So Long, Aggies

I love college football. I especially love rivalry games. In the 118^th game of the greatest rivalry in college football, on Thanksgiving Day 2011, Texas just beat Texas A&M 27-25 thanks to a last-second field goal by Justin Tucker.

“Final score” means so much more tonight than it does on any other night. With the Aggies’ departure to the Southeastern Conference, this is truly a final score. And that saddens me. These Aggies will not have an opportunity to avenge this defeat and these Longhorns will not have the chance to defend it.

The Texas tradition of Longhorns vs Aggies on Thanksgiving comes to an end because of money. Greed. Ego. Neither the men on the field nor the fans in the stands have any say in what is happening to our beloved rivalry.  Football in the great state of Texas will never be the same, thanks to the bigwigs with money on their minds.

Tradition. A&M is steeped in tradition. Texas is steeped in tradition. The fight songs of both schools are intertwined:

“Texas Fight! Texas Fight! And it’s goodbye to A&M”

“Goodbye to Texas University; so long to the orange and the white…”

I bet neither writer had any idea just how prophetic his lyrics would become.

We Can Do Better

I read on CNN this morning that the so-called Super Committee is preparing We the People for an announcement of failure. I'm not surprised. Like most of the happy ideas that emanate from Washington DC, the concept of putting 6 rhinos and 6 dinos into a sequestered room and asking them to find what amounts to a raindrop’s worth of savings is disgusting on one hand and motivating on the other.

It is disgusting because our government should not operate that way. Closed-door sessions mean that We the People hear only what the committee members want us to hear. We will never know the true content or context of their discussions. We will be overcome with disgust when they announce their inevitable failure, for nobody will take ownership of the outcome. It will be the fault of those taxaholic dinos or those taxaphobic rhinos. It won’t be “my” fault. “I” came fully prepared to reach a solution. Yeah, right. By the way, you can pick up your generous government paycheck as you exit the building. Thanks for nothing.

That said, I find this whole silly affair very motivating. How much more evidence do we need before We the People overhaul our government? For how much longer are we willing to pay these career politicians to laugh at us as they bank their generous government paychecks? This whole disgusting affair that we call government should motivate every one of us to action. Don't rely on the kool-aid force fed by your favorite pundits on so-called network and cable "news" channels. Their kool-aid supports their respective agendas and drives ratings; it offers no substance. Read and fact check everything the talking heads try to feed you. Read the position statements of every candidate for every office you will vote for. Get involved locally and participate in public forums at which the opportunity to meet local candidates is available. Thanks to the rhinos and dinos in government today, I am a much more informed citizen then ever before and most of them will not like my vote come election day.

People, don’t let them take us down. Read. Learn. Act. Start local and work from there. Last time I checked, this country still belongs to We the People. It’s time we showed some interest.

My Experience at Mini-School

Last night I had the privilege of participating in “mini-school” at Keller High School. During mini-school we parents follow the schedule of our child, spending 9 minutes in each class to get to know the teacher a bit and see what they will be studying. As I left the school my spirit was soaring.

You see, I sometimes lament the fact that the schools in my corner of suburban Fort Worth are rather large. I am concerned sometimes that my children could be lost in the crowd – merely a number being pushed through a system to make room for the numbers coming up behind them. Last night those concerns were eased. Yes, the school is large, but I found my way around rather easily. More important than that, I realized very quickly that my daughter is blessed with teachers who are kind, knowledgeable, and completely engaged. Even in the face of over-regulation, strained budgets, and larger classes each of these teachers conveyed genuine excitement and enthusiasm for the year ahead. I was also struck by the complexity of all she will be learning this year, and I am more determined than ever to do what I can to help her succeed.

As I write I realize I am not writing about my daughter's teachers. I am writing about most teachers. My wife is a teacher, so I see daily the hard work and dedication that she invests because she wants her students to succeed. I picture each of my daughter’s teachers doing the same, and I am both grateful and thankful. My children will succeed this year. They will succeed, not because of the bureaucrats in the Department of Education or the “No Child Left Behind” act, but because they have teachers who know their stuff and care about their students and we, their parents, are involved.

Why I am Moved to Action

Our federal government has evolved from a government “of the people, by the people, for the people” to a government “of the Elitists, by the Elitists, for the Elitists”. Barack Hussein Obama currently serves as Chief Elitist, but former Chief Elitists include politicians from both mainstream political parties. Elitists profess political views from one extreme to the other and all points in between. Many have never worked in private enterprise, preferring instead to sponge off the People by working in government. Perhaps to satisfy a guilty conscience, career Elitists often refer to their time in government as “service to their country.” The Elitists have awarded themselves handsomely in exchange for their “service”, including generous pay and benefits. Their ranks include liberal Democrats, conservative Republicans, and so-called Independents of various stripes. In the eyes of the Elitists, “We the People” exist to serve them. In the eyes of the Elitists we are their Serfs.

Elitists have established their status quo, which they furiously guard and protect. They have enlisted the Media as their Minions. The Media Minions tout the Elitist message. They filter and twist the news and information that “We the People” see thereby seeking to keep the Serfs ignorant of the real priorities, goals, agendas and actions of the Elitists. What motivates the Minions? Besides the fact that many of them are paid lots of money, it seems that they actually believe that they, too, are Elitists. By talking down to the Serfs whom they generally regard as stupid and uninformed, the Minions seek to elevate themselves to Elitist status. But they will never really be Elitists; they will always be the Elitists’ tools. The Elitists will see to that.

By continuing to reelect career Elitists to office, “We the People” have assumed the role of Serf; we were not taken by force. The Elitists, via their Minions, tell the Serfs what they should think, what they should do, what personal values they should keep and what personal values they should abandon. Serfs labor for the benefit of the Elitists, who forcibly confiscate Serf money and apply it to their pet causes and projects often with complete disregard for what the Serfs might think of it. Serfs sit at the feet of the Minions, eagerly soaking up their Elitist message. Why should Serfs read the Constitution, listen to a speech, study history, or assert any effort at all to form their own understanding of what the Elitists are up to? The Minions are here to inform and educate us! Why, if CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, ABC, CBS, NBC and the rest broadcast it, it must be true! If the NY Times, Washington Post, Newsweek, Time and the rest print it, it must be true! If the talking heads on radio say it, it must be true! Should the Serfs ignore or disregard the Minions? Of course not – but to be truly informed to the point of eradicating the Elitist – Minion – Serf hierarchy, Serfs must take the time and make the effort to listen with their own ears, think with their own minds, craft informed positions, and work tirelessly in support of those positions.

To the Elitists in government I may be just a Serf, but I have a few ideas that I believe will truly change our nation for the better and create a legacy that we can be proud to pass to our children and future generations. I will address them in detail in upcoming essays, but here they are in general terms:

• We the People must reject the Serf role and, instead, take seriously our role as citizens by becoming informed and actively participating in all levels of government;
• We must reject the hateful and harmful discourse that is prevalent in our society and replace it with civil discussion;
• We must reform the role and scope of government under the authority of the United States Constitution;
• We must change the status quo by eliminating the Elitists’ reign in government;
• We must replace current tax codes.

These are only ideas. I will expand on them in future essays, and as the political landscape changes I may just add a few. Until then, I welcome civil commentary and discussion from any of my fellow Americans who happen upon my little corner of the web. Let’s take our country back!

The Texas Drought of 2011

As I look at Lake Tyler through the windows of our lake house, the impact of the 2011 drought is astounding. The lake is at least 6 feet low by my estimate. The channel coming up into our yard is dry and grass has taken root. Saturday afternoons usually feature the sounds of people on the water - today it is very quiet. We pulled our boat out of the lake two weeks ago as we were afraid it would be stranded -  suspended over dry lakebed until the lake recovers.

But the drought's impact goes far beyond the lake level. Trees are stressed and dying. Yards are dried up. Air conditioners are breaking down and electric bills are hitting record levels for many of us. Texas agriculture has lost $5.2 Billion so far according to news reports I read yesterday.

I stopped by Brookshire's in Whitehouse TX this morning and everybody was talking excitedly about the rain that fell in the area yesterday. They were describing where they were, what it looked like, how it felt and how it refreshed their yards just a little bit. And that got me to thinking. How often have I complained about a rainy day interrupting my well-devised plans? Or about the boats speeding to and fro with music blaring? Or about the work involved in having to maintain two yards? Right now I would give anything to have these so-called "problems". If there is a silver lining for me in this drought, it is in the reminder that God is good and I should be thankful at all times under all circumstances. The drought will end and the lake will recover - and God will reign forever.