Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Why Americans Love America and Why Texans Love Texas

archer2371 · 04-12-2004, 10:17 AM

I wrote this last night after seeing The Alamo and it is just a summation of how I feel about my Home Country and my Home State, and how I think, a great deal of my fellow citizens feel as well. I hope you guys enjoy.

Quote:

Why Americans Love America
and
Why Texans Love Texas
By Tyler K. Campbell
Humble Texan

It has occurred to me after seeing The Alamo, starring Dennis Quaid and Billy Bob Thornton, that America, is a very special place in the world. This is one of the more obvious of statements because as Americans, we are guaranteed inalienable rights. Yet, how we came to be as a nation is even more special. No other nation had to fight for the very existence of itself. Sure, others had to stave off invasion or accept oppression, and there were various revolutions in Latin America, South America, and the Caribbean, but for the most part, they have not enjoyed the stability that resides in America today. No other nation had to stave off a mercantilist system that denied them a say in what taxes were levied and how they were governed. This lead to a desire for representation in British Parliament and eventually, seeing that representation was not going to be given, revolution was discussed and implemented in 1775 with battles at Concord and Lexington. Later on the Declaration of Independence was drafted and signed with few signatures on July 4, 1776 and unanimously signed on August 2, 1776. By all means, none of these men were perfect (although a few actually came close) but they were practical and wished to set up a government which could benefit its people and change when necessary.

Nations have endured revolution before and merely returned to the rule which had been originally just as oppressive and corrupt, except a new name is attached, whether it is called constitutional monarchy, federal states, or whatever, the people are still under a government that they revolted against already. Take the French for an example: they shed an enormous amount of blood, most of it unnecessary, and for what? Nothing. France today is still under the rule of the aristocrat and very rarely are the people truly listened to. Russia is an even better example, because its troubles are three-fold. In 1917, the Bolsheviks revolted and toppled an incompetent ruler and put in its place what the world knows as “communism”, only to be thrown out of the frying pan and into the fire. For almost an entire century the Soviets oppressed their people and then exploited them. Today, Federalist Russia is really no better. Hard-line communists are still prominent in the government and the President is an ex-KGB man. The Russian Mafia runs rampant and they picked up the exploitation job and they benefit from the convenient network of ex-KGB buddies who have shared bottles of Stolychniya for decades since they began their mission of “defying the Capitalist West”.

As the story goes, America is really the only nation that has manged to fight for its independence and retain stability and gain a great deal of prosperity. This is why Americans are so nationalistic, because we have succeeded where others have failed. Also, Americans realize that men fought and died for them, many of them fighting for their own reasons, but without really knowing it or living to see the success of America and its people, those brave young men provided a way for everyday folks to live. Today, brave young men still give their lives, but this time, they know wholeheartedly that they are allowing a father to play catch with his son, or a mother to teach her daughter the family recipe for chocolate cake. This strikes a chord in Americans and we respond in kind with pride and love for our country and those who defend it. We feel we owe a debt of gratitude to those souls who wanted a decent living and fought for it, and to those souls who fight for our ability to do so today.

Texas, like America, is in a unique situation that it only shares with thirteen other states, a far greater number of brotherhood that Texas shares with America, than America shares with the world. Texas was the last state that had to fight for its right to exist. On March 2, 1836 the Texan Declaration of Independence was passed at the behest of General Houston. Four days later on March 6, 1836, Santa Anna’s army overwhelmed the close to 200 men defending the Alamo. Nearly a month later on April 21, 1836 Sam Houston had his Waterloo for Santa Anna, but this place is called San Jacinto, a name that evokes great pride and love in the heart of Texans everywhere. General Houston lead the charge shouting “Remember the Alamo!” the Battle of San Jacinto was over in 18 minutes with the General suffering a broken leg because his horse was shot. It was also on that day that Santa Anna traded his life for Texas, creating the Republic of Texas.

Now that the history lesson is over the story behind the story is to be told. To be honest, with the exception of Congressman David Crockett, the men that entered Texas and the Alamo could be considered the dregs of society. Lieutenant William Barrett Travis was arrogant, had women he liked to associate with, and wasn’t very charitable to his wife whom he was separated from, hence the reasons for their divorce a year before the Alamo. Sam Houston was a drunkard and a land-swindler, as was Jim Bowie. Not to mention, until it became absolutely necessary, they all hated each other. David Crockett was almost like an innocent bystander trying to live up to the overblown stories and escapades. Yet they all knew they were fighting for something. Each man had his own reasons, but they all knew, as goes San Antonio, so goes Texas. They were fighting for the preservation of Texas and its people. Those that were at the Alamo knew that they were probably not going to make it out alive and yet, those 183 men, with legends among them, gave their lives all in the name of independence.

For Texans it’s a two-time deal, because they as Americans feel pride and love for their country, but they also feel the same for the 28th State of the Union. For the most part, Texans feel they owe their gratitude to those men of history that helped establish the United States of America and the Republic of Texas. This is also probably why you find that most Texans can shoot just about every gun known to man. They are constantly aware of the fact that shootin’ straight is what established their nation and their state, and that they wish to keep their nation and their state from being debunked.

All-in-all, parallels between the USA and the RT (Republic of Texas) can be continuously drawn. They are both unique as to how they came about, and they are both unique as to the levels of pride and love among their citizens. Our nationalism and stateism (for us Texans) is not because we’re the best at everything, we know we aren’t, but we realize that we owe a great deal of gratitude and respect to those that established a place for us to live and be born, and that same gratitude and respect should go to those who protect us as well. I guess this is a long-winded way for me to say that I love the United States and I love Texas, and so does every other American and Texan.