The weather forecast for Austin, Texas, reads, “Warm, some sun today [Friday], chance for rain, cooler temps this weekend.”
We certainly hope for some cooler “temps” tomorrow, Saturday, and certainly for some cooler heads, as the Texas Nationalist Movement will be holding a rally tomorrow, “the 175th anniversary of William Barret Travis drawing the line in the sand at the Alamo,” to urge Texans to “draw another line in the sand for the Texas Legislature.”
According to the “Petition for a Free and Independent Texas!”, “To demand that the Governor and Legislature of Texas conduct a referendum on whether Texas should again become a sovereign and independent nation.”
In effect to “push for a referendum on secession from the United States.”
According to the Houston Press, State Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler, is sponsoring the rally
The announcement of the rally begins:
South Sudan. Egypt. Could Texas be next?
Following the recent popular vote which led to the peaceful, successful secession of South Sudan and the massive popular protests which led to a relatively-peaceful change of government in Egypt, leaders of the movement pushing for Texas independence believe their time has come.
State Rep. Leo Berman (R-Tyler) will serve as legislative sponsor for a Texas Independence Rally on the south steps of the state capitol in Austin March 5 as part of the 175th anniversary of Texas independence.
Yes, you have heard that name, Berman, before.
He was our hero in “And the Birther Tune Goes on—Now with a Texas Twang”:
Now a Texas State representative, Leo Berman, R-Tyler, has joined the “birthers’ movement” and other states by saying that his proposed bill to require presidential candidates to present their birth certificates to the Texas secretary of state is necessary “because we have a president whom the American people don’t know whether he was born in Kenya or some other place.”
And “[h]e’s also sponsoring a bill to save state courts from the scourge of Islamic Sharia law.”
When the Press caught up with Berman to verify that he supports Texas seceding from the Union—since he is sponsoring the rally—the following curious exchange followed:
“They have to have a legislative sponsor, and I’m willing to do that for just about anyone in order to let them be heard,” he said. “But I very strongly do not support secession.”
He says he has “no qualms” about supporting a secession rally. Is there any group out there whose message is so far out, so radical and dangerous that he would refuse to be a legislative sponsor for them?
“I”m very, very, very strongly pro-life,” he says. “So I would not support an abortion-type rally.”
Mother Jones has this hysterical historical background on the Texas secession movement:
Support for secession has a long and rich history in the Lone Star State. According to a 2009 poll, 48 percent of Texas Republicans agreed that the state “would be better off as an independent nation.” That came after GOP Governor Rick Perry told reporters at a tea party in Austin that if the federal government didn’t change its ways, secession might be an option. And in 2009, a Kerr County resident was arrested for claiming to be a sheriff’s deputy for the “Republic of Texas.” For more, check out our interactive map on US secession movements.
Also of note: Although the group’s poster features a severely mutton-chopped Sam Houston calling for Texas independence, the real Sam Houston famously took an unpopular stand against Texas secession on the eve of the Civil War. As he put it: “The Union is worth more than Mr. Lincoln. I was denounced then. I am denounced now. Be it so!”
I personally like the Texas “twang.” Let’s hope that if Texas does succeed to secede, the great people of Texas will not adopt a new language.
I also happen to love Texas and its people, and I hope that this whole secession comedy will never make it onto a real stage.
The author is a retired U.S. Air Force officer and a writer.