Texas GOP denies responsibility for state's fentanyl crisis: Navarrette

Instead of blaming Mexico for its fentanyl crisis, GOP Texas lawmakers should acknowledge that some blame lies with their own citizens. — Image credit: Getty Images

Texas has a Texas-sized fentanyl problem. In 2021 alone, nearly 71,000 Americans lost their lives from synthetic opioid overdoses. A substantial portion of this lethal supply infiltrates the U.S. via the Texas-Mexico border.

While some Republicans advocate for military-style intervention against Mexico to curtail the inflow, Straight Arrow News contributor Ruben Navarrette says this oversimplifies the issue. He argues that Texas GOP lawmakers should heed their own advice and acknowledge that some blame lies with their own citizens.

Long, long time ago, I can still remember how Republicans told us to own up to failure. And back then I found that sounded great. That’s right. We should all carry our own weight and take responsibility for our behavior. I can’t remember but I was probably snide when I figured out the GOP had lied, because when fentanyl killed teenagers like cyanide, all Republicans did was blame Mexico far and wide.

I’m feeling nostalgic; what happened to the Republican gospel of self-sufficiency, and not looking to government for anything, let alone something important, like the raising of our kids? What about the GOP sermon on not blaming others for our failings or playing the victim or shirking responsibility for our actions, decisions and stupidity? Or the Republican “hang-’em-high” approach to getting high and their advice to “just say no” to drugs? Where did all that hot air go? Well, I’ll tell you what. You can’t find a trace of it in Texas.

When it comes to fentanyl, an extremely lethal drug that young people should not be messing with but are, the Lone Star State has become the unofficial capital of excuse-making and blame-shifting. When tragedy strikes, everyone is to blame, it seems, except the kids in the suburbs who broke the law and took illegal opioids and then died when it turned out the pills were laced with fentanyl.

When the finger-pointing starts, no one blames the kids who were dumb enough to put an unknown and unauthorized substance into their bodies, or their parents who should have been paying closer attention.

What’s that you say? You expect an elected official, a Texas state legislator maybe, to have the guts to say all that in public at the next town hall meeting he has with constituents? I don’t know — that sounds like a pretty good way for a politician to become unpopular with powerful people who can vote him or her out of office.

long, long time ago, I can still remember how Republicans told us to own up to failure. And back then I found that sounded great. That’s right. We should all carry our own weight and take responsibility for our behavior. I can’t remember but I was probably snide. When I figured out the GOP had lied, because when fentanyl killed teenagers like cyanide, all Republicans did was blame Mexico far and wide. I’m feeling nostalgic, what happened to the Republican gospel of self sufficiency, and not looking to government for anything, let alone something important, like the raising of our kids. What about the GOP sermon on not blaming others for our failings or playing the victim or shirking responsibility for our actions, decisions and stupidity? Or the Republican hanging on the high approach to getting high and their advice to just say no to drugs? We’re in all that hot air go? Well, I’ll tell you what, you can’t find a trace of it in Texas. When it comes to fentanyl an extremely lethal drug that young people should not be messing with but are the Lone Star State has become the unofficial capital of excuse making and blame shifting. When tragedy strikes, everyone is to blame it seems except the kids in the suburbs who broke the law and took illegal opioids and then died when it turned out the pills were laced with fentanyl. When the fingerpointing starts, No one blames the kids who were dumb enough to put an unknown and unauthorized substance into their bodies, or their parents who should have been paying closer attention. What’s that you say? You expect an elected official a Texas State Legislator maybe to have the guts to say all that in public at the next town hall meeting he has with constituents? I don’t know that sounds like a pretty good way for a politician to become unpopular with powerful people who can vote him or her out of office. So that’s a no go. No, it’s much easier for Americans to blame what they see as a basket of deplorables. The Mexican government drug cartels, drug traffickers, if you want to avoid responsibility for your life moved to Texas, under Texas House Bill six approved by both the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas Senate, and now on its way to Governor Greg Abbott for his signature. Anyone who provide someone else with a fatal dose of fentanyl could face a murder charge. In fact, the bill classifies overdoses from fentanyl as poisoning. The wording there is just perfect. People who get poisoned are generally thought of as innocent victims who were just minding their own business when someone tried to kill them. The guilty party is a dastardly scoundrel who poisons someone else. Way to go, Texas, that shirt absolves from any responsibility. Those people who take illegal drugs. Let’s remember the stories that we’re reading on a semi regular basis about young people dying from fentanyl. Those are stories about overdoses. Some teenagers or 20 Somethings were smoking weed, snorting cocaine or popping pills and surprised they’re dead. I’m gonna sound old fashioned here. But what about condemning the, quote dosing that led to the overdose in the first place? You know, fruit of the poisonous tree and all that. For now, Texas, your wayward youth are safe. They won’t have to grow up anytime soon. Their parents and Texas Republicans can keep covering for them. But at what cost? What happened to the grand old party’s grand old sermon about the sanctity of law and order? You remember the one? Now what was that line y’all use about keeping out illegal immigrants because they make the nativist wing of the Republican Party all jittery, as if they were being replaced. It was a catchy line. What was it? Oh, yeah, remember now? This is a nation of laws. You said? We can’t excuse law breaking. You said or we’ll get more of it. You said people who break the law have to be held accountable. You said, but did you mean any of it doesn’t look like it? Republicans can sure give a mighty good sermon. They just have trouble following the path. Lay lay out for everyone else when the sins have been closer to home.