QOTD -- Bovino

 

"... In the movie One Battle After Another, Sean Penn plays a racist ICE agent (is that redundant?)—a skinhead with a badge, who has risen through the ranks with the hopes of joining a secret cabal whose only goal is to Make America White Again (Stephen Miller's fever dream come to life). He's also a raving lunatic and, ultimately, just a pawn whose usefulness lies in his willingness to carry out orders without question, including murder and mayhem.

"That character bears a striking resemblance to Greg Bovino, the Customs and Border Patrol Chief Patrol Agent, El Centro Sector, which includes the California counties of Imperial and parts of San Diego (where Sean Penn's character was also stationed). More recently, Bovino's been a little far afield in Chicago. He clearly believes he's on some kind of mission (which remains undefined) and sees the people who live there as a threat to this mission. So, he and his army are beating people up, shooting pepper bullets at close range, and throwing tear gas at residents gathered outside their homes. That includes children and their parents who were out on the streets preparing for a Halloween parade. And a 70-year old who dared to ask an agent what his purpose is. When Donald Trump dutifully read the speech Miller wrote for him, which says the enemy is the American people, Bovino apparently took that as carte blanche to wage war in his own special way against the good people of Chicago. He is instigating violence, and then lying about how it started, alongside poorly trained but heavily armed men who seemingly answer only to him.

"That said, as is so often the case with this administration, while Bovino is dangerous and unhinged, he's also a moron. He obviously doesn't recognize that he's being used and will be abandoned as soon as his stupidity eclipses his fear tactics, which looks to be soon...." -- Andrew S. Tanenbaum, Electoral-vote.com, on the looming FAFO moment for Bovino and other fascistic functionaries when they find out they're not immune from prosecution by State governments (and most relevant federal statute of limitations doesn't run out until 2030).  Bovino is already being caught up by the short hairs by Judge Sara Ellis in Chicago for his violations of a temporary restraining order.  He should be learning something from the experience but, as Tanenbaum accurately notes, he's a moron.