It looks like ALL sides are ticked with Texas. Time for a reminder, courtesy of TxDOT (Department of Transportation): Drive Friendly, and Don’t Mess With Texas. Especially if you are living in Texas.

What’s it all about? While it is mostly the Texas GOP that is causing the furor, there are many other political (and non-political) groups that support at least SOME of what the TxGOP is pushing in 2022.

First, Texans repeat the obvious: Uncle Joe stole the election. Admittedly The Donald HELPED by doing a lot of stupid things, but the current squatter at 1600 PA was put into office by a lot of nasty, illegal, and immoral actions. STRIKE ONE!

Second, the TxGOP calls for the Texas Legislature to put secession from the Union on the 2023 election ballot. (GOOD FOR THEM!) STRIKE TWO!

Third, the TxGOP has clearly taken a hardline on supporting and enforcing the Bill of Rights: both the 1791 US version and Texas’ own. STRIKE THREE.

As far as DC, the Woke, enemies of liberty in general, and Tranzis are concerned, it is indeed THREE STRIKES AND YOU’RRRRE OOOUT!

What’s happening? The GOP had their convention in Houston last week, and published a 40-page platform. A shockingly blunt and blustery platform, designed to try and make the GOP out as opposed to everything that the Democrats – in Texas and DC – support.

The Week tells us in part: “There are 275 planks in the platform that delegates voted on over the weekend, but suffice to say it is a remarkably radical document. It advocates for protecting life from “fertilization to natural death,” defines homosexuality as “an abnormal lifestyle,” marriage as only between “one biological man and one biological woman,” and supports eliminating sex education from schools altogether. Texas Republicans are also now on record as supporting the prosecution of teachers at any grade level who discuss sexual orientation, and banning gender affirmation surgery for anyone under 21. It also endorses a complete prohibition on abortion and supports returning prayer and the Ten Commandments to public schools and buildings. It describes any and all restrictions on gun ownership, particularly those being discussed in Congress, as “a violation of the Second Amendment and of our God-given rights.”

Now, a lot of these are things that all lovers of liberty will object to, for good reason. After all the Texas Republican Party is a bunch of flaming statists, and believers (and practitioners) of mandatory human government. But there are things that AL lovers of liberty will applaud, and even more that at least some lovers of liberty – like us here at TPOL – will cheer about. Obviously many of these planks are a good first – even second! – step in the right direction, but a long way from true freedom. Still, if the Texas GOP were able to get half of these things enacted, it would result in a Texas MUCH more free than the Texas of 2021 – or even the Texas of 1836.

Some of the best? Ending direct election of Senators and restoring a bit of the old Republic. Steps towards ending an effective (not total) monopoly on childhood education by governments (leading to deaths like Uvalde and Columbine). And ending all restrictions on gun ownership.

Of course, the mainstream media – including especially the pieces of work over at NPR – are frothing at the mouth, speaking of ‘the big lie’ about the 2020 election and going on to snidely condemn its stand on the right to keep and bear arms. (We will not disgrace the pages of TPOL with giving an unessential NPR weblink – those who don’t care about brainwashing may search for it – we are even worried about citing The Week, another garbage-filled site.)

Several sites claim that the 1869 Supreme Court decision on Texas v White “proves” that the union between Texas and the other States – and therefore between ANY other State and the rest – is “as complete, as perpetual, and as indissoluble as the union between the original States.”

Fortunately, we have only to look back to last week to see (again!) that Supreme Court decisions are NOT carved by the finger of G-d on tablets of stone but can be corrected when they are wrong. As clearly this one was and is.

But several HAVE made an important point – whatever ideals that the platform proclaims, more is needed. The platform (like ALL scummy political platforms) is not binding on anyone. For these things to become reality, it will take work. Work to promote and pursue them, defend them (with force of arms, if necessary) and put them into practice. The Texas GOP – like the rest of that infamous political party – is unlikely to have the courage – the guts OR the brains – to do that.

But maybe if these ideas become more and more common and accepted, Texans AND people in other States will. Soon.