In a recent letter appearing here, Ms. Hilda Garza DeShazo, the Hidalgo County GOP secretary, seems to have fallen victim to the Kool-Aid of the MAGA right. In a second term under Donald Trump, this is much the more likely scenario:
1) Our southern border would not be more secure, even under more draconian Trumpist measures than the first time. The migrant crisis is not just a national or even a hemispheric problem. It is global. Around the world, people living in misery (for whatever reason) are desperately seeking “asylum” anywhere better. This country has a declining birthrate and is pleading for new workers, both in the trades and in the professions. We are turning away people who may have walked up here from Tierra del Fuego. We are blessed that most people appearing at our borders are of similar faith, use the same alphabet and read from left to right. Contrast that with what Europe faces with so many migrants coming out of Asia and Africa.
2) The war in Ukraine spiked gas prices around the globe but they are now coming down everywhere, with about the lowest here in the U.S. Trump’s handling of COVID inspires no confidence he would do any better against the bird flu that has recently decimated poultry flocks, raising all related prices.
3) Inflation has also been a worldwide phenomenon, exacerbated by COVID, the accompanying supply-chain issues and that war in Ukraine, but it is getting some better, especially in the U.S.
4) The best defense is a strong offense. China must understand it cannot spy on military installations with impunity at whatever altitude and that the U.S. is prepared for any eventuality. Taiwan must not become another Ukraine. 5) Of course Vladimir Putin would have attacked Ukraine with Trump in charge. The war might even have extended into Eastern Europe by this time. Putin’s goal is to get all the old “socialist republiks” back under Soviet control. Given Trump’s deference to him, Putin assumed Trump had entirely undermined the NATO alliance. He was counting on a personal “win,” regardless of leader: no resistance from the Donald and little resistance from Old Joe, who was perceived as “so weak.” He miscalculated on all counts — luckily.
6) The latest 2021 statistics show the U.S. was a net petroleum exporter last year, though not by much. The ration would be better, but only with more regulation rather than letting domestic oil producers sell to the highest bidder in a capitalist economy. Not likely to go over well in Texas, in any other oil rich state, or among Republicans.
7) Our military is ready to defend the U.S. against our enemies. The money spent in Ukraine keeps our soldiers out of harm’s way and us and Europe safe from fascism. Would that there were equal assurance on the home front.
C.B. Bolyn
Brownsville
Forgotten
independence
Texas history has long forgotten March 2, 1836, Texas Independence Day, when 59 delegates across Texas came together at Washington-on-the-Brazos, in a half-built house without windows and doors in almost freezing weather. On this day, just 100 miles away in San Antonio, Mexican Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna’s cannons were pounding the walls of the Alamo.
These brave Texas patriots signed their names, their fortunes and their sacred honor to this famous document to tell Mexico and the world that they no longer were subjects living under the iron fist of a Mexican dictator but free and independent citizens of the Republic of Texas.
Jose Antonio Navarro and Jose Francisco Ruiz were two Tejano delegates from San Antonio who signed this declaration, as well as Lorenzo de Zavala, a Mexican national.
De Zavala was the most wanted man in the Texas revolution by Santa Anna, because de Zavala was the highest government official, a former ambassador to France, to join the Texas fight for independence.
Santa Anna also was always depicting our Texas and Tejano patriots as traitors to Mexico, but de Zavala’s defection was always a deep embarrassment to the Mexican general. Santa Anna wanted to hang de Zavala from the tallest tree, but he never did.
When de Zavala was a leader in the Mexican Senate along with Erasmo Seguin, Juan Seguin’s father, in the House, he helped write the Mexican Constitution o 1824. When Santa Anna did away with the Mexican Constitution, de Zavala left his diplomatic position in France to come to Texas to help defeat Santa Anna.
De Zavala was elected the first vice president of Texas.
On March 2 I flew my Texas flag to honor the bravery and courage of our Texas, Tejano and Mexican patriots who signed our Declaration of Texas Independence.
Jack Ayoub
Harlingen
LETTERS — Limit letters to 300 words; all letters are subject to editing. Mail: P.O. Box 3267, McAllen, TX78502-3267; Email: [email protected]
