I am a native Houstonian.  I live about 35 miles away from there now, which is close enough to go to ballgames and see my Houstonian grandbaby.

Houston is a liberal city, causing it to become the most diverse city in America.  You should come visit Houston for the food alone. If you can bear the weather, Houston just might be the best place in America to live. You know people have to love Houston to live where the season “Too Damn Hot” starts in April and ends in November. Contrary to what you’ve heard, we do have spring here.  This year it was on a Tuesday at the end of March.

So, when a rumor started on Facebook that a group called Antifa was going to insist on removing a statue of General Sam Houston because Houston was a slave-holder (he was), ears perked up. We may be liberal, but we love General Sam.  He is a fascinating character.

Fresh on the heels of removing confederate generals from New Orleans, the far right went nuts. They seemed to be completely unaware that Sam Houston was a liberal.  (More on that later.)

The rumor was untrue.  One Houston teevee station did a story about Antifa and their plans to commit sacrilege upon the statue of Sam Houston.  It should have know something was not quite right when they were unable to find anyone actually connected to the group.  The Houston Chronicle, on May 31st, also did a story (you might not be able to get it because it’s by subscription only).  Neither of them talked to anyone associated with the group … because it was a joke.

But, not to the far right gun nuts.  No siree, this was too good an opportunity.  They promptly scheduled a protest on the rumored day that Antifa was going to protest.

So, they show up armed to the hilt at a public park near the zoo, Rice University, the Museum of Natural Science, Theater Under the Stars, and an enormous city park on a Saturday when everybody is out with their children.  I have a few pictures.

 

 

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I do not know how Sam Houston felt about guns, but I do know that he fought bravely in the War of 1812 and he was the general who captured Santa Ana after the Battle of the Alamo and he’s kinda beloved for that.  So I kinda suspect he’d tell those weenies with weapons to go join the military.

But, I do know how Sam Houston felt about the confederacy.  He hated it.  General Sam was a congressman, the Governor of Tennessee, President of the Republic of Texas, and a senator from Texas.  When Texas joined the confederacy, General Sam opposed it strongly and resigned as Governor of Texas instead of joining the confederacy.  He wrote …

“I love Texas too well to bring civil strife and bloodshed upon her. To avert this calamity, I shall make no endeavor to maintain my authority as Chief Executive of this State, except by the peaceful exercise of my functions … ” He was evicted from his office on March 16, 1861, for refusing to take an oath of loyalty to the Confederacy.

So you jerks prancing around with the stars and bars shame Sam Houston.  I am dearly surprised that Sam didn’t climb down off his horse and whip the hell out of all of you. You know, like the yankees did your great grandfathers.

In Galveston on April 19, 1861 from a hotel window he told a crowd:

Let me tell you what is coming. After the sacrifice of countless millions of treasure and hundreds of thousands of lives, you may win Southern independence if God be not against you, but I doubt it. I tell you that, while I believe with you in the doctrine of states rights, the North is determined to preserve this Union. They are not a fiery, impulsive people as you are, for they live in colder climates. But when they begin to move in a given direction, they move with the steady momentum and perseverance of a mighty avalanche; and what I fear is, they will overwhelm the South.

Nobody wants to take down Sam’s statue you damn fools.  He gave up his beloved Texas trying to stay an American.

You ought to consider that.