A divine right; holiday compromise; all our heroes
A divine right?
State Sen. Brian Birdwell declared: “Rights that are granted by God are ours to protect.”
This had to do with carrying firearms in college buildings.
Just a few preliminary questions: Just when did God grant this right?
How did God do so?
Does the good senator have any evidence that this right was granted in this way?
Did God speak directly to the senator?
And even if God did grant such a right, what possible legal standing might it have?
We are a constitutional republic, not a theocracy.
— Richard Galvin, Fort Worth
Holiday compromise
As a motion is being introduced to move and rename Confederate Heroes Day on the list of official state holidays, I would like to propose a compromise moving the holiday to June 3.
From 1931 to 1973, Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Birthday was celebrated Jan. 19 and President Jefferson Davis’ birthday was commemorated June 3.
In 1973, with the calendar overwhelmed with holidays, Davis’ and Lee’s separate holidays were merged into Confederate Heroes Day Jan. 19.
In a spirit of cooperation, and to prevent a perceived clash of ideals due to the holiday sometimes overlapping with Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I think moving the holiday to June 3 is both prudent and would still be in keeping with tradition.
If, however, an agreement of some kind is not reached and Confederate Heroes Day is moved and renamed, then I suspect plenty of rallies and other demonstrations will be held that could very well serve to increase awareness of, and membership in, the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
— Paul B. Martin, Cleburne
All our heroes
I found irony in the juxtaposition of two Wednesday pieces.
First, Bud Kennedy reported an effort to move and rename Confederate Heroes Day as a state holiday, his point being, “Texans shouldn’t finance the special-interest holiday.”
Second was The Daily STEW asking what Texas should spend to preserve the Alamo.
The consensus answer: “Whatever it takes. … If it is not sacred, nothing is.”
A generation ago, Texans honored Confederate heroes. A generation hence, will they still honor the Alamo?
Even if a future majority of Texans had ancestors who fought on the other side?
It’s not hard to imagine the charges against Confederate honor being made against the Alamo defenders. They, too, rebelled against their own government and supported slavery. Travis, Bowie and Crockett weren’t even from Texas.
Rather than using history as a political weapon, we should take a longer view and see that a hero can be larger than his political circumstances.
Do we concern ourselves with the politics of Leonidas at Thermopylae or the Light Brigade at Balaclava?
Courage, fortitude and loyalty are still virtues, even clothed in gray, and our heroes in gray or in buckskin are not mythical nor from another place. They are ours.
— Robert D. Sullins, Arlington
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This story was originally published February 18, 2015 at 5:52 PM with the headline "A divine right; holiday compromise; all our heroes."