In-Your-Face Independence, Texas Style

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I could easily write eight to ten, 5,000-word blog-posts explaining to my readers extensively and factually why many/most modern Texans are stubbornly, ferociously audaciously proud to be from Texas or to be a born-n-bread Texan. Foreigners on other continents may not be aware of how many Americans in other states basically know or know all too well how very boastful modern Texans can be. Since the advent of radio, TV broadcasting, and the internet we Texans have built-up for better or worse—frequently worse in my opinion—a national, if not international, reputation of having large things in Texas. It is true. There is no shortage of BIG in the “Lone Star State.”

I for one, as an 8th-generation Texan, am often sickened and nauseated by this “big” attitude. It is audacious self-promotion. And here is the BIG reason why I feel this way.

A bit of Texas history about one of its earliest flags. In my header above the flag on the left is a well-known and long taught highlight in Texas schools’ Social Studies classes between 4th-grade and 12th-grade. The spirit of that independent rebellion against Mexico, before being annexed by the United States only a few years later, represents how BIG Texans boast of their freedoms and liberties, even against Washington D.C. and a liberal United States. But calm down, don’t worry, the history of our long embedded (or inbred?) arrogance is for another later five or ten blog-posts. (wink)

In my local newspaper The Dallas Morning News, they reported yesterday how Dallas residents, as well as the DFW Metroplex are contributing to slowing or “Flattening the Curve” and eventually stopping the deadly COVID-19 pandemic:

What happens when a percentage of the population ignores government lockdown decrees or pleas for social distancing?

“It’s true that under normal circumstances, you’ll have a lot of people who are resistant to government dictates and control,” said Cal Jillson, a political scientist at Southern Methodist University. “Under emergency conditions, those people become dangerous.”

“But if you have people who are talking about a ‘deep state,’ or socialism or a government takeover — while we’re trying to cobble together from the local level to the national level a response to an absolutely unprecedented pandemic — those people are not just foolish,” Jillson said. “They are dangerous.”

Government leaders have to “be as straightforward and direct and truthful as possible with the American public,” Jillson said. “So that the 90 percent of the public that is reasonable can rally to those instructions and bend the curve on this virus.”

White Rock Lake in Dallas on Tuesday, March 24, 2020

White Rock Lake in Dallas on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 – image by Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer

I must be fair, however, about over-generalizing and faulty identification of who is “Texan.”

Since 1963 and more so the last decade and a half Texas has been one of the fastest growing populated states in the country:  currently #2 in GDP and #4 in economy size. This means over the last decade or so many currently living in Texas were not born here. Because of three attractive, compelling reasons non-Texans move here or have recently moved here years ago. Those are 1) many new corporate businesses move and headquarter here, i.e. jobs, 2) no state income tax, and 3) cheaper housing by national comparisons. The point being that anyone living here who wasn’t born here are obviously not natural Texans. Consequently, I shouldn’t include those non-Texans in our long history and why we are so audaciously, arrogantly proud, right? Yet, in the big picture of our current world-wide, deadly pandemic, where one was born or how many multiple generations preceded you here is irrelevant. Or is it?

Despite the measures, the city received at least 853 calls about large gatherings in the past week. According to the mayor’s office Tuesday, authorities gave out 150 violation notices, which are similar to warnings before a citation is issued.

The U.S. Surgeon General warned Monday that rebels and scofflaws of social distancing put their fellow Americans at risk.

“I want America to understand — this week, it’s going to get bad,” Dr. Jerome Adams said on NBC’s Today show, denouncing those not obeying social distancing guidelines.

“This is how the spread is occurring,” Adams said.

flatten the curve diagram

Flattening the Curve – Image: © CDC

Any rational, well-educated person with a solid grasp of medical sciences in microbiology, virology, methods of airborne infectious diseases, and how highly contagious those are shown repeatedly throughout humanity’s post-classical and modern history, would ask and should ask these flouting rebels, skeptics, and deniers What the F*CK are you doing and thinking!? Apparently they’ve forgotten or ignored America’s 1918-1920 Swine Flu or Spanish Flu that was also an airborne, highly contagious virus like COVID-19 and in one single month killed 200,000 Americans. In the end, it claimed 675,000 Americans and an estimated 50-million world-wide. Perhaps our President should keep mentioning those 50-million victims of “The American Virus” in his press conferences? Pompous Texans should too.

Why are so many Texans ignoring the factual, confirmed histories of deadly, fast-spreading pandemics? Did those preceding generations of your Texas family not pass down the horrendous details or show you the actual death-certificates from your family tree?

Outdoor concerts and festivals are banned in most locations. And those restrictions weren’t sitting well with Rev. Horton Heat, a popular Dallas-based rockabilly band, which posted a livid message on its Facebook page about a week ago.

“Reverend Horton Heat is NOT cancelling ANY gigs because of COVID-19.”

The band made it clear that it wasn’t their call to cancel its gigs, and encouraged fans to “push back,” in a post trumpeted on its Facebook page.

“I encourage everyone who lives in a jurisdiction where local governments are restricting rock and roll to push back,” the band said. “Write emails and call your local government agencies to remind them that we have the right to assembly. They can’t stop rock and roll!”

TX motto t-shirt

Widely popular meme in Texas, especially by Sons & Daughters of the Confederacy

Co-founder and current member Jim “Reverend Horton” Heath guitarist and lead vocal of the band is a native-born Texan. He does indeed represent that audacious, arrogant historical Texas rebel pride.

But it isn’t just three-generation, five-generation, or six-generation native Texans flouting their rebel disobedience to county and state authority, it is even our Lt. Governor Dan Patrick as well, who like all of the Bush’s is not a native-born Texan!

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick agreed, saying Monday the country should go back to work, suggesting “grandparents” like him, who are at higher risk of contracting severe cases of COVID-19, should sacrifice to keep the country out of economic trouble.

“My message is that ‘Let’s get back to work. Let’s get back to living. Let’s be smart about it,’” Patrick told Fox News host Tucker Carlson. “And those of us who are 70 plus, we’ll take care of ourselves. But don’t sacrifice the country.”

I am both stunned by the medical-virological ignorance and denial here, and yet at the same time not too surprised by many fellow Texans showing off their cockiness in the face of ‘too much government intrusion,’ a popular opinion over the decades by most established Texas families and businesses making up this Red-state.

There are factual data-sets in several parts of the world—not just in New Orleans, Louisiana—supporting those restrictions ordered by government leaders listening to and heeding epidemiologist’s desperate warnings and admonishments to why it is critical to social-distance as well as follow all washing, disinfecting protocols while at home. As reported by Sky News yesterday, this is what happens when citizens, businesses, entertainers, and governments do NOT take epidemiological science serious. The headline:  Coronavirus: Champions League match a ‘biological bomb’ that infected Bergamo, experts say.

That match was between Italian club Atalanta and Spanish club Valencia. As a result, not only did Italy become the epicenter of COVID-19 infections and deaths, but Spain is now experiencing the same and soon will catch Italy’s mortality rates. The Sky News article goes on:

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t have known. No one knew the virus was already here. It was inevitable.”

More than 7,500 people have died after contracting coronavirus in Italy, where there are more than 74,000 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University.

More than 650 people have died in the last 24 hours in Spain, taking the total past 4,000.

Cases there rose by more than 8000, bringing the total to more than 50,000.

To the overly proud rebels, skeptics, and deniers in Texas by Texans, if you don’t care to believe the actual medical data, science and virology, or the long repeated world history of known pandemics and the hundreds of thousands of deaths from plagues, or how highly contagious and lethal airborne flu viruses are then perhaps it will only take the death of an immediate family member, perhaps your own child or parent, to wake you up to reality. Why even risk it? Why… when by all your rebellious behavior all of you could easily cause are hospitals overflowing beyond capacity, the supplies and medical items which raise your safety and your loved ones’ safety… run out? Or the oxygen-breathing machines to fight the deadly pneumonia from COVID-19 are all in use and no longer available for yourself, your children, or parent like many are experiencing right now in Italy and Spain? Why?

Why chance it? To prove what a proud, independent, Come Take It From Me, cocky native Texan you are? How would that epitaph look on your gravestone or your 8-year old child’s or one of your siblings? There quickly comes a point when self-absorbed ignorance and pride can never outweigh a loved one’s life, premature life when you were informed in time of avoiding it. Imagine that regret for the rest of your life.

————

Supplement March 28, 2020:
Crowds Flood Dallas Trails During First Weekend of ‘Stay Home’ Order — Allie Spillyards, NBCDFW.com reporting (the actual camera footage in the news video is not just astounding, but very disturbing as well; watch it)

Supplement April 3, 2020:
With visitors still bunching up in parks, Dallas officials plead: Don’t make us shut them down — “It looked like a Mardi Gras party.” Hayat Norimine and Obed Manuel, Dallas Morning News reporting

Some Businesses Using Loopholes To Stay Open During Coronavirus-Related Shutdowns — Ginger Allen, CBS Local.com reporting

————

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55 thoughts on “In-Your-Face Independence, Texas Style”

  1. If idiots like those you describe here were the ONLY ones affected or at risk because of their asinine behavior, I’d applaud what they’re doing. However, as we all well know, these pin-heads will simply spread this virus to everyone they may come into contact with thus hurting or potentially hurting many outside their immediate group of idjits. Humans can achieve such great heights and, at the same time, exhibit some of the most self-destructive, idiotic behavior imaginable.

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  2. They’re blatantly lying as well. It isn’t just the people over 70, it’s the people who are over 55 – 60 who are at the highest risk. Along with everyone who has diabetes, asthma, has had an organ transplant, cancer treatment, is on kidney dialysis, lupus… The list goes on and on. The number of people who are considered to be in the high risk category is, if I remember right, more than a third of the people in the country. And as of right now the US has more cases than any other country in the world. We’re seeing an increasing number of deaths among younger people as well now. A nine year old girl was among the dead recently.

    Also a lot of people in those categories CAN’T isolate themselves. They’re working along with everyone else. In fact, a lot of them are working in some of the highest risk jobs – health care aides, cleaners, etc.

    I want to know what happened to the whole “right to life” thing. Most of these people are vehemently anti-abortion. If life is so important to them, why are they so willing to put the lives of those at high risk in jeopardy just to make money?

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        • Thank you Nan. 😍 Or perhaps you were talking to Grouchy? LOL Nevertheless, one would think it is just common sense and my own very basic, amateurish knowledge/teaching of biology, microbiology, virology—because DAMN, I have two kids of my own, raised, and totally understood the importance of the regiments of vaccinations, not just at home but at their schools as well!!! Right!? Isn’t this common curriculum in schools, critical info disseminated from our state and federal institutions of education and science!?

          That’s a bit rhetorical btw. 😉 😛

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    • Anti-abortion ideology (forced-birth fetishism, as I call it) has never been about “life”. It has always been about controlling and punishing female sexuality. They don’t care about life in any other context because life is not the real issue in the abortion context either.

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      • Since many of these ‘pro life’ people are also followers of the same ideology that claims women are supposed to be subservient to men, either their fathers or their husbands, yes, I tend to agree. This is all about power and control.

        Someone who was genuinely pro-life would not be objecting providing health care, food and shelter to the poor. Many of them are also pro death penalty. That people don’t see the blatant hypocrisy of these jackasses makes me want to throw things at the tv whenever I see one of them on the news.

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    • To them the right to life begins at conception and ends at birth.

      They’ve circled back around to worshiping the golden calf. Well, a Bronze Bull, but it’s pretty spot-on, and LITERALLY demanding human sacrifice in the name of Mammon.

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  3. One of the reasons there is a belief that this fatal version of Covid-19 affects older people more than the younger is that when there is a shortage of ventilators, doctors choose to support the younger people. The rate of fatal complication tends to affect those who already have significant underlying conditions. But that’s not the real story here: compared to the raw number of healthy people who get the virus the raw numbers of fatalities demonstrates that the group most affected and who then develop the highest number of the life-threatening pneumonia are those with the most robust immune response, namely, relatively young to middle age people.So the real trick is to avoid being infected now when so many people are going to be in line for medical treatment from complications. Get infected later when we have treatments for its most sever onset and get your immunity shot(s) when a vaccine become available. Duh.

    The death rate varies quite a bit depending on access to hospitalization (about 20% of infected people) so we have about 10% in Italy, 5% in Spain, 1% in Canada, and the US predicted to come in at the higher end due entirely to a lack of preparation and an unwillingness to self isolate. The point here is to ask a group of 10 proud Texans which of them is ready to die needlessly in the name of whatever event has brought them together? The rest of us will not thank them for this unnecessary sacrifice but condemn them for their stupidity because their stupidity elevates the risk of losing one’s life for the rest of us. That’s why NOT attending such gatherings is actually one’s civic duty, while attending some event in the face of all this easily accessed information is the height of narcissism and unpatriotic selfishness. That’s why the nicest term for it is ‘stupid’. Go ahead: choose to sew death among your fellow Americans in the name of personal choice and freedom. So to keep to a theme, it’s not a feather in the cap to make this stupidity bigger in Texas, but it is a way to compete with New Orleans properly renamed now as The Big Stupid.

    In this situation of exponential rising infection rates, the US taking top spot on the world’s stage is not a good thing.

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    • The point here is to ask a group of 10 proud Texans which of them is ready to die needlessly in the name of whatever event has brought them together?

      […]

      That’s why NOT attending such gatherings is actually one’s civic duty, while attending some event in the face of all this easily accessed information is the height of narcissism and unpatriotic selfishness.

      […]

      So to keep to a theme, it’s not a feather in the cap to make this stupidity bigger in Texas, but it is a way to compete with New Orleans properly renamed now as The Big Stupid.

      Yes. Excellent question Tildeb and assessment of the faulty logic. And though it is no laughing matter, I did chuckle a bit over “The Big Stupid.” I don’t believe it’s much of a stretch now to quote popular Awleans phrases with apropos twists…

      “Pinch the tail and suck the [air outta da] heads” … “Who dat” with no brains? And I could rattle off many Texas-size chest-beating chants. 🙄

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    • Btw Tildeb, wanted to update you on that post I mentioned to you the other week. I am still drafting parts of it, I’m in between half and two-thirds finished, but our current lock-down, social-distancing orders have obviously shifted many of my personal priorities. Thank you kindly for your patience and understanding Sir. 🙂

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        • Ah yes. That is SO Aussie John. I’ve seen on National Geographic Channel that many ranchers there use the R22’s and Hilux ute. Texas ranchers and super hi-tech velcro’ed-to-the-max hunters here use them as well, especially the R22 to hunt the out-of-control 2.5–2.6 million feral hogs invading south, central, southwest Texas, the east Texas Piney Woods, and further up and out. They’ve become badly invasive like our big problem with Red Fire Ants.

          Then again, these “problems” are most definitely a direct result of not just loss of habitation to humans, but just as much if not more our sheer IGNORANCE about these two species (and all others!), their litters and diet processes, and the ecosystems they inhabit. This TOTALLY falls on the lack of or poor proper, quality science education for humans doesn’t it? We must learn extensively how to coexist with each other AND our animal kingdom and planet Earth. If we don’t learn this like the back of our hands, the animals and ecosystems that feed our very existence and survival… then there’s just one outcome for humanity, huh?

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  6. I just heard an ESPN broadcast from Mike Greenberg’s show that the NCAA D1 schools, AD’s, coaches, etc, are seriously considering canceling all Fall sports. Now THAT is facing, confronting, and doing the RIGHT THING to “Flatten the Curve” of this deadly pandemic!!! BRAVO people, if you actually do it and don’t bend to or be tempted by the economics. 👏 It is high time that the NFL seriously begin following suit along with all other leagues.

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      • Ah, I guess that would be justified given that there exists no vaccine for it and it is part of the corona family of the influenza virus—it always comes back around under prime conditions.

        Any more info on it Robert, a link somewhere?

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        • From: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/covid-19-could-make-a-us-resurgence-this-fall-depending-on-national-response-122231894.html

          One is the scenario that unfolded in China and South Korea where early quarantine and extreme social distancing measures suppressed the virus within about a month. While effective for quickly reducing person to person spread, the method falls short of protecting a population from a second wave, according to Boni.

          “We don’t know what the endgame is, because when you lift the suppressive measures, the virus will come back,” Boni said.

          A second scenario is where the virus transmits successfully during the summer, meaning enough of the population contracts and overcomes the virus to establish herd immunity — which Boni says could happen as early as late fall — so that it will cease to again threaten at pandemic levels.

          Under a third scenario, the virus fails to transmit successfully during the summer, and like scenario one, continues to rear its head. Under both the first and third possibilities the rate of transmission hopefully slows enough to buy the healthcare system and its workers adequate time to develop a vaccine or treatment, and to fortify hospitals and treatment facilities to handle resurgence.

          “It’s like looking at the first 60 minutes of a hurricane and saying it’s almost over,” Boni said. “It’s not almost over at all. If the virus can transmit in the summer — under scenario 3 — we’ll see an epidemic wave that lasts through the summer and possibly through the end of the summer.”

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          • And then there’s the third pulse next spring. It was the second pulse in the 1919 flu that resulted in the horrific casualties but I suspect we’ll have at least a bunch of effective anti-virals for the fall.

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            • He always has been doing cool work for a while now and we’re very lucky to have him at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. He is what my spouse calls a Big Gun researcher (and he also spent time working in Texas, if I recall) when it comes to all these major contagions and epidemics and he also has attracted a great team to work with. If he thinks his work can be fast-tracked, then it will be fast tracked. He’s a great guy and always so enthusiastic about everything.

              Just as aside, my son spent time learning how to extract DNA and work with RNA in his lab as part of his PUBLIC high school science curriculum’s introduction to microbiology and virology. To be honest, he didn’t much like it, but still… an opportunity. Why more high schools don’t offer these kind of real world placements where curriculum comes to life is a mystery to me.

              By the way, the university changed its name simply to Western several years ago.

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            • Sad, isn’t it, that we (collectively) waste X-amount of hours a day on a vile human being like Trump, while hardly ever collectively rejoicing in the Kang’s of the world.

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  7. An excellent and timely post. Yes, arrogance is certainly big in Texas. I do see it everywhere, though, albeit not necessarily on such a scale. I think moments of crisis bring out both the worst and best in human nature. It’s too bad, however, that we never seem to learn from our mistakes.

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  8. It’s been said that Texas is traditionally a cattle economy, and the amount of bull is still enormous. How unfortunate that the state is now known for, besides all its traditional claims to fame, its lieutenant governor’s call for human sacrifice to appease the gods of the stock market.

    Regardless of what the authorities say, I suspect the smart people will continue to practice social distancing and other precautions while the dumb ones will not. Those who believe the rules do not apply to them will suffer the consequences. A week ago the US had nine thousand confirmed infections; now it’s eighty-two thousand, a nine-fold increase in one week. This thing is blowing up fast, and the majority of its future spread will be among the mental-bottom-of-the-barrel Trumpanzee and fundamentalist populations who refuse to take the threat seriously. They’ll be facing those regrets soon enough.

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    • The problem is those people who contract the virus by having little regard for their own contribution to get it then threaten those who do. It’s like measles or mumps this way; not vaccinating may be seen as a personal choice but it has profound public consequences.

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      • Yes Tildeb! Flouting one’s ignorant cockiness to an invisible, microbiological Grim Reaper who just laughs at dimwits who think their delusional audacity and independence can make them immune to novel viruses is an exercise in Archibald Armstrong behavior or Shakespear’s Feste… to put it mildly.

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        • It’s almost seen as a character flaw to give the benefit of the doubt to experts who may disagree with one’s own opinion.

          To my way of thinking, why not err on the side of caution with personal behaviour when it comes to affecting the health and welfare of one’s neighbours… just to be on the safe side, and leave the certainty one may have to opinions and behaviours that don’t threaten the lives of others if one turns out to be… Gasp!… wrong? Why not be that person?

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    • Yes Infidel. I wish this could all be driven home (mentally, emotionally, & physically) to those who are either innocently ignorant—which can be changed—or willingly ignorant for self-serving purposes.

      Here is how I interpret and compare the anti-vaccine, anti-virology, anti-science Movements gaining popularity today in the U.S. I ask them Why did the Anglo-Saxon village of Eyam in the Derbyshire hills of England in 1665 in the worse time of the European pandemic of the Bubonic Plague? You can read one narration of this town’s remarkable commitment to STOPPING that deadly plague:

      http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20151026-the-sleepy-village-that-stopped-the-black-death

      Quarantine. STRICT, disciplined, educated quarantine stopped the Black Death from killing every resident of Eyam. Some 365-years later we “modern” humans still have not learned from our historical failures and successes. So very sad. 😔

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  9. A dear friend of mine shared this outstanding satirical video with me. Everyone MUST watch this hilariously true news snip-it! 🤣

    Well, many minutes later I’ve discovered that WordPress and Facebook have a spat, customer-retention/revenue-retention fighting… so I must type in the link covertly, secretly, to avoid these two childish brats from fighting:

    https://www [dot] facebook [dot] com/828542928/posts/10158162553502929/?d=n

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  11. Pingback: Delusional Incompetence | The Professor's Convatorium

  12. Pingback: Here We Go Again | The Professor's Convatorium

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