Uvalde tensions transect race and creed

Tensions, not just over the Robb Elementary shooting, but fanned yet further by it, are splitting Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Uvalde, whose own history reflects Anglo-Hispanic tensions and others. A big portion of it, the piece notes, is a wingnut Anglo deacon. (For the unfamiliar, at diocesan level action, parish priests are rotated every four-five years. However, deacons, who are lay leaders and consecrated but not ordained, generally come from the local populace and hence aren't going anywhere.) BUT? The current priest, per the story, is himself also a Uvalde native — and Hispanic. And, that said, the tensions are not all Anglo-Hispanic. A Hispanic deacon, while not a wingnut, apparently thinks Hispanic activists in the parish need to stand down. And, the author said "Father Eddy" has indicated the same. Both have preached to that end. 

I first thought that part of the problem might be that the church functions as a de facto community center as well. Wrong! Per City-Data, there's at least nine non-Catholic churches there. (Interesting, there's a Spanish Protestant church, but it's Methodist, not Baptist or Pentecostal. Weirdly, Sacred Heart's school is listed but the parish is not.) And, although the church has four Sunday masses, by per-grade attendance, its parochial school is not that much bigger than Sacred Heart-Muenster. AND, the Episcopalians (interesting them, not Baptists, on a place like Uvalde) have a K-2 parochial school, too.

More background, assuming City-Data is half right? The county as a whole, of which Uvalde is about 60 percent, broke 60 percent Trump in 2020. That's while being 75 percent Hispanic. So, Fr. Eduardo Morales and the unnamed deacon aren't alone among Hispanics in their political sensibilities or even close. That said, this is nothing new. Uvalde County, like Anglo places with "Blue Dog" Dems, first shifted Republican at the presidential level in 1996 and hasn't looked back since.

So, Michael Luis Ortiz shouldn't be so disappointed. His expectations should have been lower all along. I mean, I blogged a full decade ago about how Texas Democrats should stop assuming demographics is destiny. And, a year ago, I said similar to national Dems on youth demographics.