Resisting the Urge

Edwin Jackson was killed in a tragic motor vehicle accident on Sunday. The tragedy of this young man's life being cut short can not be overstated. Such promise; such potential; such a tragic waste. I mourn for Mr. Jackson's family and all who cared for him.

What I won't do is demagogue the issue. As it turns out, the man who struck Mr. Jackson was (a) intoxicated and (b) a twice-deported undocumented immigrant. 

Enter Representative Todd Rokita, who has never found an issue that he wouldn't politicize or demagogue:

Rep. Todd Rokita Retweeted Matt Smith

This news should make all Americans angry. A twice-deported illegal immigrant is suspected of killing 2 Hoosiers, including Colts LB Edwin Jackson. We must do more to get these dangerous illegal immigrant criminals off our streets, build a wall & put an end to illegal immigration

 How pathetic, Rep. Rokita. I know you're not better than this, but you can certainly try harder. I know you're going to lose the Senate primary to career lobbyist Luke Messer (and his $20,000/month publicly employed, part-time, attorney wife). I know you, Rep. Rokita, recognize that you cater to the lowest common denominator; you appeal to your constituents worst instincts and not their better angels. 

This is beyond the pale.

Perhaps Rep. Rokita can explain what it is about being an undocumented immigrant:

• that makes one necessarily a bad driver;
• that makes one more prone to drink and drive;
• that makes one more prone to drink to excess;
• that makes one less able to handle his alcohol;
• that makes their automobile accidents more dangerous/deadly

Rep. Rokita, instead of demagoguery, perhaps you could do something to actually help your constitutents? I note that Rep. Rokita was the primary sponsor of a whopping ONE bill that has been enacted. He's been in congress since 2011, folks. ONE BILL!

What is this bill? Well, funny thing is, we have the internet and I can give you this link, and the summary below, drafted by the Republican Policy Committee:

H.J.Res. 57 would disapprove and nullify the rule issued by the Department of Education on November 28, 2016, to implement the accountability, data reporting, and state plan provisions of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

The bill's sponsors feel that while the Department had authority to issue regulations to implement the law, the regulation contained a number of provisions that significantly expanded the law’s requirements and violated the statute’s prohibitions against overreach by the Secretary. The bill's sponsors also believe that the Obama Administration’s purpose for these new requirements was to constrain states’ flexibility in developing appropriate accountability systems for their states.

In other words, the ONE SINGLE BILL that Todd Rokita has passed was nothing more than a partisan swipe at Obama. No attempt to make life better for his constituents; no attempt to actually address the issues he claims to care about.

What a hack. I applaud Gov. Holcomb, Sen. Mike Young,  Rep. Karlee Macer, Rep. Joe Donnelly, Sen. Todd Young, and everyone else who has resisted the urge to demagogue this issue. Edwin Jackson's death is a tragedy for that promising young man, his family, and everyone else who loved him. IT IS NOT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR HACK POLITICIANS TO SCORE POINTS.

I would never have voted for Rep. Rokita for dog catcher or anything else; perhaps those who would have been otherwise inclined to vote for him will use his actions in the past 36 hours to reflect on Rep. Rokita's character and whether they want him to represent all of us.