Forget Marco Rubio! Forget Ted Cruz! Cameron County Republicans Have Dagoberto Barrera!

Dagoberto Barrera

Dapper in a canary yellow shirt with matching tie, Dagoberto Barrera chastises the City Commission in a carefully-crafted 3 minute speech, employing old-fashioned, oratorical cadence:

"You're always spending more than what the hell you have. . . . . Pete(turning toward City Finance Director Pete Gonzalez with a wagging, accusatory finger). . . .  especially you must control your WILD taxation, your Mickey Mouse programs. . . .The Hudsons, the Porters they can probably pay more taxes, but we, the middle class. . our wallets are EMPTY brothers!  We are down and out!  Gas is $2.50 a gallon.   Whoever thought they would see that?"

This was not the yellow-attired man's first performance of the evening.  Barrera is the de facto leader in the pledge of allegiance, his voice booming over the mayor's microphone-enhanced voice, his hand exactly over his heart, enunciating each word of the sacred oath as if he means it.  He follows up by declaring his allegiance to the State of Texas, reciting perfectly the words to that unfamiliar pledge.  At least there is one patriot in the building.

On another occasion, Barrera joins his Cameron County Republican brothers and sisters for an Obama Bash at the Rancho Viejo Country Club.  He sits behind the podium, wearing an official's badge, blurting out without a microphone or invitation: "You tell them Norma!. . . . Give it to them Frank!"  Dagoberto is the Republican's mascot, a veteran, super patriot wrapped in the flag.(Many Brownsvillians have seen Barrera at the access road near Price Rd., shaded by the American flag, in full military dress, possibly even carrying a bayonet.)

But, as is common with those who see everything in black and white or even red, white and blue, there is an ugly side to this.  With patriotism wound a little too tight, a respected military hero morphs into an 80 year old skinhead.  At a Carlos Cascos event, when Cascos hints at problems with border violence, Barrera wants to be recognized.  Cascos cautiously lets him start.  As Barrera begins to describe the hordes "just across the river" who want to rob, rape and pillage us, Cascos quickly cuts him off with "Yeah, whatever."

At a hearing on the border wall, moderated by State Senator Eddie Lucio, Barrera is not cut off.  He describes those living south of the Rio Grande, Mexican Nationals as:  "not of our culture. They eat with their fingers, their heads bobbing up and down to the table like ducks"  This may not be the message the national Republican Party leaders want to be associated with, as they try to position themselves for a larger slice of the Hispanic vote next time around.

Barrera may have surfaced again with comments on our article, "U.S. Land Grab of Mexican Territory in War of 1847 Based On a Lie."  He took patriotic umbrage at our article with this comment made by someone signing as "Dagoberto":



Jim,

Santa Ana signed away all land up to the Rio Grande, he back tracked when he thought he could take back the land. The Mexican apologists, like you, want us to give back the lands. Everything Mexico has touched has turned to excrement. Maybe you and Nena should be repatriated with Mexico. You are traitor in the eyes of true Americans.

-Dagoberto

When I suggested that it was impossible to "repatriate" Nena and I since neither of us were born in Mexico, Dagoberto shot back:

Then we need to deport you and your wetback wife to Mexico. We don't need more liberal bums like you littering downtown. You're the imbecile for saying American soldiers were not slaughtered on their own land. You're as evil as the Mexican monkeys that committed that brutal slaughter.

-Dagoberto

So, in the eyes of the super patriotic Mr. Barrera, being a true American means despising and denigrating those of other nationalities.  Is that what is represented by the flag of the United States, its constitution and heritage?  After looking in the mirror, Dagoberto might see that he more closely resembles the Mexican monkeys he despises than those who came over on the Mayflower.