Author Topic: Texas (Read 1641 times)

Trinity · « **on:** October 18, 2007, 08:32:40 AM »

I've been reading James Michener's book by that name and it has been an eye opener. I know there are Texians on this board and I have lived there for a grand total of 8 months. The place is too rich for my blood. But reading the book I gained some impressions of Texas.

From the start it seemed like there were more scalawags per square mile in Texas than any other place this side of hell. Even the heroes weren't particularly heroic. Their chief indian foes, Karankawa, Apache and Cherokee, appear to have been the most savage of savages, and many of the white men fought fire with fire. In fine, they became as savage as the savages.

Texas was lost to the Church in part because the priests and bishops refused to go there and in part because the Protestants deliberately infiltrated it. There were, of course, a few wandering priests, and Spanish law demanded that people be Catholic to get land, but that became nothing but a farce played out to get their "league and a labor". It surprised me to learn that for ten years Texas was its own country, quite independent of Mexico or the US. I gather that it doesn't surprise Texians though, as they still have the "go to hell" attitude of a country which never truly gave up that independence. It is the only state which dictated the terms of its inclusion in the states.

Texians think different from the rest of us in other ways, as well, perhaps because of the centuries of double standards they employed towards Indians, Mexicans and Blacks. Winning an argument by the simple expedient of shooting your opponent wasn't unheard of, nor even considered worthy of much note. Cleaning up the town by shooting those engaged in immoral activity was also found salubrious. One town even found a way to make immorality do double duty, by arresting the prostitutes one night and auctioning them off to pay their fines in the morning.

Under the circuмstances, I don't think we should be surprised that Texas produced such prime subjects as LBJ who used gov't funds, employees and equipment to renovate his ranch. Or the Bush family dynasty ranking among the world's elite in chicanery and slaughter. I have barely touched the surface here and I'm betting the rest of you can add to this many fold.

Correction: That is Comanche, not Cherokee. The Comanche chased the Apache off.

ldybraveheart · « **Reply #1 on:** October 18, 2007, 08:50:06 AM »

ldybraveheart · « **Reply #2 on:** October 18, 2007, 08:51:15 AM »

I have heard of him before, but haven't read the book.

Trinity · « **Reply #3 on:** October 18, 2007, 09:24:44 AM »

It's a BIIIIIIIIG book. 1096 pages

MaterDominici · « **Reply #4 on:** October 18, 2007, 10:49:16 AM »

Yes, Texas has been under six flags--Spain, France, Mexico, REPUBLIC OF TEXAS, Confederacy, and USA. When Texas joined the US, they retained the ability to secede at any point in the future and return to being an independent nation.

Trinity · « **Reply #5 on:** October 18, 2007, 11:14:11 AM »

My point was LBJ and the Bush family. Somehow, even in telling the story replete with blackguards, Michener manages to evince pride. In truth, Texas was THE wild, wild west, survival of the fittest. Civilization came late and never totally conquered the barbaric past as far as I can tell. Of course there were good and decent citizens---entire settlements of them. The real heroes, though, tended to be women. (One has to keep in mind that this is an historical NOVEL, so the day to day characters were probably fictitious.) But it would be foolish to think that Texas was settled by pacifists or that the attitudes and methods of the early settlers didn't color the attitudes and methods of todays Texians.

Interesting to note that buying votes from south of the border started around 1900. So today's open borders and voting scandals is a time honored tradition. Spain forbade the importation of slaves, so the incoming slave holders simply made their slaves indentured servants. To quote the book:

Each of the Templeton slaves stepped forward and bound himself or herself for this term of ninety-nine years, the period settled upon decades earlier when a Mississippi judge handed down the opinion that if an indenture ran for more than that period it would be unreasonable. pg 312

Seems to me ninety-nine years is unreasonable.

Happywife · « **Reply #6 on:** October 18, 2007, 12:55:05 PM »

Quote from: Trinity

The place is too rich for my blood.

Where in TX were you living????

Miss_Fluffy · « **Reply #7 on:** October 18, 2007, 01:53:09 PM »

I don't know about LBJ... but the Bush family isn't really from here. They just pretend to be. :good-shot:

Trinity · « **Reply #8 on:** October 18, 2007, 01:54:28 PM »

Killeen.

Matthew · « **Reply #9 on:** October 18, 2007, 01:56:55 PM »

Isn't Killeen one of the cheapest housing markets in the country right now?

I could be wrong.

Matthew

Happywife · « **Reply #10 on:** October 18, 2007, 02:09:34 PM »

I guess now I'm interested to see where you live now?Maybe I should go buy some land out there...LOL

Miss_Fluffy · « **Reply #11 on:** October 18, 2007, 02:10:21 PM »

Killeen is very military. It's not representative of Texas in the least bit.

I'd recommend a locale such as Llano, La Grange, or perhaps one of those east TX small towns like Woodville to get a good idea of what Texas is about.

Trinity · « **Reply #12 on:** October 18, 2007, 02:30:39 PM »

I doubt it is the cheapest, Chant. Bush is pouring soldiers in there and many of their families stay there while they are overseas, so there is a housing shortage. Also all the good jobs go to military families. Minimum wage jobs just can't compete.

If the Bush family isn't from Texas, they sure fit right into the voter scam tradition on the border. And the tradition of handling your problems with a gun.

I haven't been to eastern TX, but I noticed western TX is very pretty---my kind of country. As for where we live now, it's KS, Toto. At present we live in a town so small.... Well, it has a post office and a train that runs through it a block from everyone. We rent a three bedroom house for $150 a month.

MaterDominici · « **Reply #13 on:** October 18, 2007, 02:45:09 PM »

Quote from: Trinity

We rent a three bedroom house for $150 a month.

WOW! :shocked: THAT'S CHEAP!

Kephapaulos · « **Reply #14 on:** October 18, 2007, 04:06:13 PM »

It is sad that Texas became a special prize of the Masons, but let us remember Catholic Texas when it was under the rule of Catholic Spain. Sure, there may have not been as many people there as other parts of the Spanish Empire, but I bet there was a higher percentage of God-fearing people in the region in the days of the Spanish Empire's rule over it as compared to now.