In my last blog, I talked about how Thomas Mann, German writer and philanthropist, wrote that “Everything is politics.” I provided some context, because any quote without context is by nature misleading. Mann wrote this during the interwar period in his home country, after WWI and before the rise of Hitler. Instability and extremism defined the political landscape of Germany at this time. So maybe, for Mann, every part of his life really did feel political. I agree that all things have political repercussions. However, in times of tragedy, politics should be set aside and replaced with profound respect for the dignity of victims, and thoughtful efforts to promote restoration in the future.

The LA fires

Take the fires that raged throughout LA in January. Nearly 30 people lost their lives, and thousands of acres and homes were burned. 31 others are still missing, and it is estimated that over 150,000 individuals were displaced. Almost everyone at my school knows someone who lost their home, including myself. The scale of devestation was shocking, and it was hard to believe such a tragedy could occur so close to home.

Like in the aftermath of the DC plane crash, public figures immediately looked for someone to blame. The LA fire chief was removed and the mayor was blamed for using her as a scapegoat. Arguments about IDs for aid and FEMA’s effectiveness arose, all while people were being forced to leave their homes to burn en masse.

What gives?

So while everything has political significance, and while it’s natural to want some answers as to who might have created the issues that arise, some things should transcend petty political arguments. Sometimes, when your home and belongings are gone, when your neighbor remains missing even after the fires have been put out, and when you’re not sure whether you’ll be able to return to your now-ruined property, someone needs to come through, be the bigger person, and set the search for slip-ups by their political opponents aside.

I was glad to see that in the wake of the fires, Newsom and Trump for the most part set aside their own personal disagreements and worked to support the victims of the fire and come to a solution that prevented such a tragedy from happening again.