I had forty hours to make it from San Diego to Crawford in order to speak at Camp Casey. Made it in 30, but had to keep the blogging light, which was just as well 'cuz Texas scares the crap out of me. Between the heat, preponderance of religious propaganda, cops and Confederate flags, let's just say I didn't feel much at home. Made the mistake of getting out of my car in Midland and saw the above screed against homosexuality and Witchcraft on a car in the parking lot outside the Wal-Mart. It didn't take more than ten minutes or so before I decided that ALL sex should be banned in Midland. Try eating less and exercising more folks... maybe then sex won't seem so frightening.
I put these up using binder clips at the dead ends of frontage roads, keeping the truck parked directly in front of me as a blind. It doesn't surprise me that I don't get any pictures from West Texas... it's not a place you'd want to get caught doing this. For those brave souls who might be considering freewayblogging West Texas, I suggest using ladders against the backs of billboards. At night.
USA - 509
FB - 503
19 comments:
Wow - that dashboard rant is scary and sad. It truely makes me fear for our country, especially knowing how many people think the same way. There's a wave of religious self-rightousness sweeping the world - from Islam to Christianity to Judism. When will humanity wake up and realize we are one people? Thanks for going out there and dealing with the atmosphere. It makes me think how brave all the Camp Casey people are and what they have to put up with.
Hmm, Midland Tx - Isn't that one of the places that shrub pretends to be from? Explains alot.
Texas is scary, period. From a cousin of mine that was put in the hospital by three "good ole boys" when his vehicle broke down on I-10 while moving to Phoenix to the hate filled stares that I received when walking around my father's neighborhood North of Beaumont, it is not the most tolerant of states.
you are my hero!!!
Separation of Church and State. PERIOD.
Be careful down there, man.
I grew up in Texas, lived in Midland from the age of 2 to 12, then moved to Houston until I joined the Air Force. Once I left Texas, I never came back.
Midland was a boring place - we used to drive to the Midland / Odessa airport after church on Sundays to watch the airplanes take off and land. (Yes, I'm being serious!)
I remember the water there was so hard with minerals that if you wet a washcloth and let it dry flat, you could use it as a roofing shingle or a throwing star. It would stain your teeth to drink the water there.
Lots of 'good ol boys' there, and one or two very weird churches. My old babysitter was always trying to 'save' our family because she KNEW that only the people of HER church there in Midland were going to Heaven!
I've still got family in Midland. I remember how excited my aunt was when she called to tell my mom that Midland finally got a Wal-Mart, "Just like the Big Cities!"
Texas is a different country...
....maybe that would be a good idea!
"DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS"
that place is already far too messed up...
Thurgood Marshall had a story about going to a town to defend a black man whose crime was being in Texas. The defendant was lynched before he got there, so he swallowed his pride and went to beg a sandwich somewhere, they said 'boy, the sun had better not set on you in this town.'
thats fucked up.
you are a HERO.
I heard SLC Mayor Rocky Anderson on the radio this am and I got fired up.
LOL, yep thats Texas.
There's a lot of that in Texas, yes.
But there's a lot of us who aren't like that as well.
Hopefully, you'll get a chance to see that side of Texas as well.
Evolutions? How many evolutions are there? LOL!
Seriously, I live in Texas. I drove around with IMPEACH written on the back windshield of my car for months. I put IMPEACH stickers everywhere.
Texas is just like any other state, only hotter. We have a mix of good and bad, sensible and nutty people.
That is just absolutely too cool. Most people have no idea of the amount of risk you took by doing this. I, very unforutnately, have been born and raised in West Texas and am eagerly counting down the minutes until i have enought $$$ saved to leave this hell hole. It amazes me on a daily basis how far back in the dark ages Texans minds are. It's disturbing and destructive. The churches here preach hate from the pulpit. It's a great motivator for them. I just hope we can make a difference because I've given up on changing these zealots minds around here. It's hopeless for the people who live here. God love ya for doing your part. Best of luck.
I agree with TXsharon.
Texas is like many other places. It has good and bad people. Sophisticated and backward ones too. Texas is a big place with different populations in the different parts. San Antonio is spicy and Mexican, Austin is wonderful and weird.
I have found racism and bigotry in many places and it looks different in other places. Jim Crow laws started in the North. Texas just has an romantic image ever since the Zane Grey books of powerful men and the wild west and some of it is true. TexMex
Being in wrong place in Buffalo, N.Y. can really get you fucked up
I'm in Texas every winter. Seems okay to me. But then I grew up in the inner city in Chicago. I'll be happy to put up signs anywhere, and I won't hide while I'm doing it because I don't give a shit. neils732@yahoo.com
I've lived in Texas most of my 45+ years. The Methodist church I attend is one of the largest in the state. Every week there seems to be something said that can be applied to this immoral Bush administration (never directly, you have to read between the lines, like when the minister asks God for forgivness for those among us that "thirst for war"). I'm betting that if a poll was conducted, the vast majority would be ashamed that Bush calls himself a Methodist. At my work, most folks there detest this administrations un-American and immoral policies. So, we're not all mentally twisted, gullible hypocrites. The big problem is, on a whole, gullible hypocrites are unfortunately in the majority here in Texas.
The South BLOWS, period. How can people be getting more ignorant and actually going back in time? Just for the record, I'm originally from the deep South, but I have lived all over the USA. I reside fairly close to the state of Texas right now because it is the lesser of two evils. The crowding and traffic of places such as L.A. made me run for the hills again. I didn't know how bad the fundamentalism had become, however. Where I live, you MUST declare your allegiance to what is the de facto U.S. Taliban, or be ostracised in every way. It wouldn't surprise me if lynch mobs returned. That's really how bad it is. If the Bush administration hadn't made it to where people outside of the USA REALLY FUCKING HATE AMERICANS now, I'd move to some other country. One of my friends in England told me I'd probably get mob-stomped in Europe, so I guess I'm trapped. Jeez, thanks Mr. President !
Texas. I've been there and I am thoroughly convinced that it is the only place where everyone sleeps with their sisters.
There is no place in this world that isn't made up of both good and bad people. There are some wonderful caring people here in Texas. Unfortunately there are also some idiots. But uh - for the record - we don't all sleep with our sisters. : )
Freewayblogger - You are my hero. I truly believe what you are doing is making a difference!
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