Your mother used to say, if you don’t have anything nice to say about someone, don’t say anything. But mom didn’t say anything about a whole state, did she? -- Paul Whitefield
Gov. Rick Perry’s statement on calling a special session of the legislature to deal with abortion legislation said, in part, that “the citizens of our state have made crystal clear their priorities for our great state. Texans value life and want to protect women ...”
Which means just one thing: Rick Perry doesn’t do irony. Because on the same day he issued his statement, Texas executed its 500th prisoner -- and a woman, no less: Kimberly McCarthy. As The Times reported, “McCarthy was the 13th woman executed in the United States and the fourth in Texas since the Supreme Court allowed capital punishment to resume in 1976.”
And just how much do Texans value life? As the story concluded: “Texas has enforced the death penalty more regularly than any other state, executing more people than the next six states combined: Virginia, Oklahoma, Florida, Missouri, Alabama and Georgia.” (David J. Phillip / Associated Press )
The state seemingly has two seasons, hot and cold. Though for variety, there are the days and weeks when tornadoes go sweeping ‘cross the plains, or hurricanes pummel the Gulf Coast, or it rains cats and dogs (and very large hailstones), or it doesn’t rain at all.
It’s not for nothing that famed Union Civil War Gen. Philip Sheridan said, “If I owned Texas and hell, I would rent out Texas and live in hell.” (And that was well before Rick Perry took office.)
Or, if you prefer a more enigmatic quote with the same theme, there’s this from Davy Crockett: “You can all go to hell; I will go to Texas.” For newcomer Crockett, the weather, and the political climate, proved a bit too warm: He perished at the Alamo.
Above: The Olmos Basin Municipal Golf Course and Basse Road in San Antonio are underwater as a result of heavy rains in San Antonio. (Billy Calzada / Associated Press)
In April, a fertilizer plant in the small Texas town of West blew up, killing 14 people.
As The Times reported: “An estimated 28 to 34 tons of ammonium nitrate fertilizer exploded in two stages, separated by a fraction of a second, according to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office. Debris flew up to 2 1/2 miles and the damage extended across a 37-block area.”
How come that much ammonium nitrate was stored so close to a town? Why did the plant explode? Were lack of regulation or oversight to blame? Does anyone in Texas know, or care? Not according to Gov. Rick Perry, who said: “Through their elected officials, [Texans] clearly send the message of their comfort with the amount of oversight.”
Perhaps Gov. What, Me Worry? isn’t aware that there are about 700 other such fertilizer depots in his state.
Although it’s true, such explosions don’t happen a lot a Texas. But when they do, they’re often spectacular. In April 1947 (beware the Ides of April, Texans!), about 600 people were killed in Texas City when a ship carrying -- you guessed it, ammonium nitrate -- exploded. It probably wasn’t lack of oversight then either. (Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press)
