Care for your garden -- but care for people, too

It's unclear which country she was talking about.

And when genealogist Jennifer Mendelsohn looked up Lahren's German and Norwegian ancestors and found they were not exactly Ivy League graduates who spoke the King's English and came over on the Mayflower, suddenly it was Lahren who was offended. She accused Mendelsohn of trying to play "gotcha."

All those are examples of manners going out the window. But I want to talk about how people treat gardeners and landscapers -- most of whom these days are Latino immigrants.

Recently, on a social-media forum for people who live in my neighborhood, a woman posted an angry screed against "self-designated gardeners" who are just "mow and blow guys with limited English." She said one of these impersonators had "destroyed" a $1,000 plant, the care for which she had entrusted to someone making just $20 per hour. The woman found support from the mob, with one person after another expressing hope that she found a "real gardener."

I know what you're thinking, and I thought it, too. If this woman wants a "real gardener," she should be willing to pay more. Or she could -- gasp -- tend to her own yard.

Another woman, who claimed to be a "horticulturist from the East Coast," offered her services -- but only as a "consultant" and presumably for much more than $20 per hour.

But the Humanitarian of the Year award goes to the lovely gentleman who suggested the woman go to the authorities. "Please report this to the police or ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement]," he posted. "There are some illegals hanging, looking for homes to robb [sic] acting as landscapers."

We used to worry about criminals and drug traffickers. But now, you're a "bad hombre" if a plant in your care perishes.

I said that we should all aspire to be better people. Surely, we can be better than this.

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Ruben Navarrette's email address is ruben@rubennavarrette.com. His daily podcast, "Navarrette Nation," is available through every podcast app.