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Jim Bob Moore's avatar

Thanks, Steve. I'll check it out.

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Mauri's avatar

What can one do, besides vote? Is anyone organizing protests? Are Texas women going on strike? Is the gerrymandering so bad that votes can’t bring change? It’s depressing how well-thought out that “vast right wing” conspiracy has been.

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Jim Bob Moore's avatar

The gerrymandering delivers almost absolute control. And then the state allows only one early voting drop box per county, which means Loving County with its 22 residents or whatever it is has the same number as the four million plus in Houston. There is a good group, Mothers Against Greg Abbott, but they've had limited success. Messaging always seems to be the problem on the left with Ds. Doing a better job of defining what they hate as what they like and want to effect. I know of no strikes. I sense a near overwhelming attitude of defeat.

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DeeceX's avatar

Echoing Jim Bob, I recommend your support for Mothers Against Greg Abbott (https://mothersagainstgregabbott.com). They combine grassroots mobilizing with effective communications — check out the ads they ran during the 2022 elections.

I also encourage you to support your local Planned Parenthood (https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-greater-texas). They provide more health care for low income women than anyone else, in spite of a decade-long attempt by the state to drive them out of business.

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cognomun's avatar

Once again, (if we are to actualize Lysistrata) women are leading the way for all our freedom. Supporting them and voting is a winning combination.

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Jim Bob Moore's avatar

Agree, and have been saying this for a long time.

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John S's avatar

"places that begin banning books end up banning people.". And it's not a great leap from banning to burning...Are we watching history repeat itself?

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Jim Bob Moore's avatar

I think, John, there's already a body of evidence we are watching history repeat itself, not just here, but in Israel and Gaza.

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Roger Burke's avatar

Apart from the excellent Chevy product placement in that movie, that Texas "road warrior" makes me carsick just sitting at the keyboard.

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Jim Bob Moore's avatar

Yeh, stunt driving has improved quite a bit, eh?

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Roger Burke's avatar

After watching the full Thunder Road again, I googled around and learned that the part of Robin, played by Robert Mitchum's son James Mitchum was apparently originally supposed to go to Elvis Presley. My wife's college roommate edited Foxfire Magazine chronicling Appalachin culture in Clayton County Georgia. Her husband Harry was a potter. We once had dinner at their house that they built themselves from scratch, eating the chicken and veggies they grew. The kicker at the end of the meal was Suzy informing, "Btw Harry also made the plates." The kicker to that was seeing Harry's pottery kiln in the side yard. Gave off enough heat the heat sensor in the revenuer's plane flying overhead had it raided twice, thinking it was a still. Never even thought of the home brew production in the hall closet.

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Jim Bob Moore's avatar

I thought one of the interesting things about Michum's son was that he was never able to establish his own acting career because he looked too much like his father. I was aware that they wanted Elvis for the part but the Colonel wanted as much money for Elvis as the budget for the entire film. That funny about the kiln and the closet home brew. You've got some stories to write, Rog. Get after it.

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Deb Sander's avatar

Mark Lee Dickson can drop the "son". Great column, Jim. But you know me, Jaime. I'm in it to win it, and as disheartening as it may be (and it is), I refuse to give in. To the ground...

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Jim Bob Moore's avatar

Or, as the poet said, my dear friend, "Rage, rage, against the dying of the light."

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