The One Example of a George W. Bush Profile in Courage

In an admission that will surprise no one, I admit that I have a lot of liberal friends. And not just since I moved to Seattle. When I lived in Houston, most of my friends were liberals. Most of them were so liberal that I came off looking like Rush Limbaugh in comparison. To be compared to Rush, man, them fighting words to me. I mean, my worse enemies can't accuse me of being a rich dilettante with a recreational drug habit, what with the thousands of dollars I owe in student loans.

Let me preface what I am about to say by saying I have been against George W. Bush since at least 1997. (I will also admit I voted for him in 1994, when he first ran for governor. Fool me once, that whole spiel.) There have been times when I have defended things George W. Bush has done. I like that he tries to treat immigrants fairly. He has gotten a lot of static from his own party because of "his support for the wetbacks." But what do I get for pointing out that, in this single instance, President Bush was a profile in courage? My liberal friends say that there must be this hidden agenda. They don't know what it is but it is there. Being a native Texan, I feel like I have my finger on the pulse of how people in Texas regard immigrants. Especially those from Mexico.

Our policy in Texas? We live right by each other. The white community and the Hispanic community are so intertwined that to begrudge one group means you are begrudging yourself. The two groups are intertwined by marriage, work, school, church and just plain friendship. The stories I have heard of George W. Bush being raised among Hispanics reminds me of myself. My elementary school had three white kids. Me. My brother. And my sister. Did I ever feel like a minority? No, because the friendships I had there never allowed that thought to form in my head.

When Republicans demonize Hispanics, I become a bit discombobulated. Hispanic people have been a big part of my social and professional life. My years as a teacher in a mostly Hispanic high school in inner-city Houston are very precious to me. I suspect George W. Bush knows what I am talking about here. I bet he wonders just like me how Republicans can be so hateful. And so politically stupid.