MCHALE RETURNS TO FACEBOOK

I was sitting in Sunrise Mall waiting for Michael to complete his buying spree when former County Judge Carlos Cascos stopped to chat. For years he has been walking the mall as part of his daily exercise routine. He is slim and trim. I have never voted Republican as many times as I have voted for Carlos. I won't vote for a Republican at the state or the national level because I refuse to give Trump, the racists, the religious right and the Republican reactionaries any more power than they already have, but I will vote locally because the Cameron County Democratic Party has never been anything more than a steppingstone for ambitious politicians who have never done anything more than talk without the accompanying walk.

"Good news," said Carlos. "I see your back on Facebook."
"Don't blink," I replied. "I may be sentenced again tomorrow. Facebook is a tenuous existence. That's the reason I repeatedly tell my three readers that I'm always available at The McHale Report on the blog at themchalereport.blogspot.com. I also post prose, poetry and photos that I would never publish here because FB would immediately sentence me to another 30 days or I could be suspended permanently.
"Why do they suspend you?"
"FB has an array of reasons ranging from bullying to harassing, from promoting hate speech to failing to meet community standards. I've tried my best to adhere to their restrictions, but a joke to one person is an insult to another. I will once again endeavor to work within their rules, but I thought I was meeting their demands the previous ten times they suspended me."
"You don't write any worse than Trump speaks," offered Cascos who isn't a blind Republican but is more of an enlightened Independent. "These are still politically correct times even thought Trump has been a true iconoclast when calling a spade a spade."
"I have little respect for a man who revels in his ignorance by refusing to wear a mask, maintain social distancing and avoid large gatherings in spite of the 130,000 dead that may exceed 200,000 before the end of the year, but I do appreciate his willingness to hurt people's delicate feelings. Life is a brutal boxing match and not a pillow fight. Unfortunately, I sometimes imitate the president and I'm suspended. Of course, he is the president and I'm a peon."
"You have a reputation for short-term relationships in your personal life. Does this same dynamic exist with Facebook?"
"It's must be karma. FB only treats me as I have treated others. I will say I'm sorry and promise to change my wayward behavior, but I assume I'll bite the dust sooner rather than later for practicing free speech. Thus has been the past. Why should the future be any different."
"At least you have the blog."
"The blog is successful and my traffic varies from 5,500 to 6,500 hits a day. When you consider the low voter turnouts and the quality of my audience, I am in a position to have an impact, but Facebook still has a role to play and I do my best to keep this option, but like a wife or a girlfriend throwing all my belongings into the street for some perceived slight, FB never thinks twice about locking the door and closing the windows to me. I will do my best which, unfortunately, has been judged my worst on previous occasions. I repeat the same message again and again: Please read my blog, The McHale Report. There are more articles and art on the site for beginners. It is what it is, compadre. It's an inconvenience, but I never lose any sleep when FB unexpectedly informs me I've been suspended. It's much less dramatic that past wives delivering me divorce papers or being summoned before the BISD board or TEA in the past with my employment at stake. It's simply the price we pay for speaking our minds. There are plenty of people in power who don't appreciate our opinions and have the power to silence us."
"I've always liked your reporting, 'mano,' although some of your stories and poetry give me pause, but you've often started my day with a chuckle. The best advice I can give you is stay cool in this hot weather."
"Is it summer? Since I retired, I have lost track of time. I never live outside of air-conditioning. By the way...my condolences on the loss of your two brothers."
"Thank-you, 'mano''"

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