Playing golf one morning at Wailua, one of my playing partners asked if I had seen the news where a Texas politician voiced that the state should secede from the union. I was incredulous that a politician sworn to uphold
Playing golf one morning at Wailua, one of my playing partners asked if I had seen the news where a Texas politician voiced that the state should secede from the union. I was incredulous that a politician sworn to uphold state and federal constitutions could make such a statement. It seems the Lone Star state wants to be cut out of the flag!
The politician’s comments struck a nerve. It kept coming back time and again in my thoughts until my curiosity overcame me. Who said they want out? Turns out it was current Republican Gov. Rick Perry of Texas. Why is he posing as a Republican? The GOP forerunner was President Abraham Lincoln who fought a civil war to keep the union together. That party is all about conserving the U.S. Constitution and the union.
What is this all about? Why are the Texans so unhappy with statehood?
Texas Territory in the 1500s was occupied by Spanish-Mexican colonists in effect invading the lands of American Indian tribes. Spain introduced missions and presidios as a network to govern the vast territory and enslaved the Indians. From 1519 to 1821 the territory was ruled by the king of Spain. Mexico fought and won its independence from Spain in 1821.
Little was done to curb immigration. A large influx of Anglos from the U.S. and Louisiana Territory were squatting on large tracts of land. The native colonists and Anglos coming face to face led to numerous social, economic and political conflicts.
Large landholdings by Anglos known as the first families or the “Old Three Hundred” became very powerful.
In 1835 the first shots were fired and the old kingdom of Texas became a republic. By 1840 slaves constituted one-fifth of the Texas Republic’s population. With the exception of slaves the most predominate population was poor whites, Hispanics and American Indians. They were weak economically and, fearing being taken over by foreign powers, the Texans voted to join the U.S. as a state in 1845. Cultural and religious differences continue to this day. Hmm… sounds familiar.
The upshot of statehood apparently left bitter memories with the native population. Perhaps none of the minorities wanted to lose independence. Like the early 13 colonies, the royalists resented the overthrow. The secessionists voice oppression and suppression by the central government.
But the crux of the problem here is power. The United States has become a great power mainly because of its unique Constitution binding the states together as a republic governed by the consent of the people. In the late 1840s, Mexico considered Texas still a part of its country and went to war with the U.S. Without a strong government providing national defense Texas and California would surely have fallen during that war.
Another example is that World War II was started by a foreign power taking over the Philippines and Indonesia and invading the U.S.
The alternative to our Constitution is oppression and suppression by a foreign power resulting in minorities and citizens slaughtered. History is clear about what happens to minorities and defenders when a foreign power invades. Review the evidence of the native slaughter on Spain’s conquest of the New World. Remember what happened in Poland to the Jewish minority when Germany invaded?
Let’s get real here. I like my independence. I respect our constitution and the republic we have protecting the rights of the minorities. We must conserve the union. Our central government may have its current problems, but I want and need its national defense. Power is the strength to do; to execute what needs to be done, to assure freedom.
We have the power from the Constitution to do what is right for our minorities. So what’s causing the right wings in Texas to denounce statehood? What is it we have to do to turn them back to unionists?
What about here in Hawai‘i? What do we have to do to resolve the cultural differences? Who is going to take the lead? Now we have a foreign power aiming missiles at us. Do we stand together as one nation or break down into unprotected nations?
• Ron Holte is a Kapa‘a resident and former chair of the Kaua‘i Republican Party.
