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

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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Liberty Line each week on Sunday, look for topics on my X file @americanistblog and submit your 1-3 audio opinions to anamericanistblog@gmail.com and you'll be featured on the podcast. 

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Chapters

• 0:29 Good Friday Reflections
• 1:06 Disturbing News: Carmelo Anthony Spokesperson
• 2:01 MS-13 Member's Deportation Controversy
• 6:49 Florida State University Shooting Details
• 10:43 Question of the Day: Faith on Trial
• 11:37 Closing Thoughts and Sign-off

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:15

Hello, good morning. I have a question right off the bat, but it is not the question of the day. I will have my question of the day at the end of the episode submitted by giblets, and it is a great question for this Good Friday. But speaking of Good Friday, why do they call it Good Friday, when this is the day that Jesus carries the cross to his place of execution and dies? Why is it called Good Friday? Someone tell me that. I mean, I guess it's you know it was prophesied this was supposed to happen, so I don't know. Moving on, we have some disturbing news stories that I need to read to you. Kenny, let's see over here my X-File. First, I'm going to talk about Savannah Hernandez. If you don't follow her, please do. She covers political commentary. Proud American, formerly three times banned on Twitter, contributor to TPUSA, she is a journalist reporter, I suppose.

Speaker 1: 1:20

Dominic Alexander, the man acting as the spokesperson for Carmelo Anthony, has an incredibly long criminal past and led a protest in 2016 that ended with five police officers dead. Per the Dallas Observer, he has been convicted. He has been convicted of felony injury after shaking a two-year-old so violently that the child's eyes and brain bled. He only spent eight days in jail for this Felony theft stealing a car, forging a check, making a false police report and evading arrest. He spent two years in prison for violating his probation on multiple occasions and at one time had 10 outstanding warrants. He also spent two days in jail after pleading guilty to felony theft. I mean this goes on and on. Apparently, this guy who is a spokesperson, dominique Alexander, for the Carmelo Anthony family has a long rap sheet. Does this surprise you? And can you believe this family is out there trying to make Carmelo the victim? This is unbelievable. I mean, wow, all right, we're going to move on to guess what.

Speaker 1: 2:27

Alleged MS-13 gang member Kilmar Albrego Garcia seen sipping margaritas with Senator Van Hollen amid El Salvador deportation battle. New photos reveal this is just this morning that I found this out from the New York Post. Apparently, the senator from Maryland finally got to meet with the MS-13 gang member gangbanger kilmer abrigo garcia has was seen sipping margaritas with senator chris van holland thursday amid his high-profile deportation battle. According to photos shared by el salvador president, naive bukele I don't know if I'm printing bukele bukele, bukele bukele shared these three pics of the democratic maryland lawmaker meeting with abrigo garcia. Who was wrong, who was wrongly deported to el salvador's notorious mega prison last month. Who says he was wrongly deported? Apparently the new york post thinks so too. Um, lounging in the country's tropical paradise with what appeared to be salt-rimmed drinking glasses containing an unknown liquid and a cherry Boy. They are detailed in this, aren't they? And it does show pictures of him. He is definitely meeting with the dude Kilmar Albrega-Garcia, miraculously risen from the death of camps and torture, now sipping margaritas with Senator Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador. Now that he's been confirmed healthy, he gets the honor of staying in El Salvador's custody Bukele, who said earlier this week that he has no intention of returning Abrego Garcia to the US.

Speaker 1: 4:15

Van Hollen traveled to the Central American nation this week to push for the release of the illegal migrant and purported MS-13 member. Well, so apparently he's out. Is he going to live there in El Salvador? Is he going to go back to the prison? Did they just let him out to meet with Van Hollen? It is unclear, unless I continue reading. The excursion sparked outrage from the mother of murdered. Okay, we know about Rachel mom's talking about how that was very upsetting. Chris Van Hollen has firmly established Democrats as the party whose top priority is the welfare of an illegal. Ok, we know that I'm trying to read on. Van Hollen also took to social media to share a photo of him meeting with Garcia, who was wearing a colorful checkered shirt, jeans, sneakers and Kansas City Super Bowl hat. Well, there you go. I said my main goal of this trip was to meet with Kilmar Van Hollen, so to sit on X with a picture of the pair sitting 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 a full update upon my return.

Speaker 1: 5:33

Van holland did not immediately respond to the post request regarding garcia's deportation or his current prison status, so we don't know. They let him out to meet with him, but he's going to go right. Is he going to go right back in the prison? And if so, the salvadorian migrant was living. We know about his background, okay. So if you want to go right back in the prison? And if so, hmm, the Salvadorian migrant was living. We know about his background, okay. So if you want to go, finish reading that.

Speaker 1: 5:53

So, the senator did meet with him. Now what happens? What do you think about that? Tell me your thoughts on this, tell me your whole thoughts on this whole process. Do you think it was right that we sent him back, even if it was in error? I mean, I don't think it's an error. I think that he him back, even if 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, you know I don't know Pam Bondi according to her, he has a rap sheet to MS-13 member. Yes, he needs to go. So I want your thoughts on that.

Speaker 1: 6:32

Uh, let's see what we know about. Oh, here, the Florida State University shooting. Oh, my gosh, y'all. This is from CNN, so keep in mind, it is from CNN. They are very, very, um, left-leaning. So be prepared for the spin of this Florida shooter, which is a bad guy. Don't get me wrong. I don't care what political party he is affiliated with. He is a bad guy.

Speaker 1: 6:58

The suspect and I hope he goes to prison because he killed two people the suspect accused of gunning down two people and injured the others of a Florida State University on Thursday is the son of a local sheriff's deputy authorities say and spent time training with law enforcement and serving on a sheriff's advisory council in the 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 show Phoenix Eichner had a tumultuous childhood with another woman identified in documents as his biological mother. Apparently, his biological mother got custody of not got, I mean stole custody of him and when he was 10, saying that he she was going to take him to spring break and in Florida but she ended up going to Norway or somewhere like that. Let me read it Uh, let, uh, let's see. Oh, trying to find it. Okay. A review of the court records show phoenix eichner had a tumultuous childhood with another woman identified as the documents as his biological mother, accused of removing him from the us in violation of a custody agreement when he was 10. Sheriff McNeil told reporters that the suspect was steeped in the Leon County Sheriff's Office family and engaged in a number of training programs that we have. So it's not a surprise to us that he had access to weapons. Let's see, phoenix Eichner was a member of the Sheriff's youth advisory council. All right, I want to get to the part about his mother. Oh, here we go.

Speaker 1: 8:39

Eichner is a registered republican. According to florida voter registration records. He was quoted in january in an fsu student newspaper article about anti-trump protests in advance of the president's inauguration. These people are usually pretty entertaining, usually not for good reasons. Eichner, who was described as a political science major, was quoted as saying I think it's a little too late, trump's already going to be inaugurated now, on january 20th, and there's no, and there's not really much you can do unless you outright revolt, and don't think anyone wants that.

Speaker 1: 9:15

I'm trying to get to the part about his mother, all right. According to an affidavit affidavit affidavit from a sheriff's detective the child's biological mother told his father that she would take him to south florida just for spring break in march of 2015,. She fled the country with him in violation of their custody agreement, taking him to Norway. So this kid, I mean, my God, it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter to me. He needs to be in prison, stay in trial, go to prison. He did a bad thing, a very bad thing. 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. I've got to know why. All right, let's see. Is there? Was there anything else? I guess that was it all right.

Speaker 1: 10:16

We're going to move on to the question of the day because, uh, giblets has submitted a very, very good one, all right, so here we go, here we go, let's see. Let me find it All right as we approach this is from giblets as we approach Easter Sunday, may I offer a question of the day submission? I ask, not looking for anyone to answer it, only for them to reflect on it. Here is the question If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? Oh my gosh, this is a tough question.

Speaker 1: 10:53

My first automatic gut reaction for myself would be no, sadly. No, I just don't, I just don't. I have this image in my head and it might be from reading the Bible and it might be from seeing other, watching other people who are in the church. I don't, I don't, I don't. You know what. I'm just going to be quiet, I don't want to answer it, I don't want to tell him myself, and I'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 Love y'all. Have a great Friday.