General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhen I was in Texas thirty years ago, people there rightly called it "God's Country"
Back then, it wasn't hard to see why. The state never did become my cup of tea, but it wasn't from any lack of effort. I had good times and bad times both. I experienced the state's natural beauty, in spite of the heat and the fire ants.
Although I never wanted to go back, there were some things and people I missed about it. But leaving there I thought, in a lot of ways, they've got a good thing going in Texas.
Today, from my remote view, I've become appalled at what Texas has become. Years of drought, oil and gas exploration and regressive GOP poiltics have taken a heavy toll on that state. God's Country is fast becoming a godforsaken wasteland. Pollution, decay, despair and more hold sway.
Texans seem more intent on turning to divine intervention to solve these problems than collective human action. I don't know why that's the case. Of course, I'm not there, I could be wrong.
Hopefully, the election of Wendy Davis will put some much needed spark back into the Lone Star State and folks will follow her lead.
There's a long Way to go to get back what was lost.
I wish everyone there the best I of luck.
ananda
(28,780 posts)Why he's getting any votes is beyond me.
Gothmog
(143,998 posts)Texas is a hard state to poll. At one point, the polls had Kesha Rogers (the Larouchie) winning or leading in the senate primary race. I have a good feeling that the race is closer than the current polls show
demigoddess
(6,640 posts)40 years ago, and it was run by democrats, all over the place. It was a nice place to live. We had an integrated neighborhood and services for handicapped kids.
Jim Beard
(2,535 posts)and live near Amarillo & Lubbock. While we had Democrats then, they were CONSERVATIVE Democrats. George Mahon served my district for years and was Chair of Appropriations Committee. He didn't for a single piece of fellow Texan, Lyndon Johnson's Great Society programs. They were Democrats when it came to passing our farm Subsidies but not "Title 9".
demigoddess
(6,640 posts)and I didn't hear word one about Roe V wade. There was no screaming about gay people and we had a statewide program to help the mentally ill and mentally retarded. You should hear what they did to help my daughter and never asked for a red cent!
hobbit709
(41,694 posts)dem in texas
(2,672 posts)Don't lump all Texas into a group of tea party bigots. Remember that the Republican primary that had big tea party winners had a very small voter turn out. The large urban areas, which involves about 10 or 12 counties and is where most of the population of Texas lives, is heavily Democratic. The fact the Republicans gained control of both legislative houses led to the redistricting that put the rural Republican counties in control. And Texas has many, many small counties. The republican control may go on for a while longer, but the demographics can't be turned back forever. I hope to see Texas go blue in my lifetime. Texas has some great Democratic politicians right now, Wendy, Leticia and the Castro Twins just to name a few.
Downwinder
(12,869 posts)I would rent Texas and live in Hell
U.S. General Philip Henry Sheridan in 1866.
walkingman
(7,505 posts)Texan and growing up we were all proud to be Texans. This all changed when the extreme right wing of the Republican party smeared and systematically destroyed anyone and everyone in their way. Then it got even worse with the Tea Party folks which brought out the "worst of the worst" in terms of political and social justice.
Now after GWB and Rick Perry being in charge since 1995, the entire state is smothered with like-minded people at all levels of state government. They do not give a crap about the citizens of Texas but rather are all in bed with business interests - claiming that "what is good for bidness is good for citizens".
Texas is sinking like a rock in terms of leadership and crazies and I doubt that things will improve anytime soon. This place was really a wonderful place to live before these folks took over.
Gothmog
(143,998 posts)I really think that Leticia van de Putte has a good chance against that racist idiot Dan Patrick. I also think that Wendy has a good chance in part because Greg is a weak candidate and a poor public speaker.
There are a number of DUers working to turn Texas blue. It is only a matter of time.
mountain grammy
(26,568 posts)I too have good and bad memories, but have never been sorry about moving to Colorado, which was majority Republican 30 years ago. Reagan and HW won the state in 84 and 88. Colorado is finally blue, but just barely.
My husband was born in Texas and raised in southwestern (might as well be Texas) NM. His family lives in Texas, so we spend time there. ugh, they're nuts (his family.)
Stallion
(6,473 posts)Lloyd Bentsen, Ann Richards, Mark White and before that LBJ who created the Great Society. no Republican held state wide office in Texas for 100 years before the mid 1970s
mountain grammy
(26,568 posts)Aristus
(66,075 posts)Once upon a time, that used to be a proud thing to say. Not anymore.
I'm a Washingtonian to the bone, now. I haven't even been back to Texas in 7 years. No plans to ever again, the way things are now.
If it turns blue and stays blue, I'll take a trip down there to see if things have improved.
There's no other state quite so in love with the mish-mash of legend, myth, lies, exaggeration, and wish-fulfillment Texans call their history.
angstlessk
(11,862 posts)The town had a blinking light at the main street..the only street. It STILL had wooden sidewalks in front of the block of stores in "Town", and instead of parallel parking, one just pulled up, head first, to said wooden sidewalk.
There was one bar in the town and had only a few folks drinking during the week, but on Saturday night the backroom was opened up and everyone in town, and a few from other towns, I recon, would gather together.....WHOLE FAMILIES from the babies to the grand parents would go a dancing!!!!!!!!!!! It was a wonderful sight to see, mommas dancing with babies, old folks dancing...and they were ALL doing the same dance...either the Texas two step or or a line dance they called 'bull shit'.
One day there was a torrential rain storm and after the rain stopped we went into a ditch and collected craw fish...enough to feed 5 people, and they are little critters.
It was quite an education for me, one I enjoyed greatly...this was about 30 years ago, but still vivid in my mind.
SCUBANOW
(92 posts)What you described I saw last weekend, good times.
SCUBANOW
(92 posts)"Today, from my remote view, I've become appalled at what Texas has become. Years of drought, oil and gas exploration and regressive GOP politics have taken a heavy toll on that state. God's Country is fast becoming a godforsaken wasteland. Pollution, decay, despair and more hold sway."
I was born and raised in Texas. I love it, don't always agree with everything that is happening, but I do love my state. I have lived in several states over my years. I have enjoyed several, some not so much. But Texas is home. I can not agree with your statement I quoted above. Texas is not a godforsaken wasteland. Gas and oil exploration may be a bad word to some, here it is jobs and lots of jobs. People will always see what they want to see, good or bad.
Jim Beard
(2,535 posts)They run their irrigation wells year round compared to the traditional one crop a year Dairies. A lot of those jobs need to go somewhere else. They are pumping our underground aquifer dry at an alarming rate.
Aristus
(66,075 posts)to the detriment of other people and the environment, that's a bad thing. But when the captains of industry do it, it's a good thing?