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My grumpiness about Sr. Ruben is not so much that he is a leftward sort, although one must wonder how anyone as intelligent as he can possibly still sit on the left side of the Forum. I also think that he dwells pointlessly about ethnic issues by supposing that only the Latin cohort of the human race suffers the ignominy of bigotry, racist frictions, or the pain of being disregarded by people of lesser intellect and social finesse.
But, all in all, even though this writer has said, perhaps 30 or 5o times, "This is the last time I shall waste my time reading Ruben's anti-gringo huffing and puffing bilge"…it is necessary to stop and think about Ruben's world view. Enter the issue of Ted Cruz heading down to Cancun while "everyone" in Texas was suffering! How dare Ted Cruz use his prestige as a Senator in the Congress of the United States, leaving all the proles, peons, and oppressed in the cold and snowy wastelands of Texas…with no electricity.
We recall the episode, now a bit more than a week past, when even in the areas around McAllen, Texas bitter below-freezing temperatures, a little sleet, a little snow, essentially closed down well over half of the magic Lower Rio Grande Valley. Broken pipes, no electricity, no gasoline, no grocery stores, etc. etc. Strangely enough, my wife and I went through the five days without one power failure…only about one-fifth of the population in Texas could say that when all was said and done.
Our children and grandchildren in the central part of Texas had snow ranging from six to twelve inches…and a week's work of sub-freezing weather. It was a major league gut-punch for the entire Republic of Texas. Ted Cruz enters our commentary at this point. Ted had a daughter who was going down to Cancun in Mexico where several of her gal-pals were also heading, along with a various mommies and daddies. It had been programmed several weeks or months before.
So, Ted told his progeny…"I will take you down there, maybe hang around, because with this weather, nothing is going to be going on!" And off he went, fulfilling a promise that had been made earlier, and leaving behind what was essentially a "freeze-frame" in almost the entirety of Texas. Once arriving in Cancun, Ted picked up information from people in Texas that things were going from bad to worse. Leaving his daughter with known responsible friends and a gaggle of daughters of various parents present, he decided to return to Texas.
All of this was interpreted by the abominable, mendacious pseudo-journalists' cabal who howled for several days about how Ted Cruz turned his back on the suffering masses back in Texas while Ted twinkled fine white sand through his toes while he fed the porpoises by hand. None of that happened, of course. His manoeuvre was essentially and down-and-back trip.
Mexican telephone service stayed functional…a bit moreso than many areas in Texas, and nothing happened by Ted's hand that affected anyone negatively. So, as a matters as predictable as the sunrise, the cabal of ''journalists" who commonly mislead the public about matters pertaining to conservatives and/or Republicans had their field day of mendacity.
And…so…who comes forth to set the record straight? Ruben Navarrette, Jr. is told by his buds that he should bash Cruz for a Cancun trip…other friends of Ruben say condescendinly that he should choose his friends, "more carefully". Ruben Navarette responded, "…Thanks for the tip. But you do you. And I'll do me. My readers don't pick my topics, and my followers don't choose my friends."
So, I sum up. You're a good man, Ruben. I'd prefer that you use your magnificent brain within the Republican and/or conservative field…but however the pie is sliced…you are a good man, and I shall return to reading your columns.
EL GRINGO VIEJO
David Christian Newton
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