Texas Senator Ted Cruz abruptly left Texas to go on a lavish vacation to Cancun, Mexico with his family while residents of Texas battled a winter storm crisis. Over the past week, Texas has experienced the worst weather crisis they have ever had. Temperatures dropped below freezing, leaving it colder than Alaska. Many Texas residents have never experienced weather like this or even seen the sight of snow. While we Northerners may initially mock Texans since we are used to inches of snow and freezing temperatures, Texans are not. We are prepared in the North and know how to prevent and deal with pipe bursts, power outages, snowfall due to our access to stronger insulation, generators, snowplows, salt, and the crucial resources that are needed to deal with these harsh weather conditions. Texas does not have these types of resources. People were so lost and desperate they were using table salt on their steps and forced to fill their bathtubs to prepare when their pipes burst.
Amidst this crisis, proper leadership and support was greatly needed to help aid the chaos that had shaken up Texas. Senator Ted Cruz decided to use his luxury and privilege to escape the winter disaster and hop on a flight to Cancun with his wife and kids. He ignorantly decided to leave the millions of freezing Texan residents, who had no power or water, to enjoy some warm weather down in Cancun. As Senator of Texas, it is part of his responsibility to contact higher authorities, help provide resources, and reach out for help during this natural disaster. Recently, an episode of Saturday Night Live featuring Aidy Bryant and Pete Davidson ate up Cruz’s ignorant mistake by mocking him in a humorous skit calling out Cruz for his actions.
Personally, if I was a Senator of my state that was undergoing a serious natural disaster, I would like to think I would have some decent morality and would stay with the residents of my state to do whatever I could to help the struggling community. Senator Cruz admitted that his trip to Cancun, “was obviously a mistake, and in hindsight, I never would have done it.” Cruz’s weak response did not make up for his actions, and it was his own neighbors who exposed his story to journalists. His wife, Heidi Cruz, had sent out a group text to her neighbors asking if any of them wanted to get away from the cold and fly down to Cancun. Clearly, they were not on board and exposed Cruz’s plan to get away. There was really no excuse that could make up for Cruz’s actions, but he undoubtedly tried to cover up his actions.
First, he blamed his lavish trip on his 10 and 12-year-old daughters, claiming that he was just, “trying to be a good dad” by fulfilling their wishes to spend a luxurious stay at the five-star Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Cancun. If this isn’t mortifying enough, when he finally returned back to freezing Texas in his short-sleeved shirt and freshly tanned skin, he was bombarded by protestors and an understandably furious Texas community. They stood in front of his neighborhood holding signs that read, “Coward Cruz” and “Traitor Ted.” Members of the Texas community also went so far as gathering a mariachi band to play outside his house.
I can say for one, he definitely deserved this and quite frankly should have seen it coming right when he hopped on the plane to the beach. The media has completely relished in exposing Cruz for his insensible actions. Hundreds of memes have surfaced and there is no hiding from media exploitation for Ted. Hopefully Cruz learned a lesson, but honestly, I do not think he can get himself out of the hole he dug for himself. This lesson is not something that a Senator of Texas should have to learn and he should have been more aware of his decisions. Thankfully, Texas is doing much better now, no thanks to Cruz, of course. If Cruz wants to relax in Cancun then by all means go ahead, but maybe resign from your senator responsibilities and duties before fleeing to the beach.
