Many people reading this will remember a Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young song called “Teach Your Children Well.” The sentiment of the song — for parents to set an example your children can live by, and in turn to listen to the wisdom of your children and learn from them — came to mind as we have been bombarded by the Ted Cruz saga that has dominated the news cycle the last few days.
Whether you condemn Cruz for leaving Texas for Cancun, Mexico, during a time of existential crisis (i.e., the worst storm in that area of the country in over 100 years), or you forgive him for wanting to be with his children on a Cancun vacation, the title of the song seems apropos at this time.
I wonder how the news media would have covered the Cruz ordeal had he taught his children to reach out to those in need to deliver food and water rather than to escape to warmer climes during the storm?
What if his children, having been taught that we must all help others during times of crisis, had asked their dad to organize a statewide effort to relieve the suffering and pain caused by massive power and water outages and the consequent food and health crises that inevitably emerged? Neither Cruz nor most of the leadership of Texas seem focused on the greater good that is needed at this time.
Perhaps it is time to listen once again to the words of the Crosby, Stills and Nash song rather than focus only on oneself. Teaching your children to care for others rather than escape to a fantasy vacation in a time of emergency may not have gotten the attention of the news media, but it sure would bode well both for the people who need assistance and for the values of those children.
Allan Ainsworth, Park City