Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) inadvertently admitted that we are in a war-like situation with invaders coming across our southern border when he tweeted Sunday that U.S. officials might be guilty of a war crime in deploying tear gas to protect themselves.
“Tear gas across the border against unarmed families is a new low,” Schatz wrote initially.
Later, perhaps channeling Tom Cruise from A Few Good Men, he continued: “Who gave the order? Did it implement or contravene policy? WHO GAVE THE ORDER?”
Finally, he stopped hinting around at what he meant and just came right out and said it.
“Why tear gas?” asked Schatz. “Is this consistent with the Conventions on Chemical Weapons?”
One is tempted to accuse Schatz of being ignorant, stupid, or some combination of the two, but that would be letting him off the hook too easily.
No, there is little doubt that Schatz knows full well that there is nothing in the Convention on Chemical Weapons about using tear gas in a law enforcement situation. He also knows that the situation at the border has nothing to do with the rules of international warfare. Finally, he knows that tear gas is a mild and effective deterrent and that U.S. police were wholly justified in using it…especially when the invading migrants began hurling rocks and other projectiles at them through the fence.
He may be ignorant and dumb, but in this case, he’s simply being deceitful in the name of demagoguery.
Having been sufficiently shamed by Twitter users, Schatz finally relented.
“I went ahead and deleted the one about chemical weapons because I just don’t know enough about what happened,” he wrote. “Does this not strike you as excessive?”
To which another user wrote: “No, border patrol agents who are being hit with rocks launching non lethal counter defense measures is not excessive.”
Which is a good reply, but we have to admit we’re disappointed that President Trump didn’t weigh in with a good old fashioned “YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!”
