How a story is framed can make all the difference in the world.
That is especially true if one's goal is to persuade, rather than inform. You can take just about any set of facts and present any of a number of different stories about them. One doesn't even need to lie to get the intended effect, but if one is willing to do so, the possibilities are endless.
I was thinking about this in particular over the weekend, after I saw some liberals sharing this story intended to pull my heartstrings.
In case you don't know, "Pa, te amo" means "Dad, I love you."
That one headline sets a tone: an innocent father brutally ripped away from his sons, who are devastated by the loss of their father whom they love so dearly that they weep uncontrollably as he gets dragged away by the ICE Gestapo.
Is he here legally?
— David Strom (@DavidStrom) October 26, 2025
"This is America now." The implication, of course, is that under Donald Trump's reign of terror, nobody is safe. Dads who are just trying to provide for their beloved sons will never be safe as HITLERSTALINMUSSOLINI is in office.
If you wonder whether the framing of the headline—headlines are often written by editors, not reporters—doesn't reflect a more balanced story, wonder no longer.
Here is how the story frames the encounter with ICE:
A Naperville man was hauled away by federal immigration agents Thursday morning as his two sons watched, the older boy begging them not to hurt his father and tearfully asking for a chance to speak to him before they left.
The incident, which took place outside the Views of Naperville apartment complex off Ogden Avenue, was video recorded and has been circulating on social media.
In it, three men wearing vests marked “police” can be seen pinning the man to the ground while taking him into custody. He has been identified by the Naperville Sun as 47-year-old Carlos; his last name is being withheld at the request of his family, who fear retaliation.
A spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed that ICE agents, in conjunction with the U.S. Marshals Service Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force, arrested Carlos on Thursday. ICE said agents had a warrant for his arrest.
Four paragraphs in, and you have no idea why the man was arrested. Presumably, it was because his name was "Carlos." The paper doesn't tell you why he was arrested, and withholds his name despite there being a warrant for his arrest and, presumably, a record of it. But since Carlos is just an innocent guy, the Chicago Tribune withholds his name at the request of a frightened family who, for some strange reason, "fear retaliation."
As if there are roving gangs of MAGA folks beating up women and children because the dad was arrested. Since when, Chicago Tribune?
Of course, if you watch the video, it's clear that the man was resisting. It doesn't take 3 ICE officers to put on handcuffs if somebody is compliant. Indeed, we learn more than halfway through the story that the man was resisting arrest. He refused to share his papers, leave his car, and was fighting back against the federal agents.
But wait! There's more. You don't learn until PARAGRAPH 22 anything about why the man was wanted, or that there was a warrant out for his arrest. This was not a random stop: he was a fugitive from the law. A fugitive who was resisting arrest.
A spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed that ICE agents, in conjunction with the U.S. Marshals Service Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force, arrested Carlos on Thursday. ICE said agents had a warrant for his arrest. ... According to ICE, Carlos was previously deported in 2012. ICE also claims that Carlos has a criminal history that includes “convictions for obstruction and traffic violations,” which Elena confirmed.
Soooo...Carlos was a wanted man, had been deported and illegally returned to the United States, had been convicted for multiple crimes, and refused to cooperate with officers.
Hence the conflict.
Since when has being a father provided immunity from arrest? And does one just get to refuse to go into custody?
It's insane, but this is how a newspaper frames the story. No information at all except the sob story for about 75% of the article. Because any context at all changes its impact.
This is how liberals "argue." Lead with emotion, soft-pedal the practical realities.
Another bizarre defensive angry response to a question from Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. about the term illegal alien. This is why his approval rating is below 🌊 pic.twitter.com/1gOJEvCJnQ
— Reporter William J. Kelly #thatreporter (@Williamjkelly) October 25, 2025
Konstantine Kisin hits the nail on the head when he argues that we need to take the "moral" and emotional elements out of the immigration debate. You can always create a sob story about anyone. Some are more compelling than others, but the sob story is what gets criminals light sentences and immunity from deportation. In the UK, pedophile rapists have been released because their children might be impacted by their incarceration or deportation.
Leftists are absolute champions at making immigration a moral issue, and it is not ..It is a practical issue first and foremost.
— Leah Rain ✝️🇺🇸🎸🏝️ (@LeahRain77) October 26, 2025
You wouldn’t allow unvetted and unlimited access into your home .. YOU WOULD EVENTUALLY LOSE YOUR HOME .. pic.twitter.com/brTt4pRPlV
Either we have laws, or we don't. Either facts matter, or they don't.
Liberals use words and stories like magical incantations, and vast numbers of people are moved by them to the extent that they have gotten the equivalent of lobotomies--they are incapable of rational thought.
Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.
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