Thumbs up, down
Cruz has right approach; couple wed at rodeo; sheriff scores points on satire show.
President Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus crisis has been more about denial and casting blame than in reassuring the American people. But you know who has been a model of calm leadership? Sen. Ted Cruz. The Texas senator and frequent Thumbs foil not only self-quarantined after he met a man who tested positive for COVID-19, he has been a steady voice for taking the situation seriously but avoiding panic. Sure, he did call much-needed efforts to expand paid sick leave “socialism,” but unlike many of his fellow Republican lawmakers, he acknowledges mistakes were made and that it’s no time to play politics. “The last I checked, this isn’t a Democratic virus or a Republican virus,” he told CBS News. “This is a dangerous virus. This is a serious public health crisis. We need to take it seriously.” We wish Cruz the best and hope once he gets back to Washington that his outlook is contagious. Enough about the spreading pandemic. We don’t know about you, but we’re having a hard time thinking of anything else. That’s why it was great to read about the young couple who got married at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo last week. Groom Chris Handley wanted the most Houston wedding imaginable, he told the Chronicle. So, in a neat bit of trick roping, he convinced his fiancée, Ton Baochau, to tie the knot surrounded by friends and family, and goats and cattle, swapping “I do” for a hearty “yee-haw!” The couple also had brisket and corn dogs at their wedding banquet. Of course, once you mention the rodeo, you have to remember that it was canceled Wednesday after a man who visited a barbecue cook-off tent tested positive for COVID-19 (since then, a teenager visiting from New York who was at the rodeo also tested positive). Although it was a difficult decision — and as more than one reader pointed out, Mayor Sylvester Turner is probably glad he was reelected before he had to make the call — it was the right thing to do. It’s been a serious blow for participants and vendors, some of whom are asking for your business online through the rodeo app. Got that Mother’s Day present yet? If you have tickets, you can request a refund or donate the cost of your ticket. Donations will help vendors, exhibitors and the show’s educational fund, and it’s a great way for Houstonians to show support for this Texas tradition. OK, seriously, enough about the coronavirus. Let’s talk about Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, who was name-checked on HBO’s “Last Week Tonight.” During a segment on elected law enforcement officials, host John Oliver used Gonzalez as an example of a sheriff doing a good job, citing Gonzalez’s support of bail reform and his cite-and-release program for some low-level misdemeanors. Usually, it’s bad news if your name is mentioned on a satirical news show, so kudos to Gonzalez for giving Harris County positive national exposure. You know what’s also doing its part for criminal justice reform? A little virus called COVID-19. (Drat! Foiled again!) The Collin County sheriff is asking smaller police departments that use the county jail to hold off arresting petty criminals in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus, according to the Dallas Morning News. Sheriff Jim Skinner asked that police use their discretion when dealing with low-level crimes such as simple assault (say, getting in a fist fight over toilet paper at Costco) or petty theft (snatching that last bottle of Purell). Thumbs way up to Skinner for doing his part in the name of public safety, but let’s all help law enforcement by staying out of trouble right now — no matter how much your stock of Clorox wipes can fetch on the black market.