From MS-13 to Margaritas: Political Controversies and Personal Reflection

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Why do we call it "Good" Friday when it commemorates such a tragic event? This question launches us into a thought-provoking exploration of faith, justice, and contradictions that define our modern landscape.

The episode takes a serious turn as we examine the troubling background of Carmelo Anthony's family spokesperson, Dominic Alexander. His extensive criminal history—including violent offenses against a child—raises profound questions about credibility and representation during times of crisis. When those who position themselves as advocates for justice have their own complicated relationship with the law, how should we respond?

From there, we journey into the bizarre diplomatic saga unfolding between the United States and El Salvador. Senator Chris Van Hollen's meeting with alleged MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia—complete with tropical drinks and photo opportunities—exemplifies the stark political divide in immigration enforcement. As politicians prioritize certain narratives, families of victims continue to express outrage at what they perceive as misplaced compassion.

The Florida State University shooting presents another layer of complexity. The suspect, Phoenix Eichner, defies simple categorization—the son of a sheriff's deputy with law enforcement training experience who committed an unthinkable act of violence. His troubled childhood, including being taken abroad by his biological mother against custody agreements, adds dimensions to a story that ultimately ends with the tragic loss of innocent lives.

We conclude with perhaps the most challenging question of all, perfectly timed for Easter reflection: "If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" This powerful inquiry from listener Giblets invites us all to examine how our professed beliefs align with our daily actions. As we approach Easter Sunday, consider what evidence your life presents about your faith journey.

What stories about justice and faith resonate most strongly with you? Share your thoughts and join our community of listeners seeking deeper understanding in complex times.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, good morning.
I have a question right off thebat, but it is not the question
of the day.
I will have my question of theday at the end of the episode
submitted by giblets, and it isa great question for this Good
Friday.
But speaking of Good Friday,why do they call it Good Friday,
when this is the day that Jesuscarries the cross to his place

(00:21):
of execution and dies?
Why is it called Good Friday?
Someone tell me that.
I mean, I guess it's you knowit was prophesied this was
supposed to happen, so I don'tknow.
Moving on, we have somedisturbing news stories that I

(00:41):
need to read to you.
Kenny, let's see over here myX-File.
First, I'm going to talk aboutSavannah Hernandez.
If you don't follow her, pleasedo.
She covers political commentary.
Proud American, formerly threetimes banned on Twitter,
contributor to TPUSA, she is ajournalist reporter, I suppose.

(01:05):
Dominic Alexander, the manacting as the spokesperson for
Carmelo Anthony, has anincredibly long criminal past
and led a protest in 2016 thatended with five police officers
dead.
Per the Dallas Observer, he hasbeen convicted.
He has been convicted of felonyinjury after shaking a

(01:26):
two-year-old so violently thatthe child's eyes and brain bled.
He only spent eight days injail for this Felony theft
stealing a car, forging a check,making a false police report
and evading arrest.
He spent two years in prisonfor violating his probation on
multiple occasions and at onetime had 10 outstanding warrants

(01:47):
.
He also spent two days in jailafter pleading guilty to felony
theft.
I mean this goes on and on.
Apparently, this guy who is aspokesperson, dominique
Alexander, for the CarmeloAnthony family has a long rap
sheet.
Does this surprise you?
And can you believe this familyis out there trying to make
Carmelo the victim?
This is unbelievable.

(02:07):
I mean, wow, all right, we'regoing to move on to guess what.
Alleged MS-13 gang member KilmarAlbrego Garcia seen sipping
margaritas with Senator VanHollen amid El Salvador
deportation battle.
New photos reveal this is justthis morning that I found this
out from the New York Post.

(02:29):
Apparently, the senator fromMaryland finally got to meet
with the MS-13 gang membergangbanger kilmer abrigo garcia
has was seen sipping margaritaswith senator chris van holland

(02:49):
thursday amid his high-profiledeportation battle.
According to photos shared byel salvador president, naive
bukele I don't know if I'mprinting bukele bukele, bukele
bukele shared these three picsof the democratic maryland
lawmaker meeting with abrigogarcia.
Who was wrong, who was wronglydeported to el salvador's

(03:12):
notorious mega prison last month.
Who says he was wronglydeported?
Apparently the new york postthinks so too.
Um, lounging in the country'stropical paradise with what
appeared to be salt-rimmeddrinking glasses containing an
unknown liquid and a cherry Boy.
They are detailed in this,aren't they?

(03:32):
And it does show pictures ofhim.
He is definitely meeting withthe dude Kilmar Albrega-Garcia,
miraculously risen from thedeath of camps and torture, now
sipping margaritas with SenatorVan Hollen in the tropical
paradise of El Salvador.
Now that he's been confirmedhealthy, he gets the honor of
staying in El Salvador's custodyBukele, who said earlier this

(03:55):
week that he has no intention ofreturning Abrego Garcia to the
US.
Van Hollen traveled to theCentral American nation this
week to push for the release ofthe illegal migrant and
purported MS-13 member.
Well, so apparently he's out.
Is he going to live there in ElSalvador?
Is he going to go back to theprison?
Did they just let him out tomeet with Van Hollen?

(04:15):
It is unclear, unless Icontinue reading.
The excursion sparked outragefrom the mother of murdered.
Okay, we know about Rachelmom's talking about how that was
very upsetting.
Chris Van Hollen has firmlyestablished Democrats as the
party whose top priority is thewelfare of an illegal.
Ok, we know that I'm trying toread on.

(04:42):
Van Hollen also took to socialmedia to share a photo of him
meeting with Garcia, who waswearing a colorful checkered
shirt, jeans, sneakers andKansas City Super Bowl hat.
Well, there you go.
I said my main goal of thistrip was to meet with Kilmar Van
Hollen, so to sit on X with apicture of the pair sitting

(05:04):
outside a table.
Okay, we got that.
Tonight I had the chance.
I have called his wife,jennifer, to pass along his
message of love.
Yeah, I, I took.
I look forward to providing afull update upon my return.
Van holland did not immediatelyrespond to the post request
regarding garcia's deportationor his current prison status, so

(05:26):
we don't know.
They let him out to meet withhim, but he's going to go right.
Is he going to go right back inthe prison?
And if so, the salvadorianmigrant was living.
We know about his background,okay.
So if you want to go right backin the prison?
And if so, hmm, the Salvadorianmigrant was living.
We know about his background,okay.
So if you want to go, finishreading that.
So, the senator did meet withhim.
Now what happens?
What do you think about that?
Tell me your thoughts on this,tell me your whole thoughts on

(05:47):
this whole process.
Do you think it was right thatwe sent him back, even if it was
in error?
I mean, I don't think it's anerror.
I think that he him back, evenif it was in error, I mean I
don't think it's in error.
I think that he, you know,obviously he needs to go back.
He's here illegally.
I have no sympathy and he, youknow I don't know Pam Bondi

(06:08):
according to her, he has a rapsheet to MS-13 member.
Yes, he needs to go.
So I want your thoughts on that.
Uh, let's see what we know about.
Oh, here, the Florida StateUniversity shooting.
Oh, my gosh, y'all.
This is from CNN, so keep inmind, it is from CNN.
They are very, very, um,left-leaning.

(06:31):
So be prepared for the spin ofthis Florida shooter, which is a
bad guy.
Don't get me wrong.
I don't care what politicalparty he is affiliated with.
He is a bad guy.
The suspect and I hope he goesto prison because he killed two
people the suspect accused ofgunning down two people and
injured the others of a FloridaState University on Thursday is

(06:53):
the son of a local sheriff'sdeputy authorities say and spent
time training with lawenforcement and serving on a
sheriff's advisory council inthe years before his alleged
attack.
When he was taken into custody,phoenix Eichner, 20, was
carrying a handgun.
Okay, blah, blah.
I want to get to the background.
A review of court records showPhoenix Eichner had a tumultuous

(07:17):
childhood with another womanidentified in documents as his
biological mother.
Apparently, his biologicalmother got custody of not got, I
mean stole custody of him andwhen he was 10, saying that he
she was going to take him tospring break and in Florida but
she ended up going to Norway orsomewhere like that.

(07:38):
Let me read it Uh, let, uh,let's see.
Oh, trying to find it.
Okay.
A review of the court recordsshow phoenix eichner had a
tumultuous childhood withanother woman identified as the
documents as his biologicalmother, accused of removing him
from the us in violation of acustody agreement when he was 10

(08:00):
.
Sheriff McNeil told reportersthat the suspect was steeped in
the Leon County Sheriff's Officefamily and engaged in a number
of training programs that wehave.
So it's not a surprise to usthat he had access to weapons.
Let's see, phoenix Eichner wasa member of the Sheriff's youth
advisory council.

(08:21):
All right, I want to get to thepart about his mother.
Oh, here we go.
Eichner is a registeredrepublican.
According to florida voterregistration records.
He was quoted in january in anfsu student newspaper article
about anti-trump protests inadvance of the president's
inauguration.
These people are usually prettyentertaining, usually not for

(08:41):
good reasons.
Eichner, who was described as apolitical science major, was
quoted as saying I think it's alittle too late, trump's already
going to be inaugurated now, onjanuary 20th, and there's no,
and there's not really much youcan do unless you outright
revolt, and don't think anyonewants that.
I'm trying to get to the partabout his mother, all right.

(09:07):
According to an affidavitaffidavit affidavit from a
sheriff's detective the child'sbiological mother told his
father that she would take himto south florida just for spring
break in march of 2015,.
She fled the country with himin violation of their custody
agreement, taking him to Norway.
So this kid, I mean, my God, itdoesn't matter, it doesn't

(09:33):
matter to me.
He needs to be in prison, stayin trial, go to prison.
He did a bad thing, a very badthing.
He killed two people.
I mean, come on, terrorism too,shooting up a campus, come on,
I.
Just what is it?
I don't understand, and what?
Why?
I want to know why.
What broke him?
I want to know why.

(09:54):
I've got to know why.
All right, let's see.
Is there?
Was there anything else?
I guess that was it all right.
We're going to move on to thequestion of the day because, uh,
giblets has submitted a very,very good one, all right, so
here we go, here we go, let'ssee.
Let me find it All right as weapproach this is from giblets as

(10:18):
we approach Easter Sunday, mayI offer a question of the day
submission?
I ask, not looking for anyoneto answer it, only for them to
reflect on it.
Here is the question If youwere on trial for being a
Christian, would there be enoughevidence to convict you?
Oh my gosh, this is a toughquestion.

(10:38):
My first automatic gut reactionfor myself would be no, sadly.
No, I just don't, I just don't.
I have this image in my headand it might be from reading the
Bible and it might be fromseeing other, watching other
people who are in the church.
I don't, I don't, I don't.

(10:59):
You know what.
I'm just going to be quiet, Idon't want to answer it, I don't
want to tell him myself, andI've already gone over 10
minutes, uh, but my answer is no, sadly, so I need to work on
that.
All right, I got to go Lovey'all.
Have a great Friday.