Anytime California representatives suggest a new law
addressing gun control, I always hear a handful of California residents
proclaiming they are going to pack up and move to Texas. Many point to the fact that Texas has fewer
regulations than California. This may be true- but then I point to reasons for
regulations- like the plant that blew up in West Texas, and destroyed a
neighborhood, killing several people. I also
point to the fact that they are using money from the Obama Administration to rebuild…
and repair their roads.
As a Californian that lived in Texas, I lived it. I lived
the isolation of another perspective. I faced racism on a regular basis. One day, I was standing outside watering my
grass and a female neighbor said “Hi Negro neighbor”, in a half- joking,
half-serious tone. Now, don’t get me wrong- this is not all of Texas, but this
is my experience.
There were days when I was stuck driving behind a pick-up
truck covered in “I hate Obama” stickers and a Confederate flag waving in the air. Yes, this new law to some can be considered a
removal of rights. Why should you have to subject yourself to a background
check to get bullets?
Well, if you have nothing to hide, then you should have
nothing to worry about, correct? Never mind that the Government has just made
it mandatory for Google to hand over your data- including the search for how
many bullets it will take to kill a deer and religious quotes to be plastered
on a Facebook wall directly from the Bible Belt.
A background check for a gun and a background check for
bullets is nothing that the law abiding citizen should be afraid of. If you are
using the gun to go hunting- killing animals that you fed- or for the intruder
that happens to be lurking around every corner, than you are fine.
Shouldn't there be one more layer of protection for our
children? I know that those who are worried about this background check live in
a bubble. A bubble of Faux News, Rushmouth commentary, and the Sarah Palin
Pit-bull and lip stick speech. I wonder if she had any other quotes but couldn't fit them on her hand.
There is a lot to love about Texas. I loved the
thunderstorms, the cheap homes, and the spirit of the average Texan. I loved
watching the Cowboys and their owner, Jerry Jones build that masterpiece of a
Stadium. I even love the slogan “Don’t Mess with Texas”, but… that was started
due to the high amount of liter that is often left on the road.
I loved Friday Night Football, even with the Natural Gas
oil rig spewing toxic fumes in the air and underground the stadium… and our
homes.
And of course, California is not perfect. Houses are
expensive, gas is high, and by only speaking one language- I am the minority-
and I’m not white. But I do live in the countryside of California. I get to see
horses and cows run free, smell the farmland in the summer, and see the seasons
change. I hate the traffic and I hate the disparity between the advantaged and
disadvantaged. No place is perfect. Not Texas. Not California. Not even the
United States.
But we have to understand the point that I have stated
may times. We are so fucking divided by religion, economics, race, and
political affiliation that we cannot see through the rhetoric. We often say
that Freedom is not “free”- as the soldiers return in caskets. But then take
away freedoms in every state.
I did find that it was rather odd that Texas had its own
Pledge of Allegiance. Personally I believe that this increases the division of
that State from other states. But that is fine. You can enjoy the intellectual
properties that come from California- and enjoy the natural gas that may be linked
to disease and deaths of citizens across the country.
California regulates to save lives- Texas deregulates to
make money. California is strapped because of mismanagement and the programs
that often help the disadvantaged and maybe offer them an opportunity to climb
to middle class status.
Look, if you live in California and hate the laws then
move. Climb in your futuristic stage coach with your loaded guns and head east.
There is no place like Texas, like there is no place like California. A matter
a fact there is no place as we know, like Earth- so enjoy where the fuck we
are. Just remember what they say- the grass always looks greener on the other
side of the fence.
I like many of the laws in California- I like the
diversity in culture. I love the weather, I love the ocean, and I like not
being pulled over by a cop and being asked if I am driving my car and where the
fuck I work- Maybe my skin tone played a role in my experience. It is kind of
hard to not take a racist joke off the lips of a redneck personal without
wanting to shove my Nike Airs up his ass.
We should all be Americans, instead of individuals that
are restricted by invisible state lines.
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