https://www.gq.com/story/trump-harvey-daca-heroes
Moore writes:
“It was reported this weekend that Donald Trump has decided to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. DACA, was designed for the controversial purpose of protecting those who were brought to this country as young children from deportation, and allowing them the ability to get work visas. I mean, can you even imagine such an outrageous policy? People who had no say in their own arrival in the country and who in so many cases don’t even remember their birthplace, being protected by the government because it’s “the right thing to do” and “only a cruel monster would do otherwise” might seem like a bipartisan win, and yet here we are.
The program will go away in six months, thus allowing the Trump administration to try to blame Congress when they are unable to find a legislative solution to protect these people. And as Trump was making this decision, large swaths of Texas were underwater thanks to the devastation brought about by Hurricane Harvey. And while President Trump may not have been modeling good American ideals, many were as normal Americans took to their boats to try to save trapped families. Among those Americans? Alonso Guillen.
Alonso Guillen was brought to America when he was a young teen, and was allowed protection under DACA. This allowed Guillen to to get a work permit and make a living as a radio DJ without fear of deportation. When Harvey hit and most people were doing everything they could to get out of dodge, Guillen took a borrowed boat and drove into harm’s way to try to save people. Their boat tragically crashed into a bridge where Guillen and a friend died in the water.
The Houston Chronicle has this heart-breaking (and yet inspiring) story from Guillen’s father of his son’s bravery:
Guillen’s father, Jesus Guillen, said he’d asked his son not to try and rescue people in the storm, but he insisted, saying he wanted to help people. He cried and prayed on Sunday afternoon as they pulled his son’s body from the water.
“Thank you, God,” he said, “for the time I had with him.”
In addition to Guillen, other DACA recipients have volunteered in the recovery and were featured on MSNBC’s AM Joy asking Donald Trump to meet with them and see all the good they’re doing. It’s worth noting that these volunteers, as well as Alonso Guillen looked at a tragic situation hitting a major American city and asked “what can I do to help?” Donald Trump didn’t even meet with flood survivors until the Internet shamed him into it for days after his initial photo-op visit to Texas. I sincerely hope President Trump takes these young people up on their offer to meet. He’d learn a lot about what it means to be an American.”
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Not likely that the “Coward in Chief” would dare go face to face with those he is throwing under the bus. After all, this is a guy who was afraid to throw out the first pitch for the Nationals because he thought he would be booed. (Solution: Better policies, more humanity, stop pandering to the White Nationalist minority = more cheers, fewer boos. Besides who knows, Nats fans are among the politest and most well-behaved I have observed. Nats Park is one of the limited number of venues that deserves to be called “Family Friendly.” Now, perhaps that’s just because 75% of the fans appear to spend 80% of the game on their cell phones.) Trump almost never goes anywhere except to make campaign style appearances before his base in which he touts his divisive policies.
PWS
09-05-17