Leave your community in crisis, throw your kids under the bus — Whatta man, whatta man, whatta man, whatta mighty good man
It’s another case of a politician wagging his finger and telling constituents to do one thing while he does another.
By now you’ve heard that Texas Sen. Ted Cruz preached to his community that they should stay home with their families and ride out the winter storm hitting the state. Less than 48 hours later, Cruz was spotted boarding a plane to Mexico and fleeing the disaster – a disaster that was later declared a state of emergency.
Cruz flip-flopped on his story, saying his kids were invited to Cancun because school was out and he was being a good parent by escorting them out of the country. Really. It was later leaked to the media that Cruz’s wife had initiated a group chat with neighbours asking if any wanted to join the Mexican getaway. (It really shows your standing in the community when neighbours run to the media to leak info about you.) And can we just pause for a moment that the senator threw his own kids under the bus, too.
Cruz returned to the U.S. to a mob of reporters and paparazzi. He didn’t answer questions at the airport, though he later said it was a mistake that he left his people to spend time at a fancy Mexican resort.
This is a scenario that has become all too familiar. It’s something I’ve commented on a few times here. Swap out the word “storm” for “virus” and it’s what we’ve seen play out here in Canada for nearly one year already.
We’re lectured by people who work for us but when push comes to shove they decide they’re above taking their own advice. And then, they have the nerve to criticize us — the public — when the pandemic numbers don’t decrease or Texas residents go another week without water.
I’ve been criticized by readers of this newspaper that I’m too critical of government responses to crisis. My question, especially in light of this Cruz story, is, How do you figure?
What gives an elected official (and let’s be honest, just because someone gets the most votes doesn’t make them qualified for a job) the right to lecture and nag and blame his or her constituents, and then thumb their nose at the rules they’re demanding people respect? Not. Gonna. Happen.
The public should be responsible to make decisions based on the health and wellness of themselves and the community, absolutely. But lead by example, my friend(s) in public office. If it’s turned it into an us-versus-them battle, and I’m not suggesting we do that, ultimately the public outnumbers the politicians.
But in the end, who is the real winner? Coronavirus. Mother Nature. Certainly not either side involved in the pissing contest.
