You see his craven inhumanity manifest across Texas. Look to the border, where razor wire spins in the middle of the Rio Grande, killing people, and desperate parents try to climb up muddy banks toward armed men who have been wrongly convinced they are protecting the state. He spends billions on wire and walls and soldiers and guns but does nothing about a million children without healthcare. Not once has he ever mentioned the names of the soldiers who have died serving his political stunt known as Operation Lone Star. When the federal government offered a free summer lunch program for students from low-income families, he said no, without reason or rationale. A roomful of schoolchildren got torn to pieces by a madman’s gun and people were massacred at a department store in El Paso and he addressed it by eliminating all firearms regulations after promising to make meaningful changes.
I’m a fifth generation Texan and I had to break up with my beloved home state. On the car ride up to Olympia, I wept. I played every break up song I could find. It felt like giving up. I did 20 years in Texas politics- my patch was getting pro-choice women elected and training staff. I couldn’t do it anymore. It hurt too much. Once my step kids were grown, my Dad and Grandma passed away- there was nothing left to stay for. I selfishly wanted to live the remainder of my life in a place not quite so hot, mean, and stupid. I have survivors guilt, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the violence and indignity that millions of Texans suffer at the hands of white people in charge… same as it ever was. I hope the kids burn it down, and along the way learn to govern. The average dictatorship lasts for about 15 years. Surely, there’s an overdue reckoning around the corner? - but Pete and I couldn’t wait any longer. I pray for peace, but secretly hope for revenge. I’m not proud of that, but then again we’re dealing with folks who kick children in rivers and watch women die on concertina wire. So fuck them. I love the people, the landscape, the diversity, and the ridiculousness of my home state. I love the art and music. I love HEB… the only functioning statewide energency response we have. Texas has always been tough, but life is short. Get out while you can. Bring your old people and kids with you. America is so much better than the Lonestar State.
I took note of your departure, Genevieve. It's pretty depressing when people like you leave the state, but readily understandable. People keep coming here, though, in droves and I worry the infrastructure is falling apart and schools are facing existential threats but people like Abbott and Cruz keep getting reelected. I'm afraid the last line of your comment carries the encapsulated truth.
The descriptor "evil" being applied roused my interest. I tended to attach (a now discredited) genetic predisposition to the word, i.e., "the evil XYY." So I examined the etymology and found (condensed version): In Old English and other older Germanic languages other than Scandinavian, "this word is the most comprehensive adjectival expression of disapproval, dislike or disparagement" [OED]. Evil was the word the Anglo-Saxons used where we would use bad, cruel, unskillful, defective (adj.). In Middle English, bad took the wider range of senses and evil began to focus on moral badness. Both words have good as their opposite.
Also as a noun in Old English, "what is bad; sin, wickedness; anything that causes injury, morally or physically." Especially of a malady or disease from c. 1200. The meaning "extreme moral wickedness, conduct contrary to standards of morals or righteousness," was one of the senses of the Old English noun, but it did not become established as the main sense of the modern word until 18c. (And if I may add, perfected by the governor and his cronies.)
••••Thus informed, I find it most appropriate if not exigent in usage as applied herein.
The legacy of white supremacy,racism, misogyny and desire for power over others(money) feeds this digging in of the bootheels against all sense of common welfare and fairness. Greed is an ugly thing. Abbott and his ilk are rapaciously greedy. My people have been here for several generations and in my experience, of those generations my paternal great-grandmother was the most gracious and the least prejudicial of all. My oldest brother was striving to get there. What one passes on to their children matters. Education matters. I cannot believe there is a truly spiritual bone left in the bodies of diehard christian nationalists or those that align themselves with that movement. Vote them out.
After 66 years of my whole life here, beginning my voting life here, and only seeing things get worse every year since. After a while watching every presidential vote and since Ann Richards having no choice in my federal and state races for representation because they ran unopposed. I’d blame it on gerrymandering, and that plays a role no doubt to some degree, but that gets blown apart with statewide races when unapologetic, two faced, crowing “Christian” scapegoating scum get elect and reelected. It’s the people here!
I have friends who have moved to WA and CA that like me were born and spent most of their lives here, they tell me in every email that I discuss some TX legislative outrage or post of yours I forward to them, to leave!
I’ve threatened to quit voting after Trump won here TWICE, Beto lost against the loathed by even republicans (or whatever they are) Ted Cruz, and my congressional district was divided so that now my half of Denton (which was getting a little too progressive for comfort) now is in Ronny “Jack Daniels” Jackson’s district, Denton to AMARILLO, but I’ll trudge on until I too move. It is seriously in my future.
Excellent summary of why many Texans have accurately concluded that our governor has no conscience and a heart of stone- a little man at war with humanity.
To be fair, it would help if there was a real opposition party and something we used to call capitol press corpse. Both missing in action I’m afraid. For example: has any one demanded to actually see the so-called detailed review by the Board of Pardons and Paroles? And when did public officials get to decide whether or not to answer unscripted questions from the news media? Oh, right. No reporters available. WWWSD (What Would Wayne Slater Do—or the ever cynical Jim Bob?
Wayne and the ever cynical Jim Bob would do what we always did, which is to file FOIAs and if we didn't get them we'd ask for corporate lawyers at our media offices to get to work. Further, we'd stand outside in the sun or the dark by the governor's car until s/he came out to answer our questions. There are ways to get things done, even when they won't cooperate. I waited next to Gib Lewis' car one night till 2 in the morning to get him on camera answering questions he had been avoiding. But you are right, there is no real journalism left in the capitol and anyone who thinks the cautious Texas Tribune is the answer is sadly mistaken. They are afraid to write anything that might anger anyone associated with their donors.
Why do voters in Texas keep kissing the ring of one of the most absolutely evil men on the face of this earth? Do they ever think their votes for him speak to their own craven abdication of morality? Do they even care?
Someboy please point that croc in the Rio Grande to the whereabouts of the despicable governor of Texas.
No real answer, except to note the insane dumbing down that's gone on in public education since the 1980s. One of the keys to a vibrant democracy-- public education--has been subject to the wrath of the Right decade after decade and growing more and more extreme. Lots of dumbing down's been going on for generations. Just a thought.
His level of assholiness was confirmed when, after winning a substantial amount in a personal injury lawsuit, he supported "lawsuit reform" to make it more difficult for subsequently injured Texans to access the civil justice system. I thought that nothing he would do after that would diminish my opinion of him.
This sums up the coward Abbott and all of his “Christian” voters attitudes. It makes me sick to live here! It’s an open for business, Baptist, fundamentalist, don’t give a damn about the environment, or people, sh*# hole!
I’m a fifth generation Texan and I had to break up with my beloved home state. On the car ride up to Olympia, I wept. I played every break up song I could find. It felt like giving up. I did 20 years in Texas politics- my patch was getting pro-choice women elected and training staff. I couldn’t do it anymore. It hurt too much. Once my step kids were grown, my Dad and Grandma passed away- there was nothing left to stay for. I selfishly wanted to live the remainder of my life in a place not quite so hot, mean, and stupid. I have survivors guilt, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the violence and indignity that millions of Texans suffer at the hands of white people in charge… same as it ever was. I hope the kids burn it down, and along the way learn to govern. The average dictatorship lasts for about 15 years. Surely, there’s an overdue reckoning around the corner? - but Pete and I couldn’t wait any longer. I pray for peace, but secretly hope for revenge. I’m not proud of that, but then again we’re dealing with folks who kick children in rivers and watch women die on concertina wire. So fuck them. I love the people, the landscape, the diversity, and the ridiculousness of my home state. I love the art and music. I love HEB… the only functioning statewide energency response we have. Texas has always been tough, but life is short. Get out while you can. Bring your old people and kids with you. America is so much better than the Lonestar State.
I took note of your departure, Genevieve. It's pretty depressing when people like you leave the state, but readily understandable. People keep coming here, though, in droves and I worry the infrastructure is falling apart and schools are facing existential threats but people like Abbott and Cruz keep getting reelected. I'm afraid the last line of your comment carries the encapsulated truth.
Both Genevieve's comment and your reply are almost too true to bear but I feel more human for having read them. Thank you both.
The descriptor "evil" being applied roused my interest. I tended to attach (a now discredited) genetic predisposition to the word, i.e., "the evil XYY." So I examined the etymology and found (condensed version): In Old English and other older Germanic languages other than Scandinavian, "this word is the most comprehensive adjectival expression of disapproval, dislike or disparagement" [OED]. Evil was the word the Anglo-Saxons used where we would use bad, cruel, unskillful, defective (adj.). In Middle English, bad took the wider range of senses and evil began to focus on moral badness. Both words have good as their opposite.
Also as a noun in Old English, "what is bad; sin, wickedness; anything that causes injury, morally or physically." Especially of a malady or disease from c. 1200. The meaning "extreme moral wickedness, conduct contrary to standards of morals or righteousness," was one of the senses of the Old English noun, but it did not become established as the main sense of the modern word until 18c. (And if I may add, perfected by the governor and his cronies.)
••••Thus informed, I find it most appropriate if not exigent in usage as applied herein.
The legacy of white supremacy,racism, misogyny and desire for power over others(money) feeds this digging in of the bootheels against all sense of common welfare and fairness. Greed is an ugly thing. Abbott and his ilk are rapaciously greedy. My people have been here for several generations and in my experience, of those generations my paternal great-grandmother was the most gracious and the least prejudicial of all. My oldest brother was striving to get there. What one passes on to their children matters. Education matters. I cannot believe there is a truly spiritual bone left in the bodies of diehard christian nationalists or those that align themselves with that movement. Vote them out.
After 66 years of my whole life here, beginning my voting life here, and only seeing things get worse every year since. After a while watching every presidential vote and since Ann Richards having no choice in my federal and state races for representation because they ran unopposed. I’d blame it on gerrymandering, and that plays a role no doubt to some degree, but that gets blown apart with statewide races when unapologetic, two faced, crowing “Christian” scapegoating scum get elect and reelected. It’s the people here!
I have friends who have moved to WA and CA that like me were born and spent most of their lives here, they tell me in every email that I discuss some TX legislative outrage or post of yours I forward to them, to leave!
I’ve threatened to quit voting after Trump won here TWICE, Beto lost against the loathed by even republicans (or whatever they are) Ted Cruz, and my congressional district was divided so that now my half of Denton (which was getting a little too progressive for comfort) now is in Ronny “Jack Daniels” Jackson’s district, Denton to AMARILLO, but I’ll trudge on until I too move. It is seriously in my future.
Excellent summary of why many Texans have accurately concluded that our governor has no conscience and a heart of stone- a little man at war with humanity.
And yet, we keep electing him. What does that say about Texas?
Not only do we keep electing him, we elect his sycophants who enable his horrid behavior. And we both know what that says about Texas.
To be fair, it would help if there was a real opposition party and something we used to call capitol press corpse. Both missing in action I’m afraid. For example: has any one demanded to actually see the so-called detailed review by the Board of Pardons and Paroles? And when did public officials get to decide whether or not to answer unscripted questions from the news media? Oh, right. No reporters available. WWWSD (What Would Wayne Slater Do—or the ever cynical Jim Bob?
Wayne and the ever cynical Jim Bob would do what we always did, which is to file FOIAs and if we didn't get them we'd ask for corporate lawyers at our media offices to get to work. Further, we'd stand outside in the sun or the dark by the governor's car until s/he came out to answer our questions. There are ways to get things done, even when they won't cooperate. I waited next to Gib Lewis' car one night till 2 in the morning to get him on camera answering questions he had been avoiding. But you are right, there is no real journalism left in the capitol and anyone who thinks the cautious Texas Tribune is the answer is sadly mistaken. They are afraid to write anything that might anger anyone associated with their donors.
And the Tribune is the best we’ve got.
Why do voters in Texas keep kissing the ring of one of the most absolutely evil men on the face of this earth? Do they ever think their votes for him speak to their own craven abdication of morality? Do they even care?
Someboy please point that croc in the Rio Grande to the whereabouts of the despicable governor of Texas.
Wish I knew the answer to the important question, Kay, but I don't. There is more than enough evidence to prove he needs to be tossed out office.
No real answer, except to note the insane dumbing down that's gone on in public education since the 1980s. One of the keys to a vibrant democracy-- public education--has been subject to the wrath of the Right decade after decade and growing more and more extreme. Lots of dumbing down's been going on for generations. Just a thought.
Dead on, Jim. Literally.
Thanks, Rog. Greatly appreciated, as always.
Can’t really give anyone a pass who voted for the likes of Abbott, Cancun Cruz, or Paxton. By now, everyone knows who they are.
His level of assholiness was confirmed when, after winning a substantial amount in a personal injury lawsuit, he supported "lawsuit reform" to make it more difficult for subsequently injured Texans to access the civil justice system. I thought that nothing he would do after that would diminish my opinion of him.
I was wrong.
This sums up the coward Abbott and all of his “Christian” voters attitudes. It makes me sick to live here! It’s an open for business, Baptist, fundamentalist, don’t give a damn about the environment, or people, sh*# hole!
I understand, Mike. I think lots of people feel like us and, unfortunately, many of them are leaving in frustration.