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Peter King Defends Border Patrol: ‘Only Two’ Kids Have Died in Their Custody

I think at minimum they should be held to the same standards as prisons. Now, this isn't me making a massive point, because I'm not familiar with the level of accountability prisons are required to take over prisoners....but that's where I would start the comparison, to determine my outrage level.

Regardless, it was a clumsy, thoughtless communication. The word "only" should never be used in relation to a child's death.

I know this is a little in the weeds, but I don't think prisons are the best comparison. Prisons are different in that they have long term populations that are directly responsible for the prisoners' health, legally and financially. They also have a known history, and have been through an intake process, screening, and health assessment, and are (ideally) placed in a facility that meets their physical needs. I'd actually hold them to a much higher standard.

Your point is well taken though, and I would say their accountability should be similar to jails. Jails are to these detention centers, in that they have to deal with what comes to them. They have no ability to be picky, and have little information on the people being detained, beyond what they are told by that individual. Their job is normally to hold the person, ensure their physical safety, and get them to medical care for any emergent needs. They generally don't even have medical staff for anything beyond basic first aid. With short term facilities in particular, they aren't responsible for providing healthcare at all - only providing access to health professionals when needed. It is not uncommon for people to die in jail from unrelated health issues. It's not the 'fault' of the jail, and they aren't held legally 'responsible', provided they followed appropriate polies for getting care. This should be investigated every time it happens, but a death or two in itself shouldn't raise an alarm.

In this case, it's exactly what the detention facilities provided. They acted based on the information given to them by the detainees (and their parents), and in the case of the boy, the hospital staff. We should investigate, but it doesn't make them 'responsible' or indicate that they should be 'punished'.
 
Leaving the key out? That's not an analogy, it's hyperbole.

Leaving water for those you KNOW will be attempting a dangerous trek in the hope that it may save lives is the act of a caring human being. Dumping those caches of water while laughing or smirking is the act of cruel cowardice. No good person does a thing in the hopes that it may cause someone's death.

Or is it that you think these people deserve to die? Is that it?

If they dumped it and didn't broadcast, I'd agree with you. But they advertised it, to discourage the highly dangerous, illegal activity.
 
I know this is a little in the weeds, but I don't think prisons are the best comparison. Prisons are different in that they have long term populations that are directly responsible for the prisoners' health, legally and financially. They also have a known history, and have been through an intake process, screening, and health assessment, and are (ideally) placed in a facility that meets their physical needs. I'd actually hold them to a much higher standard.

Your point is well taken though, and I would say their accountability should be similar to jails. Jails are to these detention centers, in that they have to deal with what comes to them. They have no ability to be picky, and have little information on the people being detained, beyond what they are told by that individual. Their job is normally to hold the person, ensure their physical safety, and get them to medical care for any emergent needs. They generally don't even have medical staff for anything beyond basic first aid. With short term facilities in particular, they aren't responsible for providing healthcare at all - only providing access to health professionals when needed. It is not uncommon for people to die in jail from unrelated health issues. It's not the 'fault' of the jail, and they aren't held legally 'responsible', provided they followed appropriate polies for getting care. This should be investigated every time it happens, but a death or two in itself shouldn't raise an alarm.

In this case, it's exactly what the detention facilities provided. They acted based on the information given to them by the detainees (and their parents), and in the case of the boy, the hospital staff. We should investigate, but it doesn't make them 'responsible' or indicate that they should be 'punished'.

I take your point...perhaps I am oversimplifying, and again, I'm not as familiar with how your prison system works compared to ours up here, so I could be off base. But, I also think that if an investigation takes place, and negligence contributed to this child's death, someone should be held accountable...if only to ensure that something is learned from this so the chances of it happening again are reduced.
 
Those kids died because they spent weeks trekking a thousand miles across a desert with insufficient nutrition, hydration and little, or no hygene, exposed to the elements. They didn't die because they were in border patrol custody.

I voted for Pete King. Nassau County is lucky to have a guy like Pete representing us. Thank goodness he unlike others didn't cave in to
the PC nut jobs. King's as usual is on the sensible side this shouldn't even be debated at all.
 
I take your point...perhaps I am oversimplifying, and again, I'm not as familiar with how your prison system works compared to ours up here, so I could be off base. But, I also think that if an investigation takes place, and negligence contributed to this child's death, someone should be held accountable...if only to ensure that something is learned from this so the chances of it happening again are reduced.

I agree - on both points. We should have an investigation. If there's negligence, those responsible should be held accountable. We should also learn from the incidents, and try to reduce the chance of it happening in the future.
 
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