With all the attention Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) has been getting about being weird, one would have thought that the Yale-educated lawyer would have enough sense to stick to standard Republican talking points, like inflation, immigration and crime. But no, he is doubling down on saying that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, OH, are stealing and eating their neighbors' pets. He said it again Wednesday, even after moderator David Muir debunked it during Tuesday's debate.
Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck said there are no credible reports or evidence of pets being harmed by immigrants. Police officials have said the same thing. Nevertheless, Vance kept telling his story. He said: "That just means the city manager I think isn't fully in touch with what's going on in the ground there. I've heard from many of my own constituents who have seen these things with their own eyes, who've seen these abductions with their own eyes, who've seen geese being taken out of local parks and slaughtered in front of their eyes." Vance failed to produce even one witness to any pet abduction.
Maybe there are a few people who caught, killed, and ate wild geese. That is a form of hunting wild animals and is completely different from an immigrant sneaking into someone's back yard and abducting Fido for dinner. Canada geese and migratory geese in general are protected, but some geese may be fair game if caught with certain methods.
Also, Vance hasn't gotten the xenophobia thing down pat (yet). It is Asian immigrants who are supposed to savor sweet and sour doggie, not Haitians. Want proof? See this but be warned, it is gross, and not for the weak of stomach.
What is it with Republicans and eating dogs? Now that Robert Kennedy Jr. is officially on Team Trump, and not just helping from the sidelines, this photo of Kennedy eating a dog comes to mind. But he's Irish, not Chinese, so it is OK.
Between the childless cat ladies and people eating dogs, the Republicans seem to have not gotten the message that Americans love their pets. Then there is all the talk about Hannibal Lecter. Weird. (V)