CULTURE...Part II
We live in the town of Mineral Wells, Texas. It’s not the end of the world…but you used to be able to see it from here!
Not any more. Our town is 60 miles west of Fort Worth, and the town between, Weatherford, has been eaten up with new comers. To the point that the “locals” no longer run the town. The once conservative government has been taken over by the new comer liberals.
There was a big fight about the courthouse lawn in Weatherford several years back, and at least the “locals” won this one. It had been tradition that each Christmas season a crèche was placed on the courthouse lawn. The new-comers had a fit. What were these people thinking of, putting a Christian symbol on the lawn of a public building? How shameful! It probably violated lots of folks civil rights. Well, on that occasion the “locals” won and the crèche remains every Christmas season!
But their town is over run. What was once a small, historical town in North Central Texas has become a bedroom community for the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. And it’s headed west!
By the way, as a historical perspective, this is the area of Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove. Our county, Palo Pinto, is where the Goodnight and Loving ranches were and where the Loving family still has a ranch today. Loving is buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in Weatherford. This place is keen on Texas history.
But, hey, back to Mineral Wells NOW. So far, our politics, while it is small town, and in some cases, not what you’d always want to call legal, it’s still ours. You know?
We just held elections for school board and for one place on the city council, and all the people who won were “locals”. In fact, most of them were born and raised here.
But…
We have one fellow on our City Council (I won’t mention names, but if you’re from here, surely you’ll know) but he ain’t from around here. He’s, well, from up North some place…likely the Midwest…but not from here.
Now it doesn’t much make a difference which way he came from, the difference is made in his attitude. He came here because of work…we do have some fine industry here. And after he’d been here a little while, he ran for public office.
He’s been on the City Council for years, ‘cause, I reckon, he hasn’t said things to most folks in the area that he’s said to my husband. When he first won his seat, he smiled a Raf at a high school band concert and said he just couldn’t get over this town with all its in-breeding!
"This is really the shallow end of the gene poll!" he said.
He went on to say that most of the folks here were on welfare (quite a number are) and that most are just plain dumb...not deaf and dumb, just stupid, I reckon. Now, I guess he said all this to Raf knowing Raf wasn’t from around here, either. The difference is, Raf didn’t come here trying to change us, but to fit in!
Well, now Mr. New Comer wants to run for mayor, and I’m afraid he will. With that attitude, do you think he should be mayor of this town? I don’t. Perhaps he wants to be king. Or maybe he just wants to show us “locals” how really stupid we are. What do you think?
I think, in fact, if he doesn’t like it here and considers it such a terrible place, perhaps he needs to go back where he came from…and stay there!
Those are my thoughts on the subject, and I’ll stick to them. And, if he runs, I’ll vote for almost anybody BUT Mr. New Comer!
Not any more. Our town is 60 miles west of Fort Worth, and the town between, Weatherford, has been eaten up with new comers. To the point that the “locals” no longer run the town. The once conservative government has been taken over by the new comer liberals.
There was a big fight about the courthouse lawn in Weatherford several years back, and at least the “locals” won this one. It had been tradition that each Christmas season a crèche was placed on the courthouse lawn. The new-comers had a fit. What were these people thinking of, putting a Christian symbol on the lawn of a public building? How shameful! It probably violated lots of folks civil rights. Well, on that occasion the “locals” won and the crèche remains every Christmas season!
But their town is over run. What was once a small, historical town in North Central Texas has become a bedroom community for the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. And it’s headed west!
By the way, as a historical perspective, this is the area of Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove. Our county, Palo Pinto, is where the Goodnight and Loving ranches were and where the Loving family still has a ranch today. Loving is buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in Weatherford. This place is keen on Texas history.
But, hey, back to Mineral Wells NOW. So far, our politics, while it is small town, and in some cases, not what you’d always want to call legal, it’s still ours. You know?
We just held elections for school board and for one place on the city council, and all the people who won were “locals”. In fact, most of them were born and raised here.
But…
We have one fellow on our City Council (I won’t mention names, but if you’re from here, surely you’ll know) but he ain’t from around here. He’s, well, from up North some place…likely the Midwest…but not from here.
Now it doesn’t much make a difference which way he came from, the difference is made in his attitude. He came here because of work…we do have some fine industry here. And after he’d been here a little while, he ran for public office.
He’s been on the City Council for years, ‘cause, I reckon, he hasn’t said things to most folks in the area that he’s said to my husband. When he first won his seat, he smiled a Raf at a high school band concert and said he just couldn’t get over this town with all its in-breeding!
"This is really the shallow end of the gene poll!" he said.
He went on to say that most of the folks here were on welfare (quite a number are) and that most are just plain dumb...not deaf and dumb, just stupid, I reckon. Now, I guess he said all this to Raf knowing Raf wasn’t from around here, either. The difference is, Raf didn’t come here trying to change us, but to fit in!
Well, now Mr. New Comer wants to run for mayor, and I’m afraid he will. With that attitude, do you think he should be mayor of this town? I don’t. Perhaps he wants to be king. Or maybe he just wants to show us “locals” how really stupid we are. What do you think?
I think, in fact, if he doesn’t like it here and considers it such a terrible place, perhaps he needs to go back where he came from…and stay there!
Those are my thoughts on the subject, and I’ll stick to them. And, if he runs, I’ll vote for almost anybody BUT Mr. New Comer!
Comments
I found your post about the names of towns very interesting. There's a district of Glasgow (here in Scotland) called Auchinshoogle, which is quite nice! It's pronounced just as it looks: Och-in-shoogle.
But not this new batch!
They come here from San Francisco and NYC and the like... Because ours is such a purrrrrrrrfect place to live and also to retire.
Yup, purrrrrrrrrfect.
But then they decide they have to tweak it and change this and that and... Grrrrrrr..
If it was purrrrrrfect and you say that's why you came, why change it???
The city was given to them 'on a silver platter', last election. Backs turned on our then government, including our son who was Mayor {and had been in local gov. for 8 years}. Backs turned and finger given to them, it seemed. And now, oh how the hue and cry is up. "Oh please ex-Mayor, will you run again and save us?"
"Nope." He is finally enjoying his life as business owner and family man and is gonna' stay this way, for the duration. Let someone else come along and find a white horse and ride in to *save them.*
Am I bitter? You bet your sweet 'patoootie,' I am bitter!!!!!!! Our family has worked for the betterment of this city for a half a century. To be kicked in the stomach, in that way, has left me with a very, very bitter taste in my mouth.
Mmmmmmm... a different side of Mari-Nanci,hu? Yes! Mari-Nanci has many sides, and not all of them, are sweet.
Mari-Nanci
I too am sad to see so many people moving into Parker county and turning it into another Ft Worth suburb. But I am curious why you would consider the newcomers "liberals?" I know that liberal is a relative term but I'd bet my bottom dollar they are overwhelmingly Republicans.
-Bill
Princess is still here so I guess I had better send her back before that Ron sends Judge Judy over to investigate!..Love Terry
I am truely grateful for your prayers, they've meant a lot to our family as we yet are not yet "Home Free".
I liike your engagement in local politcs. If we want to keep our democracies alive, We are obliged to thank and take stands also in the open.
I am not familiar with American politics, particular not the local one.
What I am concerned about is the global ongoing secularisation.
Norway has a huge cross as main symbol in her flag. May 17. is our "Freedom Day" which is celebrated with lots and lots of childen marching with their flags, singing songs to praise God for our country and asking him to bless us as a people. Imagine that were forbidden..
We also celbrate Christmas and the other Christian feasts both in schools, churches and in public.
"Keep on to what you have got, so that noone shall take it away from you," I think that's about correctly translated form Paul's letter to Thimothy.
To me it's likewise natural that a local society must take care of it's youg, old, ill and poor ones.
That's a Christian duty.
God bless you.
I just read your last two posts with great interest. This is the second comment I have typed, the first came across as a rant.
Just know I agree with most of what you have said.There will always be people who think they know more or know better than the rest of us.
I just wonder why they move to an area because they like it, only to start denigrating it, and trying to change it as soon as they can.
Keep speaking your mind, it's the only way...!Hugs
xx
And Heaven help everyone when the newcomers enter politics! Egad!
Hugs,
Sue
Have a wonderful Sunday!
Change is hard.