Which are you Gilbert, Mexican or American?

Robert Pratt photo Copyright Pratt on Texas

Robert Pratt

According to the Lubbock AJ Gilbert Flores, a former Democrat county commissioner soon to return to that job in Lubbock and president of the Tejano Democrats, said at a rally for Hillary Clinton: “Enough is enough… Not only is (Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump) embarrassing me, he’s embarrassing my parents, my grandparents and my heritage. We’ve been in this country all our lives.”

Without excusing Mr. Trump’s often caustic words and tone on the issue troubling Flores, I will ask that if Mr. Flores is an American citizen and has been here is whole life, why does he think what Mr. Trump has said is about him and his family? I sure don’t take criticism of England and Englishmen as a personal affront.

Even the most sharp-edged comments Mr. Trump has made have been about those of a different nationality and who have disrespected this country by coming and staying here illegally. And herein lies a serious problem with many Democrats: They confuse nationality, i.e. Mexican, with ethnicity.

To criticize Mexico and the actions of Mexicans is little different from criticizing France and Frenchmen. Leftists can cry dog-whistle (their term by the way) all they want but unless you consider yourself a Mexican, it’s a bit odd for a Texan and American to take attacks on Mexico and Mexicans as an attack upon yourself.

I think that when you get to parts of the USA where Latinos of Mexican decent are a relatively small minority, this tying oneself to the term Mexican is possibly what causes distrust and bad feelings from some. After all to be a Mexican is to be a citizen of Mexico and an American isn’t that.

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