Even though I like to joke about Texas, I truly feel no ill will towards the state or its people. Not really. As a native Californian, I almost feel an obligation to make fun of Texas and Florida.
The truth is I once even wanted to move to Texas. Shortly after I got out of the Air Force, I flew to Dallas to interview for a job at a large-scale photofinishing lab in Terrell, Texas. They were seeking to hire people with an electronics background who recently got out of the military. I think they would get a tax break if they hired people who just got out of the military.
During the interview, I was asked if I would be interested in the same position in Maryland. A new photofinishing facility was being built in Maryland. I didn’t know anything about Maryland. For some reason, the idea of going to a new facility seemed more appealing than an already established one. So I told them, yes, I would be interested in the position in Maryland.
That was 27 years ago. Although I left that job after five or so years, I’ve lived in Maryland ever since.
I feel bad about what people in Texas are going through. No American should go through what they are experiencing right now.
I know some people are trying to make the power failures in Texas a political issue. I’m not going to do that. In fact, I feel like punching those people in the throat, and I’m a man of peace. Now is not the time to point fingers.
The simple truth is Texas is not set up to deal with freezing weather. It’s just not. Texas deals with excessive heat, not the extreme cold. Homes in Texas are not designed to deal with frigid temperatures. Water pipes are not insulated for it. Homes in Texas are designed to allow heat to escape, not retain it.
The electrical grid in Texas is not built to operate in the extreme cold. The peak time for electrical power in Texas is in July and August, not February.
Snow removal is also a problem. How many snowplows do you think Texas has?
I heard from a friend of mine who lives in Texas. He told me the temperature inside his home was 43 degrees. He’s not alone. A lot of our fellow Americans are experiencing this right now.
A lot of people in Texas are suffering. If you are a godly person, pray for Texas. If you are not a godly person, keep Texas and its people in your thoughts. Whatever you do, don’t act like a jerk and try to score some political points. Be better than that.
I’m not a person accustomed to emotion but I have to admit this brought a tear to my eye. I’ve seen some news reports that Oregon has it as bad or even worse. We as a nation have got to come together and solve these issues, and learn to compromise. For too long, we have picked a red or blue camp instead of a red, white and blue camp. We are all Americans whether you are male, female, other, gay or straight, negro, white, or mongoloid, rich or poor. We need to get along and put aside petty differences.