An Open Letter to El Paso, Texas Mayor John Cook

In the last few days there have been three large industrial fires in El Paso's sister city Juarez, Mexico. It got so desperate last night that the Mexican fire chief had the Mayor of Juarez call the Mayor of El Paso asking for assistance from the El Paso Fire Department.  The El Paso TV station reported that the Governor of the State of Chihuahua had to approve it before that request could be made.

Instead of doing everything to help out our neighbor, we turned them down. 

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No doubt it was humiliating for the Mexicans to make that call asking the Americans for help.  When your neighbor is at his wits end and asks for your help, at least you can go stand by his side and hold his hand.

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This is an email which I sent to the El Paso Mayor John Cook:


Dear Mayor Cook,

Let me preface my note by saying that I am a 3d generation El Pasoan, and I am an anglo.

The lieutenant with the El Paso Fire Deparment was widely quoted as saying that it would make "no sense" for them to send personnel or equipment to Juarez. No doubt he was correct in that they could not do much to help put out the fire.

But from a PR standpoint they totally blew it. If there ever was a time when America needed to show the normal people of Mexico that we are a decent country this is it. But instead of saying, "You betcha Amigos, we're heading your way pronto!" the EPFD essentially told them "No, we are not going to help out you Messicans.  Sorry. We are just a little too busy, lazy, and arrogant."

Not good.

Sincerely,



Paul Garland
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