The Demystification of Public Service, Taking the Low Road

By Diego Garcia III | Editor of The Brownsville Beacon

When I was getting ready to graduate from the University of Texas at Brownsville, I took a senior seminar in government. For that class, I wrote a paper about the demystification of the American presidency and the idea that any slob could be President of the United States.

I had argued that politics during the 19th and 20th centuries was a noble undertaking, and with the advent of the modern-era and technology, the luster of the American political landscape had eroded. When the 24-hour news cycle came around, and the information age demanded we know everything and anything about our elected officials, we realized there was no true American nobility. Politicians were just as ordinary as the rest of us.

However, many politicians still tried to maintin an aura of professionalism and respect. That all seems to have fallen by the wayside when our current president was elected. He seems to have no problems taking to social media to bully and attack those who he dislikes or disagrees with.

The president also counts on the support of his rabid, loyal "base." These are people who believe the president can do no wrong, no matter what he does or what he says.

It appears this archetype isn't limited to Washington, D.C. We have our very own Trumpian politician here in Brownsville.

He relies on his Facebook followers who seem to support him in the exact same way the president's cabal supports him.

I am talking about Erasmo Castro, the BISD board member who was recently banned from attenting any, and all, BISD sanctioned events.

I have written about him in the past. I have mentioned that no matter how polarizing a figure he is, I have done my absolute best to refrain from out and out attacking him. I have said no matter what his past indiscretions may be, I as a blogger am in no position to sit in judgment of his actions. 

Castro usually takes to his Facebook page and launches his attacks much like the president takes to Twitter to attack those he dislikes.

I'll say it as simply as I can. This behavior is unacceptable and in very poor taste. Any politician should know they will always have critics and those who disagree with what they're doing. There is abolutely no excuse for attacking someone via social media. 

There is a name for that behavior. It is normally referred to as cyber bullying. It is something that taught to school-aged children. Taking to social media to attack, ridicule, and intimidate people is childish and inappropriate. 

Castro launched another inappropriate tirade on his Facebook page. He mentioned that he was having a "PMS kinda morning." He then goes on to call someone who filed a "stupid grievance" a "wacko."

Let's forget for a miute the inappropriate comments he made about a condition that affects, or has affected, almost all women on a monthly basis. That is a terrible comment to make. Trivializing a woman's menstrual cycle is nothing to joke about. Calling someone a "wacko" and making light of mental illness is something that should never be done.

I wonder if Mr. Castro has any professional medical training that allows him to make mental illness diagnoses. Even if he does, that isn't something that he should be calling a BISD parent. Many different people suffer from all kinds of mental issues and mental illness. and calling someone a "wacko" is just wrong.

Not that it matters, because nobody should ever be called names or shamed by an eleced official, but the person he is insulting is a dedicated parent volunteer. She spends hours and hours of her own time soliciting donations for her child's school and is very active in the community as a whole. She is up to date on local events and makes it a habit to attend as many BISD sponsored events as possible, She is a fixture at the board meetings and is a big advocate for special needs children as well. 

She is the type of parent that the district needs. She should be praised, not ridiculed. She should be cheered, not bullied.

Sources have also told the Beacon Castro was in attendance at last night's BISD sponsored tamalada. The parent-volunteer was also in attendance. Forgetting for a minute Castro is not supposed to be attending BISD sanctioned events, the mature thing to do would have been to approach the parent and have a civil conversation with them face-to-face rather than post an inappropriate attack on Facenook.

This type of behavior really needs to stop. Board members and other elected officials should be held to a higher standard. They are not representing themselves, they are representing the community. Again, it never ceases to amaze me just how much contempt these politicians have for the offices they hold and the institutions they represent.

It really boils down to this — we are all adults. We should act like adults. There is no reason, excuse, or justification for posting these insults on social media. This is not behavior we would accept from our children. This behavior is explicitly prohibited in the BISD Code of Conduct and the TEA Code of Ethics. If students and teachers are held to this standard, then members of the school board shoule have to abide by those rules as well.

It doesn't matter who you like or who you dislike. It doesn't matter if you support Castro or not. There is just no good reason why any adult should be engaging in this kind of character attack. There's no reason why any elected official should be attacking a member of the community. 

It's a matter of civility. It's a matter of treating people with respect. You don't have to agree with someone to treat them well. You don't have to have the same political beliefs as someone to be nice and cordial to them. 

You would think someone with a degree in a theology-related field would subscribe to the adage of turning the other cheek when being attacked.

It doesn't matter who you are, and if there can be only one of you — your positiion as an elected official doesn't give you the right to ridicule someone and call them names. 

I really hope you would have been better than that.

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