John,
This is long and has nothing to do with LBC's, so skip over it if
you wish. Now, I will have to join this fray. Flame the individual you are
feuding with, NOT our state. It's a mistake to stereotype ANY state. I've
lived in Texas all my life and have no plans to move elsewhere since my
family roots and its heritage run very deep here. However, I love to travel
all over the USA and enjoy experiencing many different cultures, climates,
and scenery. Georgia, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, New England, Idaho,
Ohio, Florida, and many other places I've visited are very beautiful and
there are nice people as well as jerks in all those places INCLUDING Texas.
But I am very proud of my Texas heritage and my ancestors that fought and
gave their lives in the war against Mexico for our independence (both at the
Alamo and San Jacinto). So I will assume that your editorial comment about
Texas and its "cultural backwater" can be ascribed to ignorance, not malice
since I'm sure that you didn't see the Texas that I see. Some people just
tend to look for things to criticize no matter where they are. Then there
are others who can find good things no matter where they are. I prefer to
try to stay in the latter category. Life's a lot more fun that way. Regards,
Greg
PS. Long story but may give non-Texans some perspective. Last week, I had
the opportunity to meet a couple of business colleagues of mine from Ohio in
San Antonio, Texas, for a professional conference. They wanted to see the
Alamo so I was proud to give them a tour. I showed them the approximate
position where my ancestor fell with a Mexican sword through him while he
and a handful of other Texans were desperately trying to defend a breach in
the outer wall after their ammo had run out on that last day. The position
is now well across the street and almost in a shopping mall since the outer
walls have long since been swallowed by the city. Then they saw the tiny
room in the Chapel where the women and children huddled waiting for the
final assault on the Chapel itself on the thirteenth day knowing their
husbands were already dead outside. They saw the powder room that a young
Texan desperately tried to set fire to to blow himself and the attacking
Mexicans up as they poured into the barracks on that final day. The powder
went out and they ran him through with a bayonet according to written
Mexican accounts. They looked into the room in the barrack, where according
to legend, Jim Bowie was killed as he lay on a stretcher with a pistol aimed
at the door waiting for the end. And finally, they read the famous letter
that Colonel Travis wrote as a final communication with the outside world as
more than five thousand Mexican troops converged outside the walls that
protected a tiny garrison of 189 Texans. In this letter, he asked for
reinforcements if any where available. Of course, none ever came. Nor did he
really expect them to. Because in the remainder of the letter, he told of
answering Santa Anna's demand for surrender with a cannon shot, which, in
their world was the equivalent of saying "stuff it, pal". He went on to
write that he and his men would never surrender and would delay Santa Anna's
massive army so long as one man remained alive with the Alamo. This was so
that General Houston could pull back and re-group his forces in order to
stand a chance. He promised that he would die fighting and that he would die
for Texas. And he thanked God and said goodbye. I looked over at one of the
two colleagues from Ohio and there was a tear running down her cheek. I
think she understood the sacrifice and also understood the fierce pride that
I felt. Every culture in the world, whether it's a nation or state (and
Texas has been both), has heroic stories that inspire pride. This is ours.
Sorry for the long ramble.
<you said>
Hey,
Your typically texan response is what made me "love" Texas so much when I
lived there. Glad you can inform others about your great state so they
don't have to waste 6 years in your cultural backwater like I did.
"Never ascribe to Malice that which can be explained by Ignorance."
John J. Peloquin, Assistant Research Entomologist
Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521
On Tue, 23 Feb 1999, ccrobins wrote:
>
> Hay John,
>
> Was that malice or ignorance that made you write that remark about
> Texas? Get stuffed, pal. ;^)
>
> Charley Robinson
> Kerrville, TX
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