Thursday, May 26, 2011

HISTORIC LETTER ?

You might want to take a copy of this letter for your own files. Strikes me as one of those potentially historic documents. If you're in Texas, you've been hearing a lot about this topic, if not in Texas, I suspect you may not have heard too much about it.

This is one of those moments in time that makes one proud to be a Texan. The Texas legislature decided it was time to take things in their own sensible hands and pass a law making it illegal for Federal employees (TSA) at the airport to molest travelers, including babies and young children. The law had completed its trip through the "process" and was due for a final vote yesterday. The letter was written to a few of the top ranking Texas legislators and the bill was pulled.

There may be more to come on this subject, but even if not, the Texas legislature has accomplished a significant thing. It forced this letter to be written. I like the old Boston politician, Martin Lomasney's advice on the importance of discretion: "Never write if you can speak; never speak if you can nod; never nod if you can wink."

The way I read this letter is that a Federal Attorney has carried the message that if Texas insists on protecting its citizens from Federal molestation, the airline system inbound to Texas may be shut down. We will fondle the ladies, or the planes don't fly. Pretty amazing stuff, isn't it? And here it is in writing to be seen through the ages.

Adios

2 comments:

Jim Tuohy said...

I note with great pleasure that Texas lawmakers are going to bring this up for a vote. Go Texas, maybe if planes did Not fly in or out or OVER Texas for a day or two and the Interstates had check points coming into the State ( FRISKING MAY BE INVOLVED ) by the Texas Highway Patrol the great thinkers in the nation's toilet bowl would get A MESSAGE. Maybe LBJ was right--come on down Mr O and visit us- we will even have a parade.

Gus said...

I think neither side of this issue thought things through very well. Had the Texas legislature accepted the threat, the ball would have been squarely in the other court and another historic line in the sand would have been drawn. If air travel in and out of the state had been denied, the disruptions to the rest of the country would have been epic, while the effects on Texas would have been minor in comparison. Can you just imagine the national howl that would occur? I don’t think even the tone-deaf inside the beltway regime would have been able to ignore the mobs at their gates. About 7-weeks after that 1836 line in the sand was drawn, Texans had won their freedom from that tyranny.