On Wu
The right guy at the right time. Texas State Rep. Gene Wu has done an outstanding job leading the Texas House Democratic Caucus and being the face of democracy across America. Articulate, witty, fierce, and courageous are among his many traits that make him a force in national politics. The Chron just posted a piece on Rep. Wu and here is how it starts:
When Houston’s Gene Wu became the face of Texas Democrats’ battle to defeat President Donald Trump’s congressional redistricting plan, he knew it would both trigger racist reactions and make older generations in Asian American communities uneasy.
“In our culture – in Asian culture and Chinese culture – the saying is very much the head that sticks up gets cut off,” Wu said. “People who make waves, people who rock the boat, don’t live very long. And that is a mentality that a lot of Asian Americans bring to the table.”
Yet there was the 47-year-old state representative on national TV, speaking up on behalf of the House Democrats’ as they fled the state to prevent Republicans from passing any new laws. Far from comfortable, Wu, who calls himself an introvert, said he was prepared for the appearances on MSNBC’s Morning Joe and CNN to draw out something harsher than the casual racism he’s heard since being first elected to the Texas House in 2012.
And it has. On social media, he’s been attacked for his nationality and accused of being a spy for the Chinese government. Wu was born in China, but his family moved to Odessa and later to Houston where he was raised.
State Rep. Shelly Luther, a North Texas Republican, posted a meme that made Wu appear to look like Chinese communist leader Xi Jinping. And state Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, took a shot at Wu by suggesting he went “back in China” and “putting China first, Texas second.”
“I have been dealing with racist comments from the public and from members for the entirety of my seven terms,” Wu said in an interview with the Texas Take Podcast.
Here is the entire Chron read on Rep. Wu: How a Houston Democrat is battling cultural norms to lead.
I enjoy watching Rep. Wu give interviews and lead the fight against MAGA. He has stepped up and is not afraid to call it like it is. I like that. Rep. Wu has taken a ton of incoming, but he is still standing tall.
_____
I don’t think I have ever eaten at a Cracker Barrel Restaurant. There is a restaurant in Baytown, but I have never been there. There is one up I-45 and one out on the Katy Freeway. I have had Cracker Barrel cheese, but the cheese and dining are not related. Cracker Barrel Restaurants altered their logo, and some folks don’t like the change. One of Donald Trump’s kids called the change “woke.” I wonder how often the kid eats at Cracker Barrel.
_____
The featured photo is a bit baffling. With 34 games left on the regular season schedule, we have a two-game lead in the AL West. We finally won yesterday. We have three more games this weekend at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.