Blue Collar Muse

I like the concept expressed in an old science fiction story about professional arbitrators whose motto is, “May truth triumph over victory!” To truly win, the truth must be the most important factor for all parties. Once a party puts winning the argument above the truth, they lose.

Tim Chavez’s posts at ‘Political Salsa’ on the plight of Juana DeLaPaz and Nashville’s 287g program are poster kids for trying to win while ignoring the truth. In his series, Chavez reports only the details he wants us to hear. He exercises little restraint in drawing unwarranted conclusions, and refuses to abide by standards which he insists others adhere to. If Chavez is trying to rally support against “bad guys”, he’s failing.

If the facts are as he says, it’s hard not to be outraged. But what if facts are left out which might make a difference to a reasonable person? Let’s start with Chavez’s standards for journalism. How can we tell if Chavez is telling the truth? There’s not a single link supporting any of Chavez’s statements. He provides email links to register your outrage. Just no links to what he uses to outrage you. Tim used to be an Old Media journalist. You’re blogging now, Tim. This is New Media. Links are your friend!

Chavez takes commenters to task for not leaving a name or contact information. Yet Chavez quotes only an unnamed “advocate” to tell DeLaPaz’s story. No name, no contact information, no nothing. To quote Tim Chavez on such a practice,

This is America, after all. Good people can disagree. But let’s back our opinions with our names or at least our e-mail addresses to continue the discussion so some common ground can possibly be found. …

I tried to go to your blog site to contact you personally but there was no visible name and your profile would not come up.

I hope you are not ashamed to use your real name with your opinions. That is the least we should offer each other as Americans in the marketplace of ideas.

Chavez may have gotten some facts right. But given his presentation, interpretation and characterization of those facts, he leaves lots of room to question their veracity. His approach seems more intent on inflammation than information.

Chavez reports the arresting officer was criticized by another officer at the scene who said he never would have arrested Ms. DeLaPaz. First Chavez reports that conversation as with DeLaPaz’s brother-in-law after Juana was taken away. Later it’s said to be with DeLaPaz’s son with her still at the scene. Personally, I’ve never heard of a not-in-the-loop cop questioning another officer’s informed decision. He may tell the Chief, a lawyer or testify to it in court. But tell a 14 year old kid at the scene of an arrest? Possible, but unlikely.

Chavez reports DeLaPaz was kept in her car for an hour in the heat while 9 months pregnant. An hour’s wait for a traffic ticket? I wonder what Chavez would report had the officer put Ms. DeLaPaz in the back of his patrol car? “Woman arrested while helpless children left in sweltering car”? The real reason for Chavez’s outrage is that DeLaPaz is an illegal alien arrested under Nashville’s 287g laws. Tim despises 287g and Darron Hall, the man who brought it to Nashville.

Chavez says 287g results in “inhumanity and devastation”, “abuse” and calls the program heinous! He describes what DeLaPaz endured after arrest as “torture” as found in Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison or Guantanamo. DeLaPaz had her baby while in jail. He says she was handcuffed to her bed while in labor up until two hours before delivery. A day later she was restrained in bed again and required to wear leg shackles when using the restroom over a nurse’s objections on the basis of hygiene.

If this seems excessive to you for a traffic ticket, we’re on the same wavelength. Is it possible Ms. DeLaPaz’s case involves something a bit more serious than “careless driving”? Tim Chavez doesn’t. He emphasizes Ms. DeLaPaz is a “CIVIL/MISDEMEANOR offender” guilty of merely a “TRAFFIC OFFENSE” (emphasis in the original) who was “… kept in jail on the charge of driving without a license…” But that’s not the whole story.

Chavez also reports

It was determined by ICE that [DeLaPaz] had been previously removed (in deportation proceedings a decade ago) and was kept in jail on the charge of driving without a license along with an ICE detainer …

It’s unclear from this whether Ms. DeLaPaz was deported in the 90s and returned or if she was ordered deported but never left. And what is an “ICE detainer”? But in light of this information as opposed to Chavez’s colorful rant, isn’t it more likely when the officer radioed dispatch he learned DeLaPaz was guilty of more than just a traffic violation? A commentor confirms the deportation hearing. Might DeLaPaz being a known flight risk be the rationale behind her incarceration and treatment as opposed to a cop’s delight in “torture”? According to one Immigration attorney, this sort of violation can be a felony. That seems a pretty serious omission on Chavez’s part.

I contacted Berry Hill Police to confirm the “careless driving” ticket and Ms. DeLaPaz’s immigration status. I was told only the Chief could comment on the matter and he’s out until Monday. The only thing clear in this muddy situation is that there is so much Tim Chavez isn’t telling us. One thing is certain. Chavez is doing his cause no good with baseless, inflammatory accusations presented out of context. As a journalist, and in the interest of presenting the best case for Ms. DeLaPaz, he should know better. Once his credibility is lost, he loses support for himself and his cause. That he would do this in the name of being this woman’s champion is the real outrage here.

Blue Collar Muse

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This entry was posted on Saturday, July 19th, 2008 at 7:02 pm and is filed under Blogging, Family, Immigration, Individual Responsibility, Judicial Matters, Law Enforcement, Nashville Nuggets. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.