Immigration, Justice

Should Mexico Help Our Country Recover From Harvey?

Why Would They Help Us Now?

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Don’t act like that’s an easy question. Yes, in times of disaster, neighbors tend to help each other. Yes, Mexico provided critical aid to the United States in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Yes, Mexico has offered to do so again as Texas and Louisiana deal with Hurricane Harvey.

But no, it’s not entirely obvious that Mexico should lift a finger to help this country, run by this government, elected by these f**king MAGA people, in our time of need. CALL ME PETTY, but when the president of your country calls my people “murderers” and “rapists” and runs on a campaign of building a giant WALL between us, to the rousing support your people, I’d be the kind of international leader that told you to go drown in the street.

I’m not talking about ancient history. The President of the United States didn’t just rise to power by offering xenophobic white people the promise of bigotry and separatism from our southern neighbors during the campaign season. Trump slagged off Mexico, YESTERDAY. It’s still raining in Texas and Trump took time out of his busy day to reiterate that Mexico will pay for a wall it has repeatedly said it won’t pay for, threaten to tear up an international treaty signed with Mexico in order to extort them into paying for the wall, and added some straight up racial stereotyping for good measure. Here’s what Trump said, according even to the freaking White House:

But, no, Mexico will pay for the wall. It may be through a reimbursement. We need the wall very badly. As you know, Mexico has a tremendous crime problem — tremendous — one of the number two or three in the world. And that’s another reason we need it. And the — just to add on, tremendous drugs are pouring into the United States at levels that nobody has ever seen before. This happened over the last three to four years in particular. The wall will stop much of the drugs from pouring into this country and poisoning our youth.

So we need the wall. It’s imperative. We may fund it through the United States. But ultimately, Mexico will pay for the wall.

It’s not just Trump who has decided to treat Mexico like a piñata for his own divisive gains. It’s the millions and millions of people who voted for Trump EXPLICITLY because they have the bigoted and wrong belief that Mexicans “steal” American jobs.

And how does this government treat Mexicans who are living in the United States? NOT GREAT BOB. As we just pointed out, the Mayor of Houston has offered to personally defend immigrants who might face deportation for calling for help during the storm, because the government of Texas, supported no doubt by our racist Attorney General Jeff Sessions, passed draconian laws that makes it harder for people to ask for HELP without showing their papers.

Now, Mexico is willing to send boats, medical supplies, and other assistance to this racist government? They’re better men and women than me. I wouldn’t send us a F**KING SANDWICH if I were Mexico.

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The other people apparently willing to simply be better people than Trump and the Deplorables are… Mid-Atlantic politicians. As many people have pointed out, the Texas delegation, led by the Ted Cruz, bitched to high heaven about Hurricane Sandy relief. Ted Cruz called it “pork.” Cruz’s inveterate hypocrisy has been called out by nearly everybody. But it turns out that instead of punishing the little weasel, and the citizens who allow him to have a job, many east coast politicians seem willing to help.

The distinction Easterners and Mexicans seem to be making is between the elected officials like Trump and Cruz, and the people they represent. Real people are hurting, real human people are in need. Why punish them because the people they voted for are losers and assholes?

Well, “because they VOTED FOR THEM,” is one possible answer. Sure, I know not everybody in Texas voted for Trump and Cruz. Hell, Houston is as blue a city as you’re likely to find. But the state of Texas EXISTS to stop New York and California from making the world a better place. We all know that many of the people most in need of assistance right now are the very people who put bigots and hypocrites in office. And those bigots and hypocrites now speak for them.

Can you imagine being a Mexican aid worker rescuing a flood victim in a MAGA hat?

I couldn’t do it. I swear to f**king Christ I’d shout “BUT HER EMAILS THO” and row the f**k on by.

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But… there are many reasons why I’m not in charge of anything, and this is but one. The problem with being blinded by righteousness is that you miss out on some rational self-interest. Texas and Mexico are fairly important trading partners. It hurts Mexico if Texas drowns. Texas has gas and ribs, so it hurts New York if Texas drowns. Texas might spend all its time humping itself on its “Lone Star,” but smart people know that we’re all in this together. No polity is an island, no matter how many stars you put on your stupid flag.

There’s also the argument that helping people is a better way to change their minds than… reminding them of their failures as they sink to the bottom. I tend to think liberals lose because we are weak do-gooders who fail to destroy our enemies when they are vulnerable. But, at some point, what’s the point of being progressive if you’re going to act like the conservatives? What’s the point of being a Stark if you’re going to lie like a Lannister?

What the situation requires right now is… grace. Now is a time for grace, not retribution. One of my friends, who has done the hard work of helping out those in less fortunate countries, put it well to me on Facebook:

We have provided plenty of humanitarian assistance over the years to countries where there are people who don’t like us and maybe have even worked to hurt Americans, and perhaps where their leaders have also worked against us. We do it because a) it’s the right thing to do, and b) we (used to) like to project to the world that we are a country that cares about our fellow humans and upholds certain values.

Right. She’s right, of course. Mexico, and my Congressman, should help if they can BECAUSE it is the right thing. When your neighbor’s house is on fire, you don’t haggle over the price of the hose.

It’s simple. But it ain’t easy.

Here’s a link to the Red Cross. I threw in a donation, just now. It was… the very least I could do.

Elie Mystal is an editor of Above the Law and the Legal Editor for More Perfect. He can be reached @ElieNYC on Twitter, or at elie@abovethelaw.com. He will resist.

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