Friday, April 24, 2026
THEY HAD A FALLING OUT, LIKE CAMALIONES OFTEN DO...
Chuy Aguilera posted this a few months ago. Wonder why the fallout since Aguilera's wife was Judge Chuy’s campaign treasurer when he ran for Justice of the Peace? He is now in a runoff for 107th District Court against Noe Garza.
SO TRUMPSTERS: DO YOU BELIEVE YOUR IDOL, OR YOUR OWN EYES?
By Associated Press
President Donald Trump’s speech Saturday at the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency turned into the latest battle in, as he put it, his “running war with the media.” He had two central complaints: that the media misrepresented the size of the crowd at his inauguration and that it was incorrectly reported a bust of Martin Luther King Jr. was removed from the Oval Office. A look at those assertions:TRUMP:
“I made a speech. I looked out. The field was — it looked like a million, a million and a half people.’’
The president went on to say that one network “said we drew 250,000 people. Now that’s not bad. But it’s a lie.’’ He then claimed that were 250,000 right by the stage and the “rest of the, you know, 20-block area, all the way back to the Washington Monument was packed.’’
“So we caught them,’’ Trump said. “And we caught them in a beauty. And I think they’re going to pay a big price.’’
THE FACTS:
Trump is wrong. Photos of the National Mall from his inauguration make clear that the crowd did not extend to the Washington Monument. Large swaths of empty space are visible on the Mall.
Thin crowds and partially empty bleachers also dotted the inaugural parade route. Hotels across the District of Columbia reported vacancies, a rarity for an event as large as a presidential inauguration.
BROWNSVILLE'S GREAT FOUNDERS: A RUNAWAY SLAVE CATCHER, A SLAVE OWNER WHO STOLE THE LAND
MAYOR JOHNS COWEN'S ANCESTOR WILLIAM NEAL, A SLAVE CATCHER
CHARLES STILLMAN THE "FOUNDER" OF BROWNSVILLE WHO STOLE THE LAND FROM RIGHTFUL OWNERS, AND A SLAVE HOLDER
By Juan Montoya
If ever there was a curse cast upon future generations it was by the people who named this city Brownsville and the county Cameron.
Why do we say that?
Local historians love to regale us with tales of the 500 brave defenders of Fort Texas, an earthen structure with walls 15 feet wide shaped into a six-sided star built near the present-day golf course next to Texas Southmost College. The finished walls, they say, stood nine to 10 feet tall.
Zachary Taylor had ordered the fort built right across the river from Matamoros in May 1846.
Taylor left Major Jacob Brown in charge of the fort on his way to fortify Point Isabel.
He heard the cannonade as Mexican forces began a siege on May 3 bombarding the fort with their artillery.
The Mexican cannon ball fire was ineffective after the fort's defenders knocked out the guns shooting from Matamoros. Although the confrontation at Fort Texas lasted six days, only two U.S. soldiers died in the bombardment, but that toll included the fort commander Brown.
The late Bruce Aiken used to say that the Mexican Army stopped their cannon fire when they saw that their cannon balls bounced harmlessly off the earthen walls of the fort. Firing continued from the Mexican side sporadically, and erratically.
Aiken said that during one of the lulls three days into the siege, Brown walked out of the fort and was standing by a wall when one of the cannon balls rolled by him, bounced off a wall, and and struck him in the leg, shattering it. (The sketch above that appeared in Harper's Magazine showing an exploding shell killing Brown is fanciful, since the Mexican cannon balls did not explode)
Over the next three days, gangrene set in and he died on May 9.
Why on earth did Brown venture outside the fort on that fateful day and get himself killed? Boredom? Ignorance? Bravado?
Whatever it was, it got his fool ass killed and both the fort and then the city were named after him.
The same goes for Ewen Cameron, which the plaque above has him dying "with his face to the foe."
Actually, hard-luck Ewen was one of a gang of plunderers (filibusters) who raided northern Mexico on July 1842. This was four years before Zachary Taylor was ordered to the mouth of the Rio Grande by President James Polk.
After a battle December 26, 1842 that left 650 Mexican townspeople dead and 200 wounded, they were captured in Mier, Tamaulipas by the Mexican army and sent to Mexico City.
Not wanting to merely execute all the raiders, they were given the chance to escape death by the luck of the draw, blindfolding them and have them draw beans. If they drew a white bean, they would be spared, but if they drew a black bean, they would be executed.
At Perote Prison, a jar containing 159 white beans and 17 black beans was presented to the Texan prisoners. Each man drew a bean from the jar. The 17 Texan prisoners who drew black beans were executed by Mexican firing squad.
Actually, for the Mexicans to give the prisoners such good odds of surviving speaks well of their civility.
Cameron drew a white bean in the lottery, and he was allowed to live and serve time in a Mexican prison. But no, Cameron thought he could escape his captors and was caught in the act at least twice, prompting the Mexican commander to order his execution "with his face to the foe," as Texas lore suggests when he refused a blindfold and bared his breast shouting at them to fire, "fuego."
Cameron could have left well enough alone and survived. But noooo! He had to tempt fate and his luck ran out.
Cameron County is now named in his honor and we, as its residents, are left to wonder why.
We live in a cursed region, it appears. With a city named after someone who did not have enough sense to stay inside a perfectly good fort and a county named after another who had been given a chance to live and still attempted to escape and got himself killed, what hope does this area have?
The future, indeed, cheats you from afar.
Why do we say that?
Local historians love to regale us with tales of the 500 brave defenders of Fort Texas, an earthen structure with walls 15 feet wide shaped into a six-sided star built near the present-day golf course next to Texas Southmost College. The finished walls, they say, stood nine to 10 feet tall.
Zachary Taylor had ordered the fort built right across the river from Matamoros in May 1846.
Taylor left Major Jacob Brown in charge of the fort on his way to fortify Point Isabel.
He heard the cannonade as Mexican forces began a siege on May 3 bombarding the fort with their artillery.
The Mexican cannon ball fire was ineffective after the fort's defenders knocked out the guns shooting from Matamoros. Although the confrontation at Fort Texas lasted six days, only two U.S. soldiers died in the bombardment, but that toll included the fort commander Brown.
The late Bruce Aiken used to say that the Mexican Army stopped their cannon fire when they saw that their cannon balls bounced harmlessly off the earthen walls of the fort. Firing continued from the Mexican side sporadically, and erratically.
Aiken said that during one of the lulls three days into the siege, Brown walked out of the fort and was standing by a wall when one of the cannon balls rolled by him, bounced off a wall, and and struck him in the leg, shattering it. (The sketch above that appeared in Harper's Magazine showing an exploding shell killing Brown is fanciful, since the Mexican cannon balls did not explode)
Over the next three days, gangrene set in and he died on May 9.
Why on earth did Brown venture outside the fort on that fateful day and get himself killed? Boredom? Ignorance? Bravado?
Whatever it was, it got his fool ass killed and both the fort and then the city were named after him.
The same goes for Ewen Cameron, which the plaque above has him dying "with his face to the foe."
Actually, hard-luck Ewen was one of a gang of plunderers (filibusters) who raided northern Mexico on July 1842. This was four years before Zachary Taylor was ordered to the mouth of the Rio Grande by President James Polk.
After a battle December 26, 1842 that left 650 Mexican townspeople dead and 200 wounded, they were captured in Mier, Tamaulipas by the Mexican army and sent to Mexico City.
Not wanting to merely execute all the raiders, they were given the chance to escape death by the luck of the draw, blindfolding them and have them draw beans. If they drew a white bean, they would be spared, but if they drew a black bean, they would be executed.
At Perote Prison, a jar containing 159 white beans and 17 black beans was presented to the Texan prisoners. Each man drew a bean from the jar. The 17 Texan prisoners who drew black beans were executed by Mexican firing squad.
Actually, for the Mexicans to give the prisoners such good odds of surviving speaks well of their civility.
Cameron drew a white bean in the lottery, and he was allowed to live and serve time in a Mexican prison. But no, Cameron thought he could escape his captors and was caught in the act at least twice, prompting the Mexican commander to order his execution "with his face to the foe," as Texas lore suggests when he refused a blindfold and bared his breast shouting at them to fire, "fuego."
Cameron could have left well enough alone and survived. But noooo! He had to tempt fate and his luck ran out.
Cameron County is now named in his honor and we, as its residents, are left to wonder why.
We live in a cursed region, it appears. With a city named after someone who did not have enough sense to stay inside a perfectly good fort and a county named after another who had been given a chance to live and still attempted to escape and got himself killed, what hope does this area have?
The future, indeed, cheats you from afar.
Thursday, April 23, 2026
WE SAVED TSC, AND OUR NEXT CENTURY OF PROGRESS IS YET TO COME
By Adela Garza
We are celebrating the 100th anniversary of Texas Southmost College this year.
Since back in 1926, this community, – once said to be the poorest in the United States – nurtured our community college district like a child. It gave local veterans and residents the opportunity to learn a skill, start a profession, or use it as a first rung to transfer to universities across the nation.
And its open enrollment gave non-traditional students like me a second chance to validate our self worth.
But just a scant 13 years ago, TSC almost ceased to exist. The plans were drawn, the proposals made, and – without local residents becoming aware – a bill was being considered in Austin to transfer all its real estate, buildings, bank deposits, and other financial assets to the oil-and-gas wealthy University of Texas System.
That almost happened when I was first elected to serve on the college board in 2008. A forceful college president working with a pliant board had already forwarded plans to do away with TSC, and its district would disappear only after local taxpayers finished paying its bond debt.
After that, the little college that had given so many of our young people, veterans, and residents the first rung to realize their dreams and uplift their families would be gone.
Our local students were already paying university-level tuition and fees, and only a dismal 16 percent graduated after six years. The rest fell through the cracks, their federal grants depleted with UTB-required "remedial" courses that didn't count toward graduation and they couldn't afford the high tuition and could not continue their schooling.
We said enough!
In the face of fierce opposition from an elitist stratum of our community, four of us –Rene Torres, Trey Mendez Kiko Rendon and me, a bare majority on the board – said we wouldn't stand by and give our educational birthright away and deprive future generations of the educational opportunities that only a community college can give us.
The combined forces of the UT System and local shakers and movers threatened us with personal and professional destruction, to ruin our businesses, and boycott our professional livelihoods. The college chaplain even picketed the professional offices of one of our majority and threatened him with eternal damnation.
If they had had their way, we wouldn't be celebrating the century mark of our college's anniversary today. Our college would have been a thing of the past and the fat cats in Austin would own our little school which had ben nurtured by the blood, sweat, and tears of our humble community.
They said we wouldn't be able to gain accreditation as an independent school, that our enrollment would disappear, and that our students would fail. We were wined and dined, begged, cajoled, and coerced to give up on TSC. We held on and stood our ground up to those forces seeking to destroy it.
I cannot tell you how often – in the darkest of those times – we felt like giving up in the face of this overwhelming adversity. But we thought then that it was worth it to save our TSC. It was worth it then, and it's worth it now.
The separation came and went and the opposition stood by, ready to watch us fail. But a Higher Power smiled upon us and our little college and drove us to work a little harder harder, and to persevere against the odds. Today, 13 years after we reestablished our independence as a stand-alone institution of higher education we have achieved this:
* We've reduced tuition and fees three (3) times to make TSC the most affordable college in the RGV
* We earned independent national accreditation despite the nay-sayers
* We've grown enrollment by over 130 percent
* We've built a state-of-the art workforce training program
* Today, TSC's graduation rate outpaces the state average
The best years – our next Century of Progress – is still ahead. With your continued support, we can keep building what we started.
EARLY VOTING:
April 20-28
ELECTION DAY
May 2
TRUMP'S DOJ RETALIATES AGAINST ANTI-KKK POVERTY LAW CENTER
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche — the same man who spent years as Donald Trump's personal criminal defense attorney before being handed the keys to the nation's top law enforcement agency — just indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center for fraud.
Todd Blanche and Donald Trump are not prosecuting fraud. They are prosecuting the people who had the audacity to take the threat of white supremacist violence seriously, using a legal system that has never once held itself to the same standard.
The alleged crime?
Paying informants to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan and other violent white supremacist organizations. The SPLC says that intelligence was regularly shared with local and federal law enforcement.
But in Trump's America, tracking the KKK is the crime.
This is the same playbook we watched a YouTuber named Nick Shirley run in Minnesota — viral videos, explosive "fraud" accusations, often without definitive evidence, aimed squarely at Somali-owned businesses and day care centers.
Those accusations triggered state crackdowns, ICE operations, and a climate of terror for an entire community. Day cares targeted in those videos ended up suing the state of Minnesota just to defend their right to exist. We have seen with our own eyes what happens when this kind of politically manufactured "fraud" narrative gets unleashed — people lose their livelihoods, families are torn apart, and in the worst cases, people die.
ICE raids in Minnesota have not been "enforcement." They have been the weaponization of government power against a community that was targeted by a propaganda campaign.
Now the federal government wants to call it fraud to pay someone to tell you where the Klan is meeting and what they are planning.
Now the federal government wants to call it fraud to pay someone to tell you where the Klan is meeting and what they are planning.
Let that sink in.
Because here is what the FBI's own history looks like when it comes to paid informants:
Because here is what the FBI's own history looks like when it comes to paid informants:
*The FBI employed a paid Klan informant named Gary Thomas Rowe — and on the government's dime, Rowe was told in advance about the attack on the Freedom Riders and the FBI chose not to intervene.
*That same paid informant was believed to be involved in the bombing of Martin Luther King Jr.'s motel room.
*The FBI also believed one of its informants purchased the dynamite used in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing that murdered four little girls.
*And when civil rights volunteer Viola Liuzzo was chased down and shot dead on a highway after the Selma to Montgomery march, Gary Thomas Rowe — the FBI's paid informant — was in the car. He was not just present. He was a participant. And what did the federal government do with him afterward?
They put him in witness protection and gave him a job as a deputy U.S. Marshal.
So to be absolutely clear about the rules as this government has enforced them throughout history:
Paying an informant to infiltrate the KKK and track violence against Black Americans is fraud. Paying an informant who helped carry out that violence, covered it up, and got rewarded for it — that is federal law enforcement doing its job.
The SPLC was monitoring extremists to protect people. The FBI was paying extremists to participate in terrorism against Black civil rights leaders and then shielding them from accountability.
Todd Blanche and Donald Trump are not prosecuting fraud. They are prosecuting the people who had the audacity to take the threat of white supremacist violence seriously, using a legal system that has never once held itself to the same standard.
This is not justice. This is retaliation dressed in a suit, wielded by a former defense attorney who made partner by keeping the most powerful man in America out of prison.
COMMISSIONERS PUT OFF CITY MANAGER CHOICE UNTIL NEXT TUESDAY
Special to El Rrun-Rrun
With city mayor John Cowen and two other city commissioners out of town, a bare quorum of the commission voted Tuesday to postpone the selection and appointment of a new city manager until next Tuesday, April 28.
The five candidates narrowed down from an original pool are Interim City Manager Alan Gard, Brownsville Police Chief/Asst. City Manager Felix Sauceda, Assistant City Manager Doroteo Garcia, Steve Williams, City Manager of Schertz, Texas, Majed Al Ghafy, City Manager, DeSoto, Texas, and Edwina "Edy" Benites-LM, Interim Director of Economic Development, Jefferson County, West Virginia.
The eventual choice will permanently replace the former city manager Helen Ramirez, who left at the end of 2025.
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
STALIN: THE POPE, HOW MANY DIVISIONS DOES HE HAVE?
Special to El Rrun-Rrun
The phrase "How many divisions does the pope have?" is a famous rhetorical question asked by Joseph Stalin to Winston Churchill in 1944 to dismiss the Vatican's military power. The literal answer is none; the Vatican City State maintains no military divisions, as the Pope is the head of a religious organization.
The phrase emphasizes the contrast between material power and moral authority.
Context: Stalin asked this during the Potsdam Conference when Churchill noted the Pope would be displeased by a decision regarding Poland.
The phrase emphasizes the contrast between material power and moral authority.
Context: Stalin asked this during the Potsdam Conference when Churchill noted the Pope would be displeased by a decision regarding Poland.
Significance: While Stalin implied the Pope had no power without an army, the quote is often cited to show the enduring moral influence of the Papacy
.
Military Presence: The Pope has only the small, ceremonial Swiss Guard responsible for the security of the Vatican.
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Military Presence: The Pope has only the small, ceremonial Swiss Guard responsible for the security of the Vatican.
Though the Vatican has no military divisions, many note that the Vatican has outlasted the Soviet Union, which did.
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
JUST AFTER THE $2,OOO DOGE CHECK, THE TARIFF REFUND, AND MEXICO'S WALL; AND YOU STILL BELIEVE TRUMP?
NOE GARZA: A 107TH DISTRICT COURT JUDGE WHO'll BE THERE FOR US WHEN IT MATTERS
By El Licenciado de Veras
Special to El Rrun-Rrun
Special to El Rrun-Rrun
Your Family Deserves a Judge Who’s Been There!
Walk into any courtroom in Cameron County and you'll hear it. The 107th District Court race. The skinny. El rrun rrun.
But when you strip away the noise, the question is simple: Who do you trust when it actually matters?
This isn’t traffic court. This is where a mother fights to keep her child, where a man stands accused, hoping someone will listen. Where everything you’ve built can be taken away in a single decision.
And when you’re standing there, none of the politics matters. Only the person on the bench.
Noe Garza didn't grow up with connections. He is the son of immigrants. He attended public schools. There were no shortcuts. While still in school, Noe was already grinding, putting himself through college, learning what it meant to earn every opportunity, not just for himself, but for the people who depended on him.
That matters.
Because when you’ve lived that life, you don’t forget what it feels like to walk into a courtroom and have everything on the line.
For almost 40 years, Noe has stood next to families just like yours. Not in theory. Not in a classroom.
In real courtrooms. With real consequences. More than 300 trials. Real cases. Real consequences. Moments where the truth had to be sorted from noise. Where someone had to make sense of chaos.
Where someone had to stand up when it mattered most.
You’ll hear people say a judge should be “nice.” And of course, respect matters. But nice is easy.
What's hard is making the right call when the pressure is on. Knowing what matters and what doesn't. Getting it right when someone's life is on the line.
That’s the difference. And that difference comes from experience. When it's your child, and a judge is deciding custody... When it's your freedom, and everything is on the line...
When it's your business, and everything you've worked for is at risk...When it's your future sitting in that courtroom.
What you want is simple. You want someone who’s fair. Someone who listens. Someone who will treat you right. That’s what matters.
Not talk. Not appearances. You need someone who has seen it before. Someone who knows what truly matters. Someone who understands the difference between real evidence and empty claims. That kind of judgment isn’t learned from a book. It’s earned.
Imagine it’s your family. Your son accused of something he didn’t do. Your mother’s estate being fought over. Your business hanging by a thread. Who do you want making that decision?
Someone who hopes they get it right? Or Someone who has stood in a courtroom more than 300 times and made it count? Noe Garza brings more than experience. He brings understanding. He knows what it means to work. And he knows what it means to stand beside people when everything is on the line.
That’s who he is. Judges are elected to do the hard things when they’re hard, not when they’re easy.
Vote Noe Garza.
Because when your family’s future is at stake, experience isn’t optional.
Early voting starts Monday, May 18, 2026 and Election day is Tuesday May 26, 2026
Your voice matters. Use it.
Walk into any courtroom in Cameron County and you'll hear it. The 107th District Court race. The skinny. El rrun rrun.
But when you strip away the noise, the question is simple: Who do you trust when it actually matters?
This isn’t traffic court. This is where a mother fights to keep her child, where a man stands accused, hoping someone will listen. Where everything you’ve built can be taken away in a single decision.
And when you’re standing there, none of the politics matters. Only the person on the bench.
Noe Garza didn't grow up with connections. He is the son of immigrants. He attended public schools. There were no shortcuts. While still in school, Noe was already grinding, putting himself through college, learning what it meant to earn every opportunity, not just for himself, but for the people who depended on him.
That matters.
Because when you’ve lived that life, you don’t forget what it feels like to walk into a courtroom and have everything on the line.
For almost 40 years, Noe has stood next to families just like yours. Not in theory. Not in a classroom.
In real courtrooms. With real consequences. More than 300 trials. Real cases. Real consequences. Moments where the truth had to be sorted from noise. Where someone had to make sense of chaos.
Where someone had to stand up when it mattered most.
You’ll hear people say a judge should be “nice.” And of course, respect matters. But nice is easy.
What's hard is making the right call when the pressure is on. Knowing what matters and what doesn't. Getting it right when someone's life is on the line.
That’s the difference. And that difference comes from experience. When it's your child, and a judge is deciding custody... When it's your freedom, and everything is on the line...
When it's your business, and everything you've worked for is at risk...When it's your future sitting in that courtroom.
What you want is simple. You want someone who’s fair. Someone who listens. Someone who will treat you right. That’s what matters.
Not talk. Not appearances. You need someone who has seen it before. Someone who knows what truly matters. Someone who understands the difference between real evidence and empty claims. That kind of judgment isn’t learned from a book. It’s earned.
Imagine it’s your family. Your son accused of something he didn’t do. Your mother’s estate being fought over. Your business hanging by a thread. Who do you want making that decision?
Someone who hopes they get it right? Or Someone who has stood in a courtroom more than 300 times and made it count? Noe Garza brings more than experience. He brings understanding. He knows what it means to work. And he knows what it means to stand beside people when everything is on the line.
That’s who he is. Judges are elected to do the hard things when they’re hard, not when they’re easy.
Vote Noe Garza.
Because when your family’s future is at stake, experience isn’t optional.
Early voting starts Monday, May 18, 2026 and Election day is Tuesday May 26, 2026
Your voice matters. Use it.
Monday, April 20, 2026
IS IT ANTI-SEMITIC TO SHOW ISRAEL'S DISDAIN FOR CHRISTIANITY?
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have confirmed the authenticity of a photo circulating online showing an Israeli soldier smashing a statue of Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon.
The image, which has spread rapidly across social media, appears to show the soldier using a sledgehammer to destroy a crucifix in the Christian town of Debel during recent military operations.
In a statement, the IDF said it has identified the incident and that “appropriate measures will be taken against those involved” under the Northern Command.
The incident is already drawing outrage, particularly given Debel’s Christian population, and raises serious concerns about conduct during operations in civilian areas.
DUELING ENDORSEMENTS FOR PLACE 2 AT THE PORT OF B'VILLE
Special to El Rrun-Rrun
With early voting starting today and ending April 28, the race for commissioner Place 2 on the board of the Brownsville Navigation District has split the incumbents.
Current Place 2 holder John Wood has endorsed Shariff Gonnella while longtime port commissioner John Reed is backing former Cameron County Asst. Administrator David Garcia.
Reed, whose family has been at the port for generations, is usually considered the "old guard" and the Reeds have done business there for years. Wood, on the other hand, has had a long career as a City of Brownsville and Cameron County commissioner before getting elected to the board of the Brownsville Navigation District. Whose endorsement will carry the day? A lot, of course, depends on the candidates themselves and how much energy they devote to bringing out the votes.
Some have questioned Gonnella's employment with Omnitrax, that took over the port's railroad before his tenure, as a potential conflict of interest since what the company initially promised the port in return for the purchase has been amended several times and the original pledges have not materialized. But this happened before Gonnella appeared on the scene.
Garcia, however, also carries some baggage from his employment with Cameron County as the assistant administrator where he was instrumental in testimony that resulted in the ouster of former Pct. 2 commissioner Ernie Hernandez over the employment of his brother-in-law, and later in the indictment of administrator Pete Sepulveda over the paving of a non-dedicated road in El Ranchito.
Garcia has garnered several endorsements from the political movers and shakers with the city, and he is counting on his many years of association with elected officials in Washington D.C. when he worked in the office of congressman Solomon Ortiz, blamed for the derailing of the Port's Bridge to Nowhere along with former Texas Senator Eddie Lucio.
And Gonnella has had to respond to anonymous critics online (the equivalent of yesteryear's hojas sueltas) accusing him of being a muslim with cartel ties and a foreign accent. Gonnella was born in Venezuela and has worked in the maritime industry around the world. Many local leaders have denounced the anti-muslim slurs and point out that he is a practicing Catholic and that the port has benefitted from the input of foreign-born contributors to its growth. They discard the cartel ties as non-existent and blatant lies.
The political ad below commenting on Gonnella's accent (and global vision) on behalf of Gonnella has just appeared on social media.
IS DORO GARCIA GIVING UP ON CITY MANAGER'S GIG? CITY COMMISSION TO DECIDE MANAGER PICK THIS TUESDAY
The other candidates are Brownsville Police Chief/Asst. City Manager Felix Sauceda, Assistant City Manager and Police Chief, Brownsville, Steve Williams, City Manager of Schertz, Texas, Majed Al Ghafy, City Manager, DeSoto, Texas, and Edwina "Edy" Benites-LM, Interim Director of Economic Development, Jefferson County, West Virginia.
To local wags, when Garcia refers to his father-in-law, he is talking about former city commissioner and Pct. 2 Cameron County commissioner Ernie Hernandez, who left his elected office rather unceremoniously after he negotiated a deal with Cameron County District Attorney Luis V. Saenz, to avoid prosecution for his role in "fixing" the hiring of his brother-in-law as a non-commissioned security guard at one of the county's international bridges. Testimony at the trial of his assistant Raul Salazar, indicated that Hernandez had manipulated the system to provide the answers to the questions on the Civil Service exam to qualify for the position.
To "Ernie," local preference meant steering business to his sign-making business and his barbecue catering enterprise. If Garcia is chosen for city manager, how much "pull" will Ernie have?
Doroteo Garcia's wife is local attorney Erin Hernandez Garcia, who this time ran for judge of the 107th District Court and did not make the runoff.)
THIN SKINNED: FB COMMENTS ON JJ DE LEON'S ALLEGED DRUG USE CAUSED TERMINATION
Special to El Rrun-Rrun
A former Brownsville Independent School District employee claims she was fired after more than 22 years of employment with the district as a result of constitutionally-protected comments she made on a on a social media posting (FB) related to the alleged possession of marijuana by BISD Support Programs Director Juan J. DeLeon on April 19, 2024.
A former Brownsville Independent School District employee claims she was fired after more than 22 years of employment with the district as a result of constitutionally-protected comments she made on a on a social media posting (FB) related to the alleged possession of marijuana by BISD Support Programs Director Juan J. DeLeon on April 19, 2024.
The lawsuit, styled Adelida Ruth Vento vs. BISD and Superintendent Dr. Jesus Chavez was filed on March 23, 2026 in United States District Court, Southern District of Texas in Brownsville. 
At the crux of the issue, Vento claims her complaint is the result of "retaliation in violation of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, specifically, while acting under color of law, Defendants took adverse employment action against Plaintiff's employment motivated by political retaliation based on perceived political association that resulted in Plaintiff’s termination. "
Also, she claims the defendants violated her right to free speech guaranteed by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
At the time, DeLeon was running for re-election to the position of trustee on the board of the Texas Southmost College against Eduardo Camarillo during the 2024 election. Her immediate supervisor, Luis Troncoso, provided Vento with a verbal written warning, even though she said she had posted the comment on her own time, and on her personal social media.
The post did not claim that she was acting on behalf of the school district, or that her views represented the school district’s views. In her lawsuit, Vento claims such posting did not involve her or the candidate’s employment with the district Defendant and that the election was a matter of public concern and the posting did not involve improper language.
Nonetheless, Troncoso ordered her to refrain from “Inappropriate posting or use of social media that targets a school district employee or the school district.” She responded to the written verbal warning issued by Troncoso by saying that: “I did nothing inappropriate. I only defended an opponent (Camarillo) of my choice during election. I can’t help what others reply or post.”
Troncoso was himself directly supervised by DeLeon. Vento was provided by Troncoso on a form provided by the Defendant’s Human Resources Department that she was responsible for unauthorized distribution of written or printed material of any kind.
The Facebook Page, authored by someone named Jas Marie Reyes, referred to the choices of the TSC board candidates; Vento replied as "Ve AR."
She was issued an additional written verbal warning by Troncoso the same day, April 24, 2024, that stated: "The employee posted certain content on their personal public electronic platform (Facebook) that does not align with the professional standards expected of district employees. The employee was reminded that, as per our policy, you are solely responsible for the content present on your page, regardless of its origin, whether added by you, your acquaintances, or members of the public."
Plaintiff replied, “I have 1st Amendment Rights and am being violated by my rights by person in question. I have a right to defend any opponent I support during election.”
Records indicate that way back in 2011, there was a police operation at the (Central Administrative Building) CAB off Palm Boulevard in the parking lot between the CAB and Sam's Stadium.
In a report by an officer, it stated that a drug-sniffing dog hit upon a car in the parking lot and when the owner was found it turned out to be an employee (DeLeon) of the central office. The school cops turned tight-lipped at confirming the identity of the suspect and cited the ongoing investigation as a justification for their discretion.
In a report by an officer, it stated that a drug-sniffing dog hit upon a car in the parking lot and when the owner was found it turned out to be an employee (DeLeon) of the central office. The school cops turned tight-lipped at confirming the identity of the suspect and cited the ongoing investigation as a justification for their discretion.
Workers at the CAB said at the time was that the owner of the car worked at the central building in the office of Area Assistant Superintendent Educational Services Rachel Ayala, who was not the object of the probe herself. DeLeon was Ayala's protege and he was allowed to leave the premises without having to undergo a search of his vehicle.
To see full story, click on link: https://rrunrrun.blogspot.com/2024/06/tsc-runoff-de-leon-has-outworn-his.html
TRUMP: AFFORDABILITY IS A DEMOCRATIC HOAX...
Sunday, April 19, 2026
AND ALL THAT TIME WE THOUGHT ZORILLOS COULDN'T SWIM...
Laredo, Texas - A high speed vehicle pursuit near the U.S. Mexico border ended dramatically Friday afternoon when a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) patrol unit rolled into the Rio Grande due to an electronic malfunction, though no one was injured.
According to a statement from the DPS Public Information Officer, the incident began at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Friday when a DPS trooper assisted U.S. Border Patrol with a traffic stop on a white Ford Fusion traveling on U.S. Highway 83 South near Mangana Hein Road.
The driver refused to stop, prompting a pursuit. The Ford Fusion continued west on Don Camilo Boulevard from U.S. 83, approaching the intersection of Riddle Drive and Wilfrano Drive. The vehicle then veered off road toward the river and became disabled on a dirt hill.
The driver and two passengers fled the vehicle on foot and ran toward the river. As troopers pursued the suspects, the DPS unit experienced a malfunction with its electronic safety park/brake switch, causing the unoccupied patrol vehicle to roll into the river. The trooper was not inside the unit at the time, and no injuries resulted from the fleet accident.
The two passengers were arrested and confirmed to be in the country illegally. The driver successfully swam across the river back into Mexico and was not apprehended. DPS officials stated that the suspects vehicle will be processed for evidence.
The incident highlights the challenges law enforcement faces in border operations, including vehicle pursuits that can quickly escalate in rugged terrain near the Rio Grande. No further details on charges or the identities of those involved were immediately released.
This account is based off official DPS PIO statement.
Saturday, April 18, 2026
BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS, WHO COME TO YOU IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING...
Pete Hegseth — Secretary of Defense, self-proclaimed Christian warrior, man who tattooed "Deus Vult" (God wills it, the battle cry of the Crusades) on his body — led a prayer service at the Pentagon and solemnly recited what he called "Ezekiel 25:17."
There's just one problem.
That's not a Bible verse. That's a Quentin Tarantino script.
The "prayer" Hegseth read is Samuel L. Jackson's famous monologue from Pulp Fiction — a speech the character Jules Winnfield delivers right before he executes someone. Jules himself admits in the film that he never actually looked it up. He recited it because, and I quote, "I thought it was just a cold-blooded thing to say to a motherf---er before you popped a cap in his ass."
Hegseth didn't know the difference.
The actual Ezekiel 25:17 is one sentence long. One sentence. The man could have opened any Bible — they're literally free — or Googled it in 4 seconds.
But he didn't, because this was never about the Bible. It was never about faith. It was about performance. It was about vibes. It was about using the aesthetics of Christianity as a prop, the way his boss holds up a Bible he's never read for a photo-op outside a church he teargassed peaceful protesters to reach.
And this is the perfect metaphor for this entire administration.
They don't read. They don't study. They don't believe — not really. They just make things up that sound authoritative, recite them with confidence, and trust that their base won't check. Whether it's economic policy, immigration law, Constitutional precedent, or apparently Scripture — it's all vibes and fabrication all the way down.
Christianity — a faith centered on caring for the poor, welcoming the stranger, and loving your enemy — has been hijacked and weaponized into a shield for white nationalist imperialism. For mass deportations. For bombing campaigns blessed with fake Bible verses.
For a "Religious Liberty Commission" that exists to give powerful people the right to discriminate, not to protect the vulnerable.
TRAIL OF QUESTIONABLE JUDGMENT, PERFORMANCE, DOGS LAGUNA VISTA MAYORAL CANDIDATE DARLA JONES
Special to El Rrun-Rrun
At Laguna Vista, rumors of past blunders by mayoral candidate Darla Jones are not jut rumors, they're a documented record.
Documentation acquired through public information requests to the City of South Padre Island confirms there is additional information on city files, with certain personal details withheld under state law. Even with those redactions, what was released paints a clear picture.
The information released of incidents during her time serving as Assistant City Manager for the City of South Padre Island, shows Jones received a formal written warning for violating city policy involving alcohol on city property during a work-related event.
That alone might be written off as a lapse in judgment, but the rest of the record shows similar issues continuing over time. But 
internal evaluations document repeated concerns about transparency and communication. There were multiple instances where significant project issues, budget concerns, and operational problems were known in advance, in some cases months ahead of time, but were not communicated until much later.
Those delays limited city leadership’s ability to respond, increased risk to the city, and allowed problems to grow before they were addressed.
These weren’t isolated situations. The record speak for itself and shows she was coached more than once on the same types of issues, including the need to clearly communicate major changes, costs, and risks. Yet, a careful reading indicates that despite that guidance, similar concerns continued to appear.
One of the most serious issues documented relates to how required public processes were handled. Evaluations note that proper public participation procedures were not consistently followed. This cannot be considered minor technical issues. These processes exist to protect the city, ensure transparency, and avoid legal challenges.
According to the evaluations, failures in these required processes were linked to two lawsuits in that same year.
If you're a Laguna Vista resident and care about the city, that matters.
It means the breakdown didn’t stay internal. It escalated into legal action. It exposed the city to risk. It required time, resources, and public funds to address. And ultimately, those consequences fall on the community.
It means the breakdown didn’t stay internal. It escalated into legal action. It exposed the city to risk. It required time, resources, and public funds to address. And ultimately, those consequences fall on the community.
This is not a hypothetical risk. This is documented impact.
Her evaluations also raise concerns about judgment and leadership. Notes reflect situations where recommendations were not aligned with the city’s best interests, along with ongoing communication challenges and difficulty working effectively with others. There are also comments about being overly critical in day-to-day operations and how that impacted staff and collaboration.
And these concerns aren’t limited to internal documents.
Local resident Tara Rios submitted a written statement describing an interaction she experienced that she says was aggressive, inappropriate, and intimidating, and it happened in front of her children.
Local resident Tara Rios submitted a written statement describing an interaction she experienced that she says was aggressive, inappropriate, and intimidating, and it happened in front of her children.
According to her account, what should have been a routine situation escalated unnecessarily. She raised concerns about how authority was used and formally requested that the situation be reviewed, noting that it may reflect a broader pattern of behavior.
When you step back and look at all of this together, the disciplinary action, the repeated coaching, the delayed communication of known issues, and the fact that documented process failures were linked to two lawsuits in a single year, along with a real experience from someone in the community, it becomes harder to dismiss these as isolated incidents.
The same concerns show up again and again.
At some point, it stops being coincidence and starts being a pattern.
Voters should step back and ask themselves: Is this who you want leading the town?
Voters should step back and ask themselves: Is this who you want leading the town?
FOR TRUMP, THE IRAN MESS IS NOW THE ARTLESSNESS OF A DEAL
The Other 98%
The man who literally wrote "The Art of the Deal" is now reportedly offering to unfreeze $20 billion in Iranian assets to reopen a strait that was wide open before he started his war of choice, and the greatest business mind in human history is scrambling to buy his way out of a crisis he created.
This is the same man who recently referred to the Strait of Hormuz as the "Strait of Iran," which tracks, because at this point he basically handed it to them.
The staggering irony here is impossible to ignore. Under the Obama nuclear deal, the U.S. lifted sanctions on frozen Iranian funds and sent $1.7 billion to settle decades-old failed contracts, the very arrangement trump and Republicans spent years calling a national disgrace and a handout to terrorists.
That deal came with real, verified nuclear limits and rigorous international inspections. Now the world's greatest negotiator is looking at paying $20 billion for a deal that offers weaker protections and still has gaping holes, including on the Strait itself.
And as of today, even the definition of "open" is up for debate. Iran declared the strait open for commercial vessels while simultaneously requiring ships to follow a state-controlled route near Iranian coastline. trump hailed it as a win while keeping the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports fully in place.
So the man who turned Atlantic City casinos into spectacular financial rubble is running the same playbook on American foreign policy: walk in with swagger, blow up what was working, and then pay more than you would have originally to dig out of the hole.
The only difference is this time the rest of the world is holding the debt.
Friday, April 17, 2026
ANOTHER MONUMENTAL MASSAGE TO HIS HUGE EGO: THE ARC D'TRUMP
MICHIGAMA NATIVES GET A TASTE OF BARBACOA DE CABEZA DE VENDADO
His skeptical hunter friends turned up their noses at the thought of eating the meat, but watched as he wrapped it in aluminum foil and then in a wet burlap bag and tossed it under the coals of a fire. After a few hours, the head was unwrapped and the hunters were surprised at how good the barbacoa de cabeza de venison was.
Now, I'd be lying if I was to say that I'm a big fan of barbacoa de cabeza.
Each Sunday you can see the lines forming at the well-known places all over town that specialize in this typical Sunday fare (like Vera's and Marcelo's on Southmost). Entire families crowd around the doors of these establishments to purchase a few pounds of the steamed beef-head meat. They either drive through the places or emerge from the stores and restaurants with brown paper bags spotted dark with the grease from this delicacy.
Add in a few dozen corn tortillas, salsa, cilantro and diced onions, and presto! you have the traditional South Texas Sunday barbacoa.
As I said, I'm no fan. Oh, yeah, I will partake of a taquito or two, but just looking at the grease coagulating on the wax paper makes my heart hurt.
However, as the saying goes, distance makes the heart grow fonder.
I was in the middle of the Michigan peninsula (the Middle of the Mitten) in the mid-1980s working for a Saginaw newspaper and living near Mt. Pleasant, about an hour and a half away.
In those days the Mexican food craze hadn't reached out into the Michigama hinterlands. If you wanted fresh menudo or even barbacoa, you just about had to cook it yourself. That opportunity presented itself one night when my late father-in-law and my cuñados – all of them Chippewa Tribal members – went out hunting for a deer on their 80 allotted acres. Unlike many Natives, they hadn't clear-cut all their property so the Bureau of Indian Affairs could not rent them to local farmers for a song and instead kept them in their natural state of tall pine and thick underbrush. It was an ideal habitat for animals, not few of which were entire herds of white-tail deer.
Natives are allowed to hunt on their allotted property without restrictions year-round, a throwback to the old treaties that allowed them to hunt for subsistence any time of the year.
About an hour or so after they left they returned with a large doe. Those deer are not the pygmies we know in South Texas. They stand shoulder high or taller than man. They set about to skin it and hung it from its hind legs to a nearby tree as they butchered it. I was watching them as they did it and after they cut off the head, I asked them what they were going to do with it.
"We'll give it to the dogs," they answered and were about to heave it nearby when I asked them if I could have it.
"What for?," they asked.
"I'm going to make barbacoa out of it," I said to their startled looks.
"What for?," they asked.
"I'm going to make barbacoa out of it," I said to their startled looks.
Since it was the dead of winter the ground was frozen hard and there was no way that I could even get a spade into the ground, I skinned the head of hide and hair and wrapped it in thick aluminum foil. I made a small hole at the top and prepared some spices which I mixed in water and poured it into the opening. I then set the oven at 350 degrees and forgot about it for the rest of the night.
My late mother-in-law had heard about me asking for the doe's head and had wandered over to see what her crazy Mexican son-in-law was going to do with the doe's head. When she came in the door, she was met by the glazed-eye gaze of the doe head resting on the oven's open door, it's tongue hanging out of one side of its mouth.
"Geez, Faithy," she asked her daughter genuinely frightened. "What is that?"
In the morning the household woke up to the fragrance of freshly-made barbacoa. The wafer-thin bones of the doe's head literally slid off the tender, succulent flesh. Since the doe was a woodland animal and ate the foliage of the Michigan forest, there was little, if any, fat at all on the carcass.
The smell wafted through the nearby homes and it wasn't long before my in-laws and cuñados were crowding in the door to investigate. My ex had learned how to make flour tortillas by hand under the tutelage on my mom in Brownsville and a fresh batch was coming off the griddle. I had cooked up a green salsa and the plates were ready.
When my mother-in-law entered the door attracted by the smell, I pulled up the chair of honor and placed a fresh flour tortilla with barbacoa before her.
"In honor of your place and out of of respect for our elders we saved the eyes for you," I told her.
It was a while before we could convince her that I had only been kidding.
NEXT, SHE WILL BE DRESSED UP AS AN IRANIAN NEGOTIATOR...
Thursday, April 16, 2026
WHEN HE DIES, WAIT FOR THREE DAYS JUST TO MAKE SURE...
Below: Famed Chicago hot dog stand "The Wiener’s Circle" is making its voice heard amid the Trump–Pope Leo feud
EX SBEDC CEO RIOS DEPO REVEALS SERIOUS PROCEDURAL QUESTIONS
San Benito, Texas – As questions continue to grow surrounding a $3.4 million lien that appears to have never been formally approved, sworn testimony has revealed a deeper issue inside the San Benito Economic Development Corporation, one centered not on a a single decision, but on the flawed process followed to make those decisions in the first place.
In deposition testimony, former EDC board president Julia Rios acknowledged that despite clear requirements for city-level approval on contracts and amendments, actions were often taken without internal administrative direction rather than the strict compliance with governance rules.
Rios admitted that, during his time in leadership, he relied on guidance provided by Jose Morales, husband of commissioner Deborah Morales when executing official actions. That reliance, even in situations where governing documents required formal approval beyond the board, in now raising serious concerns about whether proper procedures were consistently followed.
The structure of the EDC exists to ensure accountability. The board is expected to act collectively, major decisions are to be documented, and oversight mechanisms are in place to protect public assets. But testimony now suggests that those safeguards safeguards may not have been applied ass intended.
Of particular concern, Rios confirmed that amendments to major agreements were executed without documented city approval, despite language requiring it. When questioned, he described those actions as part of of what he understood to be normal operational practice at the time, pointing to internal direction rather than formal authorization.
That distinction is critical because when formal procedures are replaced with informal practices, the system designed to protect public funds tends to break down.
The result is what is now unfolding: A multimillion dollar financial obligation tied to public property, with no clear record of board approval and no documented vote reflecting authorization.
Rios further testified that he di not recall consulting legal counsel on key decisions and repeatedly pointed back to SBEDC meeting minutes rather than confirming whether proper approvals were ever formally obtained. In multiple instances, he was unable to verify that significant actions were taken in accordance with required procedures.
Taken together, the testimony presents a picture of an organization operating with blurred lines of authority, where decisions were influenced by internal direction rather than consistently anchored in formal governance requirements. Rios testimony shows indicated that this was not simply about one document.
Rather, it was about the system that allowed it to exist. In this case, his testimony shows that governance is not defined by intent, but rather by process. And when that process was not followed, accountability became unavoidable. What is now coming into focus is not just a financial question, but a structural one.
The question emerges: How dis a system designed to require oversight allow a decision of this magnitude to move forward without clear city commission approval? And how many other decisions followed the same path?
GARZA RUNNING ON LEGACY OF PERSERVERANCE, HARD WORK TO OVERCOME ADVERSITY TO GAIN 107TH DISTRICT COURT
Runoff Candidate, 107th District Court
This past Saturday, I was presented with something I will never forget.
It is a book about my life—written, designed, and published by three of my strongest supporters: Nereida Arredondo, Aracely Rodríguez, and Napoleón Rodríguez.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you. This is a gift I never expected, and one I will always value.
The book is titled Un Corazón Sin Fronteras — A Heart Without Borders… El Legado-The Legacy.
The book is titled Un Corazón Sin Fronteras — A Heart Without Borders… El Legado-The Legacy.
The cover is powerful. It shows a young boy looking toward the man he would become—and a man looking back at the child he once was. Both are me.
That child came from humble beginnings in El Tahuachal, Matamoros. Born without medical care, nearly lost at birth, and a survivor of Hurricane Beulah.
Through faith, perseverance, and opportunity, that journey led to a career of 39 years as a lawyer—and now, a candidate for the 107th District Court.
This gift is more than a book. It is a reminder of the trust and belief others have placed in me.
I am grateful to be the leading candidate—but this election comes down to turnout. I need your vote.
Early voting: May 18–22
Election Day: May 26
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
ON THE ROAD NORTH, FREDDY HIGH AGAIN ON HIS H20 PIPA
(After months of scraping and preparation, workers have finally repainted the San Benito water tower along the expressway with the portrait of Freddy Fender (AKA Baldemar Huerta) that had been removed during the repairs. This was sent from one of our seven readers who drove by on the way to the VA Clinic in Harlingen.)
REMEMBERING RUDY ACUNA AND HIS OCCUPIED AMERICA: J.T. CANALES; "CORTINA WAS OUR PREDECESSOR IN FIGHTING FOR OUR PEOPLE AND AGAINST RACE DISCRIMINATION."
Original El Rrun-Rrun Graphic
(The first time I heard of Juan N. Cortina taking over Brownsville was during an American Culture class at the University of Michigan- Ann Arbor in 1975. I wasn't taught of him in elementary, middle school or high school at the Brownsville Independent School District or Texas Southmost college before I transferred there. The book was "Occupied America" and I had the chance to talk some of it over with Acuña when he attended UM on a research-teaching fellowship. Soft-spoken and unassuming, Acuña echoed Brownsville's J.T. Canales in his letter to a fellow Chicano activist, Alonso Perales. Research into this aspect of Texas history is now underway and perhaps local Mexicano kids will be able to learn of these ancestors who fought for the respect of their civil rights. Acuña passed this past March 23. RIP.)By Juan Montoya
Despite the demonization of Juan Nepomuceno "Cheno" Cortina – who took over Brownsville in September 1859 to protest Anglo abuses of Mexicans – the leading Hispanic voices of Texas saw him as the first man to challenge the new established order's mistreatment of their fellow American citizens in South Texas and the denial of their civil rights.
He also led the fight in the legislature to reform the Texas Rangers and called attention to their abuse of the rights of Mexican-Americans in the state.
In 1914 he was elected Cameron County judge before returning to Austin as state representative. He, along with San Antonio-based attorney Alonso Perales – who was also author of "En Defensa de La Raza" and U.S. diplomat – were among a group of Hispanic leaders in Texas who founded the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). Canales wrote most of its constitution and its members elected him president from 1932 to 1933.
"I was happy to receive your letter February 14 and also note the high opinion you have of (Goldfinch's thesis) on General Cortina," Canales wrote. "You are right. Cortina was our predecessor in fighting for our people and against race discrimination. He used a different method to accomplish this from the one you and I have been using..."He used force because that was the only means he had at the time," Canales wrote Perales. "We have used education and an appeal to reason, but it is the same fight and we are merely carrying on what he began in 1859."
"Dear Don Jose, mi amigo estimado: The older I grow the more difficult the comprehension of truth appears to me. I am sure that if I was rewriting the (book) I should revise some things said about (Cortina)."
He then lists other recipients of the Goldfinch thesis ranging from college presidents and historical scholars to justices of the Texas Supreme Court who all sent complimentary letters after reading it.
From 1912 to 1914 Canales served as county superintendent of public schools in Cameron County where he stressed the use of the English language, United States patriotism, and rural education. In fact, Canales, a graduate of the University of Michigan, had an elementary school named after him by the Brownsville Independent School District.
(At the opening of the school in 1949 he talked to students. Notice the barrio children's bare feet.)
So it was surprising when Dr. Marie Theresa Hernandez, professor at the University of Houston and an author and professor in UH's World Cultures and Literatures Department discovered correspondence between Canales and Perales who viewed Cortina not as Anglo authors painted him as a thief or bandit and the "Rogue of the Rio Grande," but rather as a "predecessor" of Hispanics who defended Mexican-American civil rights.
In a letter uncovered by Dr. Hernandez dated February 18, 1950 written by Canales to Perales, Canales tells Perales that he had sent copies of a thesis written by his son-in-law Charles W. Goldfinch for his Master's degree at the University of Chicago in 1949. The only difference between Cortina and them, he said, was in method rather than in purpose
Canales then goes on to suggest that Goldfinch's thesis be translated into Spanish, but defends its publication in English saying that:
"Since the fight we have is against the prejudice of the Anglo-American, who speak only their own language, it was more important to write it in English."
Canales then tells Perales that he had sent copies of Goldfinch's thesis to "Texas" historians and that their response to it had been "splendid."
J. Frank Dobie, an American folklorist, writer, and newspaper columnist best known for his many books depicting the richness and traditions of life in rural Texas during the days of the open range who had written "A Vaquero of the Brush Country," among other books, responded to the thesis that Cortina had been maligned by Texas historians based on deep-seated prejudices and bias by writing Canales that:
Likewise, Dr. W.P. Webb, who wrote what is considered the authoritative book "The Texas Rangers," considered the bible on the subject, said he would have reconsidered Cortina's treatment in it if he had had access to Goldfinch's sources.
"It is too bad that I did not also have access to the other side of the story (meaning when he wrote The Texas Rangers). I think it is very fortunate that this has been done by one who has access to Cortina's side of the tale."
Canales said Webb was not considering a revision of his book, but "If it is, I shall take into account the new evidence on Cortina." Canales said that he had run into Webb who told him there was a new book on Texas history being considered, and "if he has anything to do, he would revise the chapter on Cortina."
"The only way to destroy falsehood is with the true facts presented in a logical manner and documented by historians. This is why I believe that (this thesis) will have the effect to change public opinion among our Anglo-Saxon fellow citizens."
In closing, Canales tells Perales that: "I was very happy to receive your letter and as you have been my loyal collaborator in my effort to clean Texas history from its lies and in vindicating the rights of our Latin American fellow citizens in Texas.
"I am writing you this long letter to you showing what results have been received thus far from (the thesis)."
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