Texas Liberal

Here we see the patriot Samuel Adams telling you to have a great Fourth Of July.

Click here to learn more about Samuel Adams.

What Mr. Adams is pointing to in the painting, is a map telling him where all the best fried clam shacks are, and, which way to go to the fireworks tonight.

The artist was John Singleton Copley.

Crispus Attucks is one the the five men who died in the Boston Massacre in 1770.

Little is known for certain about Mr. Attucks except that he was a man of color who died on March 5, 1770 in the Boston Massacre.   

His father is thought to have possibly been a slave brought from Africa. His mother may have been a Native American.

While Mr. Attucks was robbed of his full identity and potential in life, we remember him to this day.

He paid the full price for liberty though liberty was denied to him.     

In the direct center of the illustration up top, you see the Old State House building. The picture below is how that building looked last week when I took a picture of it in Boston. The picture was taken from pretty much the spot where the Boston Massacre occurred.

As I’ve posted before on this blog, I’ll endorse any Democrat running for public office who makes me a friend on Facebook.

I do this out of a general tendency to vote for Democrats, a respect for the logical coherence of straight-ticket voting, a belief in the idea of political parties, and because , as the fact I’m blogging suggests, I want attention.

( As a blogger, I want to put forth my views, seek influence, gain attention, and obtain patronage. It depends on my mood as to which of these things I seek the most. While I think patronage may be hard to get, if  Mr. Brown is elected Mayor I will ask him for a job as Houston’s lighthouse keeper. I need work that won’t get in the way of my blogging.) 

Today I was made a friend on Facebook by Houston City Councilmember Peter Brown. Mr. Brown is running for Mayor of Houston next year. 

While Mr. Brown will likely be running against other Democrats in the first round of voting next year, he’s the candidate I was likely to support in any case.   

Now I’m certain I will support Mr. Brown. Please click here to view Mr. Brown’s campaign web page.   

Mr. Brown joins Texas House District 29 candidate Kevin Murphy on my endorsement list. Mr. Murphy made me a friend some weeks ago. 

I will add each campaign to my blogroll. I’ve created a new ” Campaigns I Support” list at the bottom of my longer blogroll.

Peter Brown & Kevin Murphy! Clearly the best!

I got a big burrito waiting for me in the other room.

I’m going to eat that burrito in just a few minutes. 

It’s a big Fourth of July burrito.

I pay my taxes, vote, work hard, know my American history well, and try to be helpful to others.

And if I say, or if you say, that a burrito screams Independence Day, that’s just what it does.

I don’t care about any flag pins, or about any hot dogs and hamburgers or any of that.

Nope. I’ve got a big Fourth of July burrito to eat—one day early—and that is plenty American enough for me.

The picture above is of a Fourth of July celebration from the late 1930’s held near Beaufort, South Carolina.

I wonder what Black Americans felt what was worth observing about Independence Day in depression-era South Carolina.

National ideals and creeds that might one day be reached?

A sense of community that could not be broken even by the conditions of such a time and place?  

Whatever the reasons, the gathering seems to me an expression of some sort of confidence. 

My inner-conservative will show, but look how people are dressed in the picture in contrast to what we often see today. The women here are in dresses. The men are wearing hats.

People today—I mean people of all colors—need to get with the program and have some respect for themselves. I saw a young woman a few days ago walking around in a t-shirt extolling the virtues of farting.

What is the story with people?

The photo is from the American Memory collection of the Library of Congress.

The picture was taken by Marion Post Wolcott. The profile of Ms. Wolcott is interesting. She took her pictures as part of a New Deal project.

I recently read the book Pennsylvania Avenue: Profiles In Backroom Power by John Harwood and Gerald F. Seib.

Both authors are Washington political correspondents.

This book is a series of brief chapters about a variety of Washington political players.

Some of those profiled are lifelong insiders. Some came to insider power through unusual channels. Others are looking to change or reform the system in some way or another. 

If you are a close follower of politics, you may feel much of the ground covered is familiar. Though I doubt there are many who could claim they are aware of the careers of all the men and women discussed.  

In any case, this book has the virtue of being both brief and comprehensive at the same time.

I read it flying between Houston and Boston. Half going to Boston, and the other half flying home to Houston.

Given that I spent a lot of time looking out the window, I’d say the book is of a length manageable to the average busy person.   

Despite the welcome brevity, an impressive number of paths to power, and the implications of that power, are reported upon. Taken as a whole, it gives the reader plenty of information to consider.

Also, it leaves the reader with the sense that the little person does not have much chance in the halls of power—Unless the little person hits the Super Lotto and decides to fund political candidates with all the winnings. 

Here is the New York Times review of Pennsylvania Avenue. 

If you eat out on the Fourth of July, or if you use any service that normally involves tipping, it is the right and patriotic thing to do to tip the person helping you at a time-and-a-half rate.

If you normally tip at 15%, leave 22.5%. And so on up the scale.

This is the pay rate you would expect to be paid if you were to work on a holiday.

If you are not paid this rate for work on a holiday, please don’t take that out on somebody else.

Celebrate Independence Day by doing right by your fellow American.

Also, do right by any immigrants you encounter. 

Here is a picture I took last week of the grave of Paul Revere.

You can find this grave in the Granary Burying Ground which is part of Boston’s Freedom Trail.

Here is information on Revere’s life. He lived 1734-1818. 

Click here to see Copley’s famous painting of Paul Revere.  

There is not much one can add at this point to discussion of the Joe Horn case.

Mr. Horn is the Pasadena, Texas resident who last year shot and killed two men after they robbed a neighbor’s home. He shot them in the back.

People aware of the issue know how they feel about the matter. Views on this question have been set in stone for many months now.

A Harris County grand jury yesterday decided not to indict Mr. Horn for any crime at all.

Many readers at the Houston Chronicle expressed satisfaction with this decision on the Chronicle’s online forums.

By satisfaction I mean they were downright glad Mr. Horn had killed the two men.

The two men were Hispanic illegal immigrants. 

It does not require much imagination to guess what some were saying.

There is a widely circulated picture of Mr. Horn that in some eyes may make him look like some type of stereotypical rube. 

I never run that picture on this blog because I feel it is sometimes used to say, “Look at this guy–Of course he shot two people of color.”

As we saw with the grand jury yesterday, and as we see in the crime news that bombards us each day in Houston and in this entire metro region, tolerance for cold blooded killing is widespread and fits no profile of appearance, gender or skin color.

Mr. Horn had the option to stay in his home, as he was advised to do by the 911 operator, and not kill anybody.

He took another course and killed two fellow human beings.

I don’t believe in karma.

I don’t believe in hell.

He just got away with it.  

Is there a United States Senate race on the ballot In Texas in 2008 and, if so, who are the candidates?  

There is one United States Senate seat from Texas up for election this year.

Democratic State Representative Rick Noriega is the nominee of his party for this office.

Mr. Noriega is a native Texan and an experienced legislator. He was elected to the Texas House in 1998. 

Representative Noriega is also an officer in the Texas Army National Guard and has served extensively in Afghanistan. Please click here to learn more about Mr. Noriega.

The incumbent is the deeply conservative John Cornyn. Mr. Cornyn was first elected in 2002 with, for a Texas Republican in recent years, a relatively low 55% of the vote.

I would argue Senator Cornyn is out of step with the needs of Texans today, and, also, with the state Texas is becoming.

With a firmly established pattern of supporting the failed War in Iraq, crippling Medicare and being stingy on veteran’s benefits, Senator Cornyn represents a past many Texans are now questioning and a future that offers little response to the changing economic and demographic facts of our state and our nation.   

As I write this in late June, a recent poll asserts Mr. Noriega is running just two points behind Mr. Cornyn. This is a strong showing against an incumbent.

As you begin to focus on your options for the November ballot, I ask you to please consider Rick Noriega for the United States Senate from Texas.

This is cross-posted at the Houston Chronicle where I am one of eight featured political reader bloggers. 

Below is a photo of Rick Noriega.

One reason food costs have risen around the world is the use of corn as an alternative fuel.

We put that stuff in our big trucks and SUV’s.

Meanwhile, people across the world can’t afford food.

This BBC story details the impact of biofuels in the cost of food.

I’ve been waiting for Barack Obama to discuss this issue on the campaign trail.

Doing so would show some global leadership beyond just discussing terrorists and Israel, Iran and Iraq.     

The New York Times reported a few days back that Senator Obama has extensive ties to the ethanol industry.

Mr. Obama supports ongoing subsidies to farmers and big agriculture for corn that goes to biofuels.

I suppose corn is an important thing to a Senator from Illinois who needed support from voters in Iowa as a candidate for President. 

But what about corn people in the world need for food?

I’m all for Senator Obama.

At the same time, I’m taking him at his word on this change deal he talks about.

I don’t need Mr. Obama to be perfect. But supporting misguided policies causing poor people to suffer is not the program. 

I’m looking for at least the beginnings of the truth from our leaders on climate change and our prospects as a nation in the global economy. I’m looking for a reason to still believe in our political system in any meaningful way.

Throwing poor folks under the bus–or under the tractor in this case–so we can fill our tanks is not a great start by Senator Obama. 

Above you see my excellent wife–who is in my view is the best person ever—sitting on the grave of Ben Franklin’s parents in Boston. You see her there reading and wearing a lot of blue.

What an excellent wife she is and how lucky I was to spend a week in Boston with her.

While Ben Franklin’s parents never did anything to offend the wife, here anyway are some of the lyrics to Motorhead’s Dancing On Your Grave—

You know I’m a killer babe
Here’s late news for you
you couldn’t buy me with a million, babe
I’m too good for you
I’m know you think I’m real rough trade
Now I’m the one
Dancing on your grave.

I tried to get the wife to dance on the grave—But she would not.   

Here is the “Statement of Affirmation” from the well-known Trinity Church in Boston—- 

“Trinity Church of Boston welcomes and honors everyone,. In accordance with our baptismal covenant, we affirm the inherent worth and dignity of every person, We strive to to include all persons without regard to sexual orientation, race,gender, family configuration, ethnic background, economic circumstance, difference in ability, culture, or age. Our love and acceptance of each other embody our commitment to unity with God and each other in Christ.”  

Trinity is an Episcopal church that dates back to 1733. The building (above) is something to see and worth a look if you are in Boston. 

I’m not a church-goer and I’m not likely to become one soon. But nor do I have a reflexive hostility to religion.

Many on my side of the aisle would have a more favorable view of religion if churches made a real effort at including all people. 

( Blogger’s Note—As part of my Summer Solstice blogging break, I’m re-running a few posts. I’ll be back to normal posting in a few days.)  

This post is part of an occasional Texas Liberal series called Central Questions.  

Loyalty is an important quality. 

What are possible grounds for loyalty? Who merits loyalty and for what reasons?

I see loyalty as coming from personal circumstance, from experience, and, also, from a broader context of shared values.

Loyalty also requires acceptance of people’s faults as you may see them. This because, if for no other reason, so that others will accept you and your faults.  

Here are possible grounds for loyalty—

1. A Shared Past— I give some stock to people who were in the same places I was at certain points in life. For example, people who hung out in punk rock clubs and bars I frequented in college get credit.

I feel these are people who felt many of the same things I did at that age, and may now be people I can trust as an adult.  Also, more personally, I want my past to matter—or to at least be recalled.     

Here is a line of John Kennedy’s Inaugural address that expresses this feeling—

To those old allies whose cultural and spiritual origins we share: we pledge the loyalty of faithful friends.

 2. A Shared Present—People we work with or live near may have a shared set of experiences or circumstances that are a basis for loyalty.

This doesn’t always work out, and loyalty here may be limited to the shared circumstances, but it is good to enter relationships with co-workers and neighbors with the hope that trust can be established.

Also, proximity can require that we look past any negative traits and focus on what’s best in a person. Here is an example of this feeling from The Count of Monte Christo by Alexandre Dumas–

But, never mind, he is a neighbor who has done us a service on a time, so he’s welcome.

3. Gut Instinct Guided By Experience —Sometimes you have just have a feeling someone is on your side—A gut feeling guided by experience. When I have such a feeling, I go with it until I have reason not to.    

Here is a sentence from a Jack London book called Before Adam that expresses this idea—

We felt the prod of gregarious instinct, the drawing together as though for united action, the impulse toward cooperation.  

4. Someone Who Has Done Something For You—What I mean is more than “one hand washing the other.” I mean that if someone has done you a good turn for the right reasons, you should remember the favor and return it out of fairness and as a way of deepening a relationship.

The way we return a good deed may be no more than a sincere thank you.

Here is an example from an article by a Kelly White in the magazine Girl’s Life—   

Before long, your sister will follow your good example, and you’ll both be masters at the art of sisterly give-and-take.

5.  Shared viewpoints—Relationships have a larger context than the interactions of the people in the relationship. Someone who sees the world as you do, may share values that are as important to you as are simply personal concerns.  

A relationship can have a context as large as the people in the relationship decide it can have. 

Here is an example of this from Turn Of The Screw by Henry James–

I was queer company enough– quite as queer as the company I received; but as I trace over what we went through I see how much common ground we must have found in the one idea that, by good fortune, COULD steady us. 

There are other grounds for loyalty that you may observe and follow based on your own experiences.