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Opinion

Accountability: Ted Cruz

By: Emily Trent 

Columnist

emmtrent@iu.edu

As we have all seen, Texas was hit by mother nature last week and was left to deal with the severe aftermath. We also saw Ted Cruz board a plane to Cancun while thousands of Texans were without power and suffering. 

Cruz failed as a public leader and people should be mad at the audacity that he had to take a vacation not only in a pandemic, but while the people of his state were suffering and in need of his support and help.

Cruz knew what he was doing was wrong, which makes his statement about his trip even less sincere. Thousands of Texans were freezing, starving and even dying due to the lack of power and harsh conditions. He should have stepped up and done what he could, but he decided to run from the situation because, in the end, Texas’ government was not prepared in the slightest. 

Texas is not a winter state by any means. Although the residents prepared to the best of their ability, their government abandoned them completely. You can’t say you are for the people as a public leader and then board a flight to somewhere sunny and 75 in the middle of a life-threatening crisis. 

People should be mad at not only Cruz but his fellow leaders for condoning his behavior. This is the behavior that voters need to remember come re-elections. They need to remember how Cruz and many others left thousands of people to suffer and die while they made excuses as to why they were not prepared with enough resources and were off jet setting. 

Cruz has had a lot to say regarding the Democratic party and its leadership skills, but this was one of the most blatantly privileged actions a political leader had taken. There was absolutely no regard for the people in need, he only saw his protected bubble. 

But truly what do you expect from someone who has openly supported a president, who for four years, abandoned his country in a time of need? This is the behavior that voters need to remember so they can vote out the incompetent government. 

It all comes back to the lack of fear regarding the consequences that he knew were coming. He didn’t even try to give a sincere apology, and that should speak very loudly to not only the people of Texas but to so many other people and public leaders. 

People shouldn’t be dying because our political leaders don’t know how to do their job properly. 

By The Preface at IUSB

IU South Bend's Official Student Newspaper

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