It is easy to find fat, juicy targets in this falling town, where the physically eccentric somehow find a place on the governing bodies. Hernandez and his daughter, Erin, will never be on the cover of People magazine. County Commissioner Hernandez has been around. He's been a city commissioner and a candidate for this and that, and his reputation in town is that of a manipulator who manipulates money into his pocket. At face value, that isn't such a bad thing, except that Hernandez has done it while serving is some sort of public capacity; that is, being paid for being a public servant." It's these kinds of observations that inspire the anonymous and less articulate voices to provide the cacophony to Paz-Martinez's euphony." - Jerry Mchale

Anonymous said...

I'm going to vote for Tetreau because Zarate keeps attacking her like this. Dolores showed up at my doorstep saying disgusting things about Mrs. Tetreau. I almost told her this is why people never vote for you,,,

Anonymous said...

Received a political mailout from Gerardo Martinez today.First it says that because he is an engineer, and there are no city elected officials that "understand these new technical challenges" he should be elected. Second it says he has "for most of the last 15 years, ...worked in Brownsville". Heck I thought he worked in Matamoros. Maybe someone can enlighten me as to where he works, and why no one at city hall can understand new technologies. I'll bet I get a lot of responses about City Hall understanding anything, much less about technology.

Anonymous said...

Eduardo PAZ Martinez, aka the PENDEJO, wrote the first two comments.

Anonymous said...

Now the tip stealer out of work journalist is going to pick a fight with you Juan. Ignore the infidel. Guy has no life. That blond gorninflona he parades with him must have self esteem issues if she goes out with him….and she has probably figures out by now that he is broke. I bet she pays for his drinks….and he steals the tips she leaves.

Anonymous said...

Now that Mchale jumped to his death a la Exorcist, the devilish Eddie Martinez is looking for another soul to inhabit and suck out its life force. Mchale had to go to Facebook to get rid of this miserable, bitter and friendless individual. He cant comment on Bobby's blog cause he's afraid Bobby will find him and subpoena him while "Free Buffet" Barton's comatose blog is like watching grass grow. What a cruel joke for someone to be blessed with border-line talent but a fucked up head. The washed up putz could have actually been somebody instead of being a Llorona online haunting Brownsville blogs from a Burger King wi-fi.

Anonymous said...

Torquemada for Mayor !!!

brownsville literary review said...

Thanks for the great obit, compadre, but as Mark Twain said, "The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated." When I was the only blogger, I held the only nuclear bomb and could use my site as the bully pulpit, but these days there has been a proliferation of bloggers and each one has the nuclear option. There is no satisfaction in mutual destruction, so I have decided to move my operations to the demilitarized zone of Facebook. Though I will no longer be able to display my artistry via nudes, decapitated bodies and dead soldiers, I will still possess the word. I am going mainstream, but all subjects are fair game. Many friends have forcefully suggested that I would be more successful and effective without the gratuitous language. At their behest, I am going to explore the genre of mainstream writing. Circumstances force one to adapt or perish. I have been on the receiving end, which is good for the soul if not for the nerves. As Muhammad Ali proved with rope-a-dope, a good defense can be the foundation of a good offense. Facebook doesn't allow me the artistic excesses that a blog permits, which may be a blessing in disguise, but ultimately it's your ability to write. Does your prose entertain and inform or not? Metaphorically speaking, I still think I have plenty of ink in my pen. As to your quixotic quest, keep fighting the windmills. As we know from decades of practice, when we lose our voices, we lose our selves. And I would remiss if I didn't add this final observation: I'm no longer dealing with anonymous machos. Facebook demands that the contributor identify himself or herself or refrain from talking big. I find that change refreshing.

Anonymous said...

(duardo PAZ Martinez, aka the PENDEJO, wrote the first two comments.)

Agree.
Dags.

Anonymous said...

Well it doesn't take a lot to figure out that the poster at 10:45 is Valadez.....aka, the Mexican Pendejo .Jerry quit trying to get sympathy and go fuck yourself .

Anonymous said...

Roman, when will you ever grow up? Your own wife despises you for your sick, perverted , feminine ways. You are a joke to everyone , even your family . Hopefully , soon, you will be held accountable for your vile postings.

Anonymous said...

I agree with you Dr. Mchale.....and you will agree with everyone that the blimp and imp are a pair of 69ing PENDEJOS!

Anonymous said...

Awe Krystal this must be you, like they say the PAC always stay strong.

Anonymous said...

Fuk u Eduardo Paz Martinez

Anonymous said...

Juan, personally, I think your blog does more than other blogs use to attack other blogs. Keep up the good work. I have never been interested in other peoples lives.

rita