Caring

I used to hate following the Humane Society at budget hearings. Even though I had a powerful case – changing students’ lives and contributing to the economic development and well-being of communities, it was hard to compete with the puppies. Our impact studies were well regarded, but their pictures were “aw” inspiring cute.

So, when Ted Cruz went to Cancun instead of lending support to the people in Texas who were suffering, and even dying without power and water, it didn’t surprise me that it took the news that he left the family dog, Snowflake, at home to truly enrage them.

Cruz’s lack of compassion for people or pets didn’t surprise me. His arrogance has been well established in word and deed. It was yet another expression of his selfishness, rather than servant leadership. He embodies the opposite of what I value and have tried to live.   

In 2011, we had a rare and completely unexpected earthquake on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. My leadership team and I had a well-rehearsed emergency plan in place. We had done tabletop exercises and had drills. Our responsibility was to evacuate and meet at a location a safe distance from the building. None of us did that. Instead, we walked around the campus making sure there were no injuries and giving directions to others to ensure their safety.

Later, as we debriefed, we realized that our plan had overlooked a key factor, our human desire to personally attend to the people for whom we were responsible. We acknowledged that meeting at a distance would have better allowed us to deploy resources and manage communications, but our first instinct had been to personally take care of others.  Had we had a similar real crisis while I was there, I believe we would have followed the plan, realizing that a coordinated approach would better fulfill our obligations to care. In either case, I am proud of the values that motivated us.   

Clearly, caring was not part of Cruz’s thinking as he boarded the jet for his vacation, although later he would claim it was an expression of care for his daughters (more about that next week). Yesterday I got an email from my local Jewish Federation with ways to donate to the people of Texas. Total strangers will rally to their support. How sad that they didn’t get that from their own leadership.