Hurricane Helene has devastated the southeastern states of the United States. The suffering and damage it has caused are incalculable. 

No-one needs to add partisan politics to this agony. The need is for long-lasting support from all citizens.  

Given this truth, I hesitated to write a “Track.”

But rank hypocrisy always stinks.

Before Helene, Mark Robinson, the Republican lieutenant governor of North Carolina and candidate for governor, apparently added more vile comments to those already on his record. Some were in support of slavery (he is Black) and against Jews, calling himself a “Black Nazi.” 

The political theatrics of 2023 and 2024 included hearings before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. One highly-publicized focus was anti-Semitism in American elite universities. The chair of the Committee is Rep. Virginia Foxx, who represents a district in North Carolina. A leading prosecutor was Rep. Elaine Stefanik, who represents one in upstate New York.

Anti-Semitism is an ancient scourge. Given the high dudgeon of these two members of Congress in their hearings, I assumed they had condemned Lt. Gov. Robinson. However, Rep. Foxx simply seems to have scrubbed her social media of any mention of him. Again, this was before Hurricane Helene. Caring for her battered constituents must now consume her attention. 

On September 30, 2024, at about 1 p.m. I called Rep. Stefanik’s office (518-561-2324). I left a message, asking if she had any comment about Robinson.  So far, no response.

Like others, I have at one time or another visited all of the states Helene has hurt so badly. Like that of others, my response is a compound of grief, sympathy, admiration for the survivors and rebuilders, and the hope of finding a way to help.