Does politics have a place in tragedy?

That depends on the tragedy. Politics was integral to Charlottesville. It has no place in Hurricane Harvey, still devastating southern Texas, particularly Houston, our nation’s fourth largest city. What’s needed there are prayers, money and assistance. There will be time for squabbles about climate change and government performance later.

What’s not needed is a presidential visit as the storm still rages. But then, you sense that President Donald J. Trump hates to be upstaged, even by Mother Nature. So he has to interject himself into the storm when he isn’t slipping something under the radar.

Like a presidential pardon. As Harvey barreled into Texas, Trump was busy pardoning former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, held in contempt of court for his racial profiling of Latinos. This is a man who would harass people for no other reason than they looked Hispanic, who made inmates live in a Tent City in 100-plus degrees and wear pink underwear (less desirable to steal, supposedly), who claimed not to have the manpower to investigate for sex crimes. There’s a difference between being a law-and-order person and being downright mean.

What’s fascinating – and not surprising – is that these extreme law-and-order types don’t think the law applies to them. They have no trouble thumbing their noses at the Constitution and judges, no trouble turning away from female crime victims, no trouble humiliating inmates. It’s all about their egos. (Trump’s and Arpaio’s damaged ones bonded over the erroneous notion that President Barack Obama was born in Kenya. Guess they have trouble with dark-complexion men.

Now Arpaio has his presidential pardon, a prelude to the pardons that will rain down after Russkie-gate. But issuing and accepting a pardon are not the same as being guiltless.

You don’t pardon the innocent.