Texas is Dead
Texas is Dead
By Bob Ecker, June 24, 2022
What happened to Texas? Where did the myth of the “macho” Texas man go, instead replaced by the incredible cowards who left 19 children and two teachers to be butchered while they fecklessly waited in the Uvalde, Texas’ Robb Elementary School hallway? Where is that legacy of Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett, William Travis and other brave Texans? What has become of legacy of the Alamo? Where are those fabled Texas Rangers? Even the myth of strong, rugged cowboys? Instead, we have sadly seen that Texas law enforcement officers, armed with plenty of weapons, ballistic shields, a Halligan battering ram and almost a score of armed “public servants” did nothing while children were murdered within earshot. These men were cowards. They let those innocent little girls and boys, plus their teachers die to save their own skins. They were frightened - a perfectly normal reaction but without a shred of heroism, needed urgently at the time. Over an hour had passed from the first deadly shot until Border Patrol tactical unit burst in to the classroom and killed the shooter. Think about that, over an hour! What were they thinking? Or hearing? The poor, guiltless dead, the brutally injured and their grieving relatives have agonized tremendously at the cowardice and confusion demonstrated by law enforcement non-actions that dreadful day. And then, to make matters even worse, the Uvalde schools police chief, Pete Arredondo, actually lied about it. Obfuscated and refused to speak with the press, or cooperate with investigators.
Compare that behavior to the brave men and women police and firefighters who stormed inside the burning Workl Trade Center buildings, in the midst of utter chaos on September 11th, 2001. The “New Yorkers,” involved, ostensibly “liberal” and “soft,” exhibited heroism on a tragic grand scale. More than 400 men and woman, mostly fire fighters gave their lives trying to save others.
Texas leads the United States possessing some 588,696 guns according to a recent Pew Research Center analysis. Texans fetishize firearms like no other group and Lone Star politicians like Ted Cruz. Greg Abbott and Louie Gohmert prostrate themselves before NRA dollars. Yet when those beloved guns were actually needed in Uvalde, law enforcement was MIA. No wonder that many in this nation dislike or fear the cops. These same police who often show no compunction at breaking down citizens doors with “no knock” warrants and come in firing, particularly against people of color, but when one eighteen-year-old maniac with a gun, threatens and kills children - they sit on their thumbs.
That awful day in Uvalde has shown that Texas lawmen truly “have no clothes.” This incident has set back law enforcement a hundred years. Texas and our entire country weeps and burns.
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C. Bob Ecker 2022
Bob Ecker is a Northern California based writer