When Mexicans crossed our border to feed Americans in need

[Xipe Totec]

In a scene that would have given Donald Trump heart palpitations, 200 flag-waving Mexican troops breached the U.S. border outside Laredo, Tex., 10 years ago and advanced unopposed up Interstate 35 to San Antonio.

It was the first time a Mexican army had marched on San Antonio since 1836 when Gen. Santa Ana massacred besieged Texas independence fighters at the Alamo.

This time, however, the Mexican soldiers were on a relief mission to feed tens of thousands of homeless and hungry Americans displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Setting up camp at a former Air Force base outside San Antonio, they distributed potable water, medical supplies and 7,000 hot meals a day for the next three weeks.

If this doesn’t sound like the Mexico you’ve been hearing about lately — the one that has been ripping America off, the one that sends rapists and criminals across the border — you might want to consider this little-known gesture of humanity from our abused southern neighbor as you think about Katrina 10 years later.




https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/when-mexicans-crossed-our-border-to-feed-our-hungry/2015/08/28/347342e4-4cee-11e5-84df-923b3ef1a64b_story.html

[ohheckyeah]

1. Was it even reported ten

years ago? It's the first I've heard of it.

[catrose]

3. Never heard of it

And I was volunteering in a Central Texas shelter at the time.

I thought Bush refused all help from other countries, even though we really needed it.

[Xipe Totec]

4. To be honest, it's the first I heard of it too,

But the article is written by Stephen R. Kelly, a former U.S. diplomat who served in Mexico from 2004 to 2006 and now teaches at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. I consider that a reliable source.

Reading through the article it's evident that the US government was having a difficult time figuring out how to handle the help offer from a diplomatic perspective. So it isn't surprising that the act did not receive much attention in the media at the time.

[ohheckyeah]

5. I think it's

a reliable source, I just hadn't heard anything about it.

[catrose]

6. I wasn't doubting it at all

I'm constantly amazed at what doesn't get reported. I'm pretty sure I was on DU & Kos then…on the other hand, my days were: Show up at shelter. Try to do something helpful for many, many hours. Go home. Collapse. And when I'm working on something like that, I try to avoid the millions of chattering monkeys who aren't helping but sure know how it should be done…not going there, not going there…

edited for grammar

[Brother Buzz]

7. Yes. It was even discused on DU

But Bush's refusal of aid from Cuba made the headlines.

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/9311876/ns/us_news-katrina_the_long_road_back/t/katrina-aid-cuba-no-thanks-says-us/#.VeI25YWgJYI

[ohheckyeah]

8. I knew about

Cuba but not Mexico.

[Brother Buzz]

9. Here's wiki's account

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_response_to_Hurricane_Katrina

[ohheckyeah]

10. Thanks! nt

[virtualobserver]

2. somebody had to take up the slack with the shitty job Bush was doing

[eppur_se_muova]

11. FEMA outsourced to Mexico ?? Where was FAUX "News" on this story ? nt

[Brother Buzz]

12. Can you say, "Asleep At The Wheel"

Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job.