# Secret Border Patrol Facebook Page **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 1, 2019, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-border-patrol-facebook-page/836358 "2019-07-01T18:30:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2019, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-border-patrol-facebook-page/836358/241 "2019-07-04T20:30:26Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Who are these people? Who gets up in the morning and goes off to work in such an environment? Who sees these things and keeps silent? (Somewhat lengthy) musings, courtesy of Mr. T. Pratchett: > [@](#): > > There were no jolly little signs saying: You Don’t Have To Be Pitilessly Sadistic To Work Here But It Helps!! > > But there were things to suggest to a thinking man that the Creator of mankind had a very oblique sense of fun indeed, and to breed in his heart a rage to storm the gates of heaven. > > The mugs, for example. The inquisitors stopped work twice a day for coffee. Their mugs, which each man had brought from home, were grouped around the kettle on the hearth of the central furnace which incidentally heated the irons and knives. > > They had legends on them like A Present From the Holy Grotto of Ossory, or To The World’s Greatest Daddy. Most of them were chipped, and no two of them were the same. > > And there were the postcards on the wall. It was traditional that, when an inquisitor went on holiday, he’d send back a crudely colored woodcut of the local view with some suitably jolly and risqué message on the back. And there was the pinned-up tearful letter from Inquisitor First Class Ishmale “Pop” Quoom, thanking all the lads for collecting no fewer than seventy-eight obols for his retirement pension and the lovely bunch of flowers for Mrs. Quoom, indicating that he’d always remember his days in No. 3 pit, and was looking forward to coming in and helping out any time they were short-handed. > > And it all meant this: that there are hardly any excesses of the most crazed psychopath that cannot easily be duplicated by a normal, kindly family man who just comes in to work every day and has a job to do. “_…to breed in his heart a rage to storm the gates of heaven._” So _THAT’S_ what that feeling I’ve been having is. I wondered. ---
**Author:** ![drivekiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@drivekiller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drivekiller)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-border-patrol-facebook-page/836358/242 "2019-07-05T03:38:27Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Why? [Here are the 13 adjudication guidelines for revoking security clearance](https://news.clearancejobs.com/2014/08/23/guidelines-revoking-security-clearance/): > > Which one(s) do you think they violated? A and M certainly, based on the facebook posts alone. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-border-patrol-facebook-page/836358/243 "2019-07-05T06:37:45Z")
Somebody got HALF of a group’s membership to join a Facebook page?? DAMN!! I want them in charge of our high school reunion! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-border-patrol-facebook-page/836358/244 "2019-07-05T12:45:52Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > (Somewhat lengthy) musings, courtesy of Mr. T. Pratchett: > > “_…to breed in his heart a rage to storm the gates of heaven._” That isn’t from _Paradise Lost_? ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-border-patrol-facebook-page/836358/245 "2019-07-05T13:36:34Z")
> [@drivekiller](#): > > A and M certainly, based on the facebook posts alone. Huh? I didn’t see anything in the FB posts that was either associated with terrorists or advocating the overthrow of the US government. And as for “Illegal or unauthorized access to a computer system. Unauthorized actions to alter, restrict or deny access to systems. Unauthorized removal of software or hardware from systems, or adding unauthorized software or hardware to systems.” Could you elaborate on how you think posting something on FB violates this. I mean, I’d love it if we could fire every federal employee that ever posted something on FB from a government computer, but I’m pretty sure that’s not what we do. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-border-patrol-facebook-page/836358/246 "2019-07-05T13:53:46Z")
the thing about the high membership for the page. Maybe it started innocuously, then went off the rails and any CPB agent with a shred of decency just stopped visiting it. But that wouldn’t necessarily translate into “unjoining” because lazy. I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-border-patrol-facebook-page/836358/247 "2019-07-05T14:35:43Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > the thing about the high membership for the page. Maybe it started innocuously, then went off the rails and any CPB agent with a shred of decency just stopped visiting it. But that wouldn’t necessarily translate into “unjoining” because lazy. I don’t know. I like this idea. They don’t want to leave the group because they don’t want to annoy the guys they work with. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-border-patrol-facebook-page/836358/248 "2019-07-05T14:47:32Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I like this idea. They don’t want to leave the group because they don’t want to annoy the guys they work with. Does this idea have any basis in fact, or is it just comforting to believe? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-border-patrol-facebook-page/836358/249 "2019-07-05T15:35:16Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Does this idea have any basis in fact, or is it just comforting to believe? It is indeed comforting. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-border-patrol-facebook-page/836358/250 "2019-07-05T18:17:00Z")
They found another Facebook page. > **[2nd Customs and Border Protection-connected secret Facebook group shows...](https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/05/politics/cbp-second-facebook-group-images/index.html)** > > At least one other social media group with an apparent nexus to Customs and Border Protection has been discovered to contain vulgar and sexually explicit posts, according to screenshots shared by two sources familiar with the Facebook pages. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-border-patrol-facebook-page/836358/251 "2019-07-05T18:51:56Z")
> [@Ashtura](#): > > Somebody got HALF of a group’s membership to join a Facebook page?? DAMN!! I want them in charge of our high school reunion! Yeah. :dubious: Like I said, I have grave doubts if even a third are current BP agents. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-border-patrol-facebook-page/836358/252 "2019-07-05T18:53:25Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > the thing about the high membership for the page. Maybe it started innocuously, then went off the rails and any CPB agent with a shred of decency just stopped visiting it. But that wouldn’t necessarily translate into “unjoining” because lazy. I don’t know. Yeah, that happened on that Disney CM group I talked about. The non-trolls just stopped posting. It also happened in a D&D page- trolls & haters took over, the rest of us just stopped. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-border-patrol-facebook-page/836358/253 "2019-07-05T18:54:57Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Does this idea have any basis in fact, or is it just comforting to believe? Do you have any figures at all of how many current agents belong? Do you have any cites as to how many of the active, troll posters are actually current employees? \*anything? \* ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-border-patrol-facebook-page/836358/254 "2019-07-05T18:57:57Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > They found another Facebook page. > [https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/05/politics/cbp-second-facebook-group-images/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/05/politics/cbp-second-facebook-group-images/index.html) Note "On Tuesday, another group member wrote, “Lost 7,000 members in a day. Impressive.” So yeah, most members deserted that FB page. and only a small handful joined the new one. and this _"Responding to an inquiry about the “I’m 10-15” posts, Customs and Border Protection’s assistant commissioner for the Office of Professional Responsibility, Matthew Klein, said in a statement Monday that those posts were “hosted on a private Facebook group that may include a number of CBP employees.”_ May include a number… ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-border-patrol-facebook-page/836358/255 "2019-07-05T19:17:35Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Do you have any figures at all of how many current agents belong? Do you have any cites as to how many of the active, troll posters are actually current employees? \*anything? > \* I’m not going to suppose/guess/estimate until the facts come in. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-border-patrol-facebook-page/836358/256 "2019-07-05T19:52:07Z")
“Is that a toilet?” Are they taking issue with no source of potable water? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-border-patrol-facebook-page/836358/257 "2019-07-05T20:16:52Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I’m not going to suppose/guess/estimate until the facts come in. " \*9500 current and former Border Patrol agents, and the hatred they spew when they think no one can see them. " \* Isnt it more 9500 members, and you’re \*supposed to be \*current or former BP agent, but we dont really know? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-border-patrol-facebook-page/836358/258 "2019-07-05T20:40:22Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > " > \*9500 current and former Border Patrol agents, and the hatred they spew when they think no one can see them. " > \* > > Isnt it more 9500 members, and you’re \*supposed to be \*current or former BP agent, but we dont really know? I got the information from the link I provided in the OP. If you have more up-to-date info, feel free to update. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-border-patrol-facebook-page/836358/259 "2019-07-05T21:01:20Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I got the information from the link I provided in the OP. If you have more up-to-date info, feel free to update. Read your link again. It does say "_The three-year-old group, which has roughly 9,500 members…"_ and “_Members of a secret Facebook group for current and former Border Patrol agents …_” But it does **not** say that those 9500 members ARE current and former Border Patrol agents . You made that conclusion, not your cite. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-border-patrol-facebook-page/836358/260 "2019-07-05T21:19:18Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > In the official CBP press release about this issue yesterday, they _knowingly_ lied about a member of Congress, using this lie as an excuse to blame others for their culpability. > > [https://twitter.com/KlasfeldReports/status/1146054968954241024?s=19](https://twitter.com/KlasfeldReports/status/1146054968954241024?s=19) > > I don’t _know_ about you, but that indicates to me there is an institutionalized racist, authoritarian, and anti-Democratic vein at the very top levels of this agency. And I, like you, don’t _know_ how many of these FB people are actual CBP officers, but I am willing to go out on a limb and say it’s damned certain that the **majority** of members are current CBP officials. > [@](#): > > Even the union agrees, by identifying the group as being broken into “Agents, retired employees, employees who no longer work for CBP…” oh, and “members of the public”\*. As we discussed earlier in this thread, DrDeth, we have shown that the union… a body comprised of 90% of all current CBP agents… admits to current, former, and retired employees being in this group. Can we consider this point… whether the FB group members contained current agents… resolved with a simple “Yes, the union admitted so”? Thanks! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-border-patrol-facebook-page/836358.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-border-patrol-facebook-page/836358.md?page=14)