Changing demographics and voting....

[VMI77]

cb1000rider,

You posted: "Conservatives need to get on top of issues like same-sex marriage."

I ask, is this really the hill we want to fight on?

Without, I hope, sounding too disheartened, SSM is for all practical purposes, a done deal. The left and the left media have made sure of it.

I must admit, when SSM was a rather new issue it took me quite some time not to go purple with outrage whenever I encountered it. It just seemed so bizarre probably because I'm a kid of the fifties when what we considered normal could not encompass such an idea as SSM.

Though I find gays marrying a travesty, I've rather come to the conclusion such things don't really affect me. Now, I simply eye roll at such so-called marriages and go on about my business. For me, there are more important issues to be dealt with.

SSM is here to stay. We're not going to stop it.

I find gun rights a far more important and winnable problem along with other conservative ideas.

It may be self-correcting to some extent. Once a significant number of homosexual marriages end in asset strip mining the allure of marriage may fail, as it has for many young heterosexual men today.

[The Annoyed Man]

About 45 minutes into this podcast, Alice Tripp addresses the looming demographic shift: http://gunrightsintexas.com/?powerpress ... 36-podcast.

[mrrooster2u]

Wow! At 53 minutes to be exact. That does not paint a pretty picture. But I am afraid she is right. It's not just the Californians and New Yorkers either that are anti gun. If voting rights are ever given to all the illegal immigrants who are granted amnesty, (especially with the push to do away with voter i.d. laws) they will also overwhelmingly vote anti gun too.

[VMI77]

Wow! At 53 minutes to be exact. That does not paint a pretty picture. But I am afraid she is right. It's not just the Californians and New Yorkers either that are anti gun. If voting rights are ever given to all the illegal immigrants who are granted amnesty, (especially with the push to do away with voter i.d. laws) they will also overwhelmingly vote anti gun too.

You can't vote away a God given right. And even if one doesn't believe in God given rights, illegal aliends can't vote away the 2nd Amendment. 2/3 of the state's still have to go along. The recent terrorist act in Paris highlights the fact that there are more illegal weapons than legal weapons in France. It won't be any different here.

[skeathley]

While it is no doubt true that carpet-baggers moving to Texas will have some influence on voting demographics, another factor, perhaps bigger, is the educational system. The schools in Texas are better than most other places, but they are still turning out reams of young adults who are clueless about history, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the importance of our liberties. Most of them do not understand the real meaning of "American Exceptionalism". We need a voter base that understands the historical motivation behind the 2nd Amendment.

SK

[cb1000rider]

Texas ranks 49th in education spending, so I'm not sure how important education is to the state. We've also got one of the best economies of any state, so that ranking in education spending is particularly offensive.
In terms of results, we're pretty middle of the pack. There are some alarming statistics, again probably influenced by border-state demographics. I wouldn't say that Texas education is bad, but I wouldn't move here for the schools... (Some local exceptions, of course)

Teachers teach tests. They teach tests because that's how students have come to be measured. And the results on those tests are how the teachers and schools are measured. It's not a good system, especially not if you've got a kid that's brighter or less bright than average.

Teach your kids about the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and civil liberties. However, also teach them the reality of exercising those rights in modern society. Before you swat me, remember that bringing and AR-15 to K-mart is within our rights.. I want to teach my kids that it's not necessarily the most expedient thing to do personally - or perhaps even politically (if you like keeping your rights). Also teach them what attorneys charge per hour, because having one or more of those is only way that you're going to get a chance at "justice" in America if your rights get violated. That's not fully illustrated in the Bill of Rights, however, it's very much part of our reality today.

There are important lessons in history. It's also important to teach kids to think for themselves, especially with all the misinformation out there.

[The Annoyed Man]

Texas ranks 49th in education spending, so I'm not sure how important education is to the state. We've also got one of the best economies of any state, so that ranking in education spending is particularly offensive.

Amount spent is not really tied to the quality of education. Sometimes it's just an indicator of how good the lobby is at boondoggling the taxpayers.

When I first moved here from California, here is one of the educational differences that jumped right out at me...... My son was at a Baccalaureate Program high school in Pasadena, California. At that school the question that kept coming up among graduating seniors was IF they were going to go to college. At Grapevine high school, which my son transferred to when we moved here, the conversational question that came up among graduating seniors was WHERE they were going to go to college.

Educational dollars is a very misleading figure, and it angers me no end that retarded liberals (who like Common Core math) keep trying to foist that old chestnut off on the rest of us, when it is largely meaningless.

[VMI77]

Texas ranks 49th in education spending, so I'm not sure how important education is to the state. We've also got one of the best economies of any state, so that ranking in education spending is particularly offensive.
In terms of results, we're pretty middle of the pack. There are some alarming statistics, again probably influenced by border-state demographics. I wouldn't say that Texas education is bad, but I wouldn't move here for the schools... (Some local exceptions, of course)

Teachers teach tests. They teach tests because that's how students have come to be measured. And the results on those tests are how the teachers and schools are measured. It's not a good system, especially not if you've got a kid that's brighter or less bright than average.

Teach your kids about the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and civil liberties. However, also teach them the reality of exercising those rights in modern society. Before you swat me, remember that bringing and AR-15 to K-mart is within our rights.. I want to teach my kids that it's not necessarily the most expedient thing to do personally - or perhaps even politically (if you like keeping your rights). Also teach them what attorneys charge per hour, because having one or more of those is only way that you're going to get a chance at "justice" in America if your rights get violated. That's not fully illustrated in the Bill of Rights, however, it's very much part of our reality today.

There are important lessons in history. It's also important to teach kids to think for themselves, especially with all the misinformation out there.

I don't know where Commiefonia is in spending on ''education" but I suspect up near the top. Granted, it was a long time ago, but I went to the public schools there and the conditions were HORRIBLE. Even girls couldn't safely use the restrooms. The schools were violent and dangerous. Fights everyday. Trash can fires. Locker searches. Narcs. Students on drugs.

As TAM said, all the spending dollars mean is that the lobby in that particular state is better at milking the taxpayers. In my opinion the spending on education in this state is too high. For one thing, we're spending large amounts "educating" the children of illegal aliens. If that is going to happen the Feds should be paying for it. But for another, just driving around the rural areas where I live and work....the schools are virtually brand new and palatial. Unbelievable amounts of money must be pouring into the sports facilities. The spending isn't about education it's about satisfying the teacher unions and the educational bureaucracy.

I doubt I spent more than $700 in any given year homeschooling my kids. My youngest was admitted to Harvard law and is about to graduate from one of the country's top law schools. Both graduated from college with honors. You don't need to spend a lot of money to educate a child. We're feeding a bureaucracy not educating children in the schools. At best, what public "education" is for the majority of students is indoctrination.

[cb1000rider]

I doubt I spent more than $700 in any given year homeschooling my kids. My youngest was admitted to Harvard law and is about to graduate from one of the country's top law schools. Both graduated from college with honors. You don't need to spend a lot of money to educate a child. We're feeding a bureaucracy not educating children in the schools. At best, what public "education" is for the majority of students is indoctrination.

You available for hire? :-)

[VMI77]

I doubt I spent more than $700 in any given year homeschooling my kids. My youngest was admitted to Harvard law and is about to graduate from one of the country's top law schools. Both graduated from college with honors. You don't need to spend a lot of money to educate a child. We're feeding a bureaucracy not educating children in the schools. At best, what public "education" is for the majority of students is indoctrination.

You available for hire? :-)

My youngest might be. Don't think I'm suggesting I'm a good teacher because I'm not....I suck at it and lack patience. My oldest tutored math at Sylvan until he recently got a full time job with the TSA. He was good at it and in demand. One father drove his son 90 minutes each way for his tutoring ability.

My wife deserves most of the credit. She was in charge until the math started to get complicated. Our youngest never set foot in a public school until he went to college. His mother taught him to read (something I'm not sure I could do myself). He scored a perfect 180 on the LSAT and graduated from UT Austin in four years with two degrees and a 4.0 GPA. He found college easy and most of the students there ignorant or dumb. He's pretty much coasting through law school....he's been choosing his classes by whether or not the prof takes roll because he doesn't like going to class (I didn't either).

My emphasis was on reading and writing. I made them write papers and essays....which of course they hated. And I provided them with the best writing of the Western Canon, including original historical texts, canonical history, and sophisticated fiction. I didn't present them with a single perspective but made sure they were exposed to controversial and heretical viewpoints. I didn't come from the right or the left....but from the historical truth as generally accepted by professional historians (not agenda driven minor professors like they encountered in college). The youngest actually likes school (the oldest, like me, doesn't....I like learning new things, but I hate classrooms and being anchored to the ignorant).

[psijac]

If you know any liberals that are considering moving here. Just tell them this secret.

If you die in Texas, you die in real life.

[Doug.38PR]

This is the thing that has bothered me for years about Texas and the rest of the South between Yankee and Mexican transplants we are being invaded. Rick Perry welcomes these people with open arms with a naïve idea that they are going to be beneficial to the Texas economy. The problem Republicans, Democrats and even Libertarians have is they see everything as a numbers game. It's all about quantity, not quality. It's all about the economy and nothing else in life exists. Culture, history, heritage, faith, kith and kin, songs, stories, myths, legends don't mean anything or even exist. It's those things that form your worldview and make liberty in a constitutional republic possible or impossible.

Politically speaking, the only thing that can really save us is an idea that nobody (except maybe Rick Perry oddly enough in a half-joking, half-half serious sort of way) is "allowed" to have on the 3 x 5 card of allowable opinion in the Republican or Democratic parties: Secession. That way Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, etc. etc. could decide who is allowed to immigrate here not only from Mexico but from other states that are antagonistic to our culture and way of life. Jefferson, and indeed many of the Founding Fathers, saw this as a problem as far back as the late 1700s between what were then called the "East and West" (New England and Southern colonies).

Spiritually speaking, the only thing that can really save us (and this is the only real way it can politically be developed as described above) is true Christian reformation and revival as in Europe, South America and North America has from time to time over the past 2000 years. The last real one, in this continent, being in the South in the mid 1800s. Churches, as they are today, are, at best, little more than parrots for the Republican party or establishment in general to teach us to submit and conform and ignore the world. At worst they are hubs of Marxism that, like our education institutions, just brainwash us into believing the "Social Gospel" (or a little of both). But they are nothing like the strong vibrant faith of our fore fathers that lead the fight against tyranny and jealously guarded against centralization of power and trusting in the power of a few corrupt men.

Things like the Tea Party, the Nullification movements and all the different RTKBA movements (from concealed to open carry to repealing gun laws) are, I hope, early cries for these things. There are some faithful churches that rethinking a lot of conventional wisdom and who's influence are slowly growing.

May the "Victory or Death" spirit of William B. Travis and "Remember the Alamo, Remember Goliad" spirit of the men of San Jacinto be revived in their descendants

[Cedar Park Dad]

This is the thing that has bothered me for years about Texas and the rest of the South between Yankee and Mexican transplants we are being invaded. Rick Perry welcomes these people with open arms with a naïve idea that they are going to be beneficial to the Texas economy. The problem Republicans, Democrats and even Libertarians have is they see everything as a numbers game. It's all about quantity, not quality. It's all about the economy and nothing else in life exists. Culture, history, heritage, faith, kith and kin, songs, stories, myths, legends don't mean anything or even exist. It's those things that form your worldview and make liberty in a constitutional republic possible or impossible.

Politically speaking, the only thing that can really save us is an idea that nobody (except maybe Rick Perry oddly enough in a half-joking, half-half serious sort of way) is "allowed" to have on the 3 x 5 card of allowable opinion in the Republican or Democratic parties: Secession.

Er... didn't Texas try that once? Oh yes, I visited the grave of a relative at a battlefield in Tennessee as a part of that little fracas.

I think the tanks at Fort Hood insure that that legal action won't reach the appellate stage.

[Doug.38PR]

Well, if at first you don't secede...

Look, weapons aside, there are strong legal and moral arguments out there for it, especially considering that the U.S. supports it even today elsewhere in the world as a peaceful means of a nation of people freely choosing and/or fighting for their destiny. And they don't ask for permission either for something that have a natural right to do. If the latter part of what I discussed happens (spiritual), the former will become a lot more accepted and embraced.

Conservative Author Tom Woods spoke at a conference in Houston recently talking about this very thing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTl_HDBH7Io" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

But, the first Texans stood up to the most powerful army in the Western Hemisphere and came out on top (you do know the Mexican army was the largest and most powerful back in 1836). Our ancestors from the original 13 colonies took on the Empire in which the sun never set. Not ideal, not something we all desire. But sadly yet realistically I don't see any real alternative. You're dealing with people that have usurped power in a broken system and will not give it up easily.

In any case, to just say force of arms settled it once and for all and we're stuck with what we've got is no solution at all. I know it's offensive to Republican party cheerleaders, but who are they anyway?

[TXBO]

The invasion from the north has little risk compared to the invasion from the south to the political climate in Texas.