What amazing revelation or absolution do you find in this distinction? 
Do you think it somehow makes things less reprehensible?
I never doubted the group contained some current agents.
What we dont know is:
How many current agents
How many retired
How many fired or quit
How many arent agents at all.
Sure. Let’s say that not a single current agent made any of the reprehensible posts. They were all made by non-agents or agents who had quit or been fired.
Doesnt that change things a lot?
No. It really doesn’t matter who said them: they’re still shitty, reprehensible things to say.
Only if/when “let’s say” is transformed into “here is evidence that”.
Moving those goalposts can be difficult…
…as much as I disagree with DrDeth as to the relevance of how many agents were members of the secret Facebook group, DrDeth hasn’t moved his goalposts. The two quotes, in context, are not in conflict.
Hmmm. Yeah, guess you’re right. Conceded.
What are the odds that we’ll ever find out how many of those 9500 were current or retired border patrol agents?
I lump current and former together because I find it unlikely someone would develop such vicious, racist views only after leaving/retiring.
And something to consider: whether it was only a few current/former agents or thousands, they damage the reputations of border patrol agents who don’t hold those views.
I concur as to the last. Very true.
But having been a fed, I know quite a few wash out in the first year, often becuase of attitude and ethical issues. Those people tend to be very bitter. So, someone could join with nasty racist issues, have his trainer discover them in the field, and be asked to leave during their one year probation period. I know that happens in other agencies.
To be fair, the few Border patrol guys I met were upstanding. But the ATF and BP do have a rep of a lot of cowboys and second raters.
Remember when Mr. Freeze was the worst ICE-based villain?
(Stolen. Attribution in mouseover text)
Several agents have been punished:
*The Department of Homeland Security has disciplined federal agents who posted offensive and sexually degrading content about Central American migrants and Democratic lawmakers on social media, acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan told ABC’s “This Week.”
Multiple agents were put on “administrative duties” and others were issued letters warning them to stop the conduct, McAleenan said on Sunday. An internal investigation continues, he added.
“The agents will be held accountable if they are CBP employees who did inappropriate things. I don’t think it’s reflective of the men and women we have,” McAleenan said.*