STANDING UP FOR WHAT IS RIGHT AND GOOD

I had an inkling that things in Texas had taken a gigantic step backward as we entered Texas from New Mexico on our recent automobile trip across the country from the state of Washington.  Countless ranches were proudly displaying the Confederate flag along with Trump signs.  Since this was the day before the election and I had seen Trump signs in the rural areas throughout the West (without Confederate flags), I felt he would win.  What I didn’t expect were the Confederate flags that dominated the Texas countryside.  It was like rubbing salt into a fresh, gaping wound.  And, it wasn’t that Hillary would lose either.  It was that a man who represented everything wrong in this world would be the President of a country I love so much. I wanted to weep when I saw Confederate flags and Trump signs throughout Texas,

When you’ve traveled all over the world and lived in another country, the love of this country becomes deeper.  You long for the beauty of our country and the principles on which it has stood for hundreds of years.  You long to hear the soft, buttery accents of Texas and the excellent character of the people in this state.  You long for the feeling of no longer daily fearing for your life. You long for the love and safety of your family’s arms.  You long.

I had planned to escape the Washington winter by renting a Bed and Breakfast for a few months.  I also wanted to buy a place in Texas where I could indefinitely live during the Washington winters.  As it turned out, this became my permanent home after my daughter relocated to Austin.

As we drove into the town that I had adopted for the winter, more Confederate flags were proudly displayed in the front yards of people living there. I was worried that I might be ostracized, but I had enough experience that no matter what, I would somehow be drawn to people that shared my core beliefs.  Although the pool of like minds is small, I am making great friends.

Recently, a new friend and I attended a meeting of people who have formed a club of progressive thinkers in a small town nearby.  We walked into a room where maybe 10 people had gathered. Even though the meeting started at 6 PM, people were still straggling in at 7, including the President and the club officers.  The Democratic County Chair arrived about an hour late with her three young nephews and her mother in tow.  We were told only 5 people usually attended the meetings, but this night drew about 30.  Everyone was friendly and welcoming.

The discussion soon drifted into a proposal by a member to make a recommendation to the County Commissioners to remove the Confederate flag from the flagpole it shared with the US  and Texas flags.  This flagpole was displayed in the town square next to the County Courthouse. It was shocking to hear the emotions this provoked.  The County Chair's mother began vehemently objecting to the proposal by declaring that the flag belonged there because Texas was once part of the Confederacy.  She related that she had three relatives who fought for the Confederacy, and the war wasn’t about slavery.  She would not stop talking. She said, “After the slaves were freed, most of the slaves wanted to stay with their Masters because they loved them.”  And she had the nerve and insensitivity to make this declaration in front of one of the members of the club, an African American.  It was at this point I wanted to choke her. In between this woman’s periodic streams of vitriol, the Club President declared several times that she would resign and leave the club if we proceeded. She had lived in the town for many years, and there were some battles she didn’t want to fight. It reminded me of the occasional employee iwho threatened to quit in my past  You learned early on that once the threat is made, you’re better off letting them go immediately.  I was new to the club, but her statement made me want to see her bottom as she waexitedhe room.  Luckily, I got my wish.

The County Chair announced that ‘she was running for Congress and couldn’t take sides, as she would be representing all the citizens of our district.’  My friend and I simultaneously responded with ‘bullshit.’  Here's another wannabe politician afraid to stand up for what’s right.

The flag represents a horrible part of our country’s history.  We ripped people from their homes on another continent, squeezed them into boats like cattle, and brought them to this country where we beat them, starved them, raped, and murdered them.  Some of the ‘lucky’ ones didn’t have to endure abuse, but they weren’t free to leave and lived in deplorable conditions.  We had a war to ensure that this practice could continue.  Even though some want to argue that it was about states' rights, we can no longer justify the injustice we perpetrated on all those souls.  In fact, the Declaration of Causes of Seceding States clearly lists slavery as the primary reason to secede.  Some talked about not getting bogged down on this one issue when there were so many things happening that we neneededo address.  Their rationale seemed to be that we wecouldn’t address multiple topics

I not only had relatives who fought in the Civil War, but my Great Great Grandfather was also a Colonel in the Civil War and has a county named after him. He was also part of the military that murdered Indians as we were taking away their land. I can’t defend his actions, nor will I try.  And I won’t be joining the Daughters of the Confederacy. Indian blood runs through my veins. What we did to indigenous people is another black mark on this country.

After hearing the mother repeatedly saying the same thing, I finally gave my opinion:  “I wanted to join a group of people who dare to stand up for what is right and good.  This is a moral issue.  If we can’t stand up for this, even if the majority of the town objects, then who are we, and when will we do what’s right?”
People seem to forget that all politics is local and this, my friend, was very local.

Eventually, the club overwhelmingly passed a resolution to suggest to the County Commissioners that the Confederate Flag be flown separately along with the other five flags that have flown over Texas and to remove it from the flagpole with the American and Texas flag.  Guess which two people abstained?

One of my new friends, a woman with a kindred spirit, was elected President.  She will be an extraordinary leader for the club, as she has beworkedlmost single-handedly like a whirling dervish to get our country and our state turned around again.

I’ve joined the right club.