'Take Our Border Back': You Guys, We've Got Another Convoy

Oh boy, another convoy is on the move! This one is called the “Take Our Border Back” convoy and it kicked off a week long road trip in Virginia Beach to the Texas/Mexico border Monday where the U.S. government and the Texas state government are doing whatever is going on down there.

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Organizers called the convoy is an “army of god,” (not to be confused with the other Christian terrorist organization by the same name.) With those kinds of ideals, you’d think maybe the goal would be something biblical, perhaps loving their neighbors and tending to the less fortunate, sick and wounded. Maybe something particularly patriotic and American, like helping the huddled masses yearning to breath free.

But nah, the few dozen convoy members—mostly made up of 60 something guys in sedans, SUVs and pick-up trucks, according to Vice—are heading to Eagle Pass to back up the state of Texas in its stand off with the federal government:

By noon Monday, after a few hours on the road, the convoy had amassed just a few dozen participants—so far, predominantly men over the age of 60. The convoy’s promoters promised over 700,000 participants.

The low numbers could be due, in part, to conspiracy theories riddling Telegram channels for the convoy. Would-be participants are expressing fears that the demonstration could be a “psyop” or “honeypot,” spearheaded by the federal government and undercover agents with the goal of ensnaring right-wingers into a violent event. This is the basis of the Jan. 6 “fedsurrection” conspiracy theory, which around a quarter of Americans believe, according to recent polling. “I have 3 former associates doing lengthy prison sentences because of the J6 setup,” one person wrote in the Telegram channel for the Texas contingent of the convoy. “I know first hand, even if they don’t have charges they can pin on you, they will make some up.” […]The convoy is expected to stop over in Jacksonville, Florida, before making its way along the southern border. Three separate rallies are planned for Feb 3, in locations near Eagle Pass, Texas, Yuma, Arizona, and a third in San Ysidro, California.

It seems reluctance to participate in the convoy due to consequences for January 6ers might keep the “Take Our Border Back” convoy from reaching its promised 700,000 members. Such paranoia and Telegram rumors helped fracture the People’s Convoy’s three-week long in spring of 2022.

If you haven’t heard what all the hubbub is about, Texas recently placed razor wire around a well-known crossing point for migrants. The U.S. Border Patrol, however, couldn’t patrol the border with this razor wire in place and it likely prevented agents from rescuing a woman and two children from drowning to death in the Rio Grande. The feds got approval to cut through the wire, but Texas put it right back up and began building even more fencing, thumbing its nose at the highest court in the land, according to the Hill:

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) said Monday the state will continue to build razor wire and other fencing on the U.S.-Mexico border, despite a Supreme Court order last week allowing federal law enforcement to tear down state-erected barriers.

“We are putting up wire, Martha, everywhere we can,” he told Fox News’s Martha MacCallum on Monday. “We will continue. We will not stop. If they cut it, we will replace it.”

Twenty-five states—all of the republican governors save Vermont’s—signed a pledge to come to Texas’ aid should the federal government pursue its right to maintain the border. So now Texas has the backing of 25 states and at least a few dozen fairly paranoid sexagenarians.

Will this convoy pee their pants and blame the cops? Will it decide every angry commuter is an ANTIFA plant? Who knows. These hijinks seem much more dangerous for the participants than just driving loops around DC. Hopefully they figure out this isn’t their fight before someone gets hurt.