Do you still recognize your country?

With the Fourth of July coming up I started feeling patriotic, proud and depressed all at the same time. When I used to write my old blog I used to talk a lot about politics and current events. I wanted to focus this new blog more on western themes but I said I would dabble in politics from time to time and the week of the Fourth of July is as good a time as any.

This current president has done more to damage this country than anyone else I can think of. That includes Jimmy Carter and Franklin Roosevelt. I don't doubt that he is sincere in what he is doing but we are not socialists and he doesn't seem to be able to grasp this concept. He seems like a nice guy, a good father and would probably be a nice neighbor to have but that is not qualifications for leader of the free world.

I sincerely believe that the nation got caught up in the notion of electing our first black president (well half black anyway). Yes it was a milestone for us as a country I am glad that as a society we have moved passed those kind of racial divisions and deep seeded hatred for our brothers and sisters. But this goes back to prove my point that I've always made about quotas and affirmative action. Dont give someone a position based on the color of their skin. Martin Luther King died protesting this kind of thing. We need the most qualified and best suited candidates to fill positions, whether it is president, general, teacher, doctor or quarterback. I am not opposed to a black president but give me J.C. Watts, or Michael Steele or Condoleeza Rice. Any of them would do a better job than the current commander in chief.

It is not just the president though. There are two houses of Congress that act like crackheads who just won the lottery. There are a few good ones there like John Cornyn, Tom Coburn and even Joe Lieberman who I almost always disagree with but I believe he is a dedicated principled man. Over in the house you have people like Mike Conoway, Duncan Hunter and a few others.

Then there is the supreme court which is barely in our favor right now. When I say our favor I really mean in the country's favor when they defend individual rights, property rights and religous freedoms. That could change in the next few years.

Sometimes people feel so overwhelemed that they dont know what to do and they feel like giving up. Don't, you really do have a voice. You have to write, call or email you represenatives in congress. Any of you who listen to talk radio know this is effective. If you burn up the lines to D.C. they start to get scared and worry about their next election. They will tend to do what is right if you scare them enough. It has worked on drilling and illegal immigration, of course we have a new administration now so that went out the window, but before the elections there was real progress being made on that.

People remember you do not work for the government. Your hard earned money does not belong to them. Your property does not belong to them. Your rights as human beings, men and women, are bestowed to you by God almighty! Barak Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid can not bestow inalienable rights to you only our creator can and as much as Obama thinks he is God, he isn't and he is up for another job interview in 2012.

People are always saying "God bless America" that is much more than a song and a bumper sticker. Folks God has blessed America, over and over and over again. I read a book once called The Greatest Virtue by Reverend Pat Robertson. The theme of the book was that we have to be humble in our lives in order to be blessable by God. We have lost that, we have become very secular and very arrogant and that is why we don't always recieve the blessings we want when we do come running back to God asking him to bail us out of our latest problem. Here are a couple of quotes to make my point.

"By meditating on Christ's humility, we shall see how far we are from being humble."- Saint Teresa of Avila

"Unless humility precede, accompany, and follow up all the good we accomplish, unless we keep our eyes fixed on it, pride will snatch everything right out of our hands"- Saint Augustine

If you want another book that really explains what it means to be a conservative and what the role of America's government is all about you should really read "Liberty and Tyranny" by Mark Levin. It is the perfect guide to remind us what America was, how we lost it and more importantly how we get it back!

Here are a few more quotes about our liberty and our faith to remind you why there is no place else like the good old U.S.A.

"A government big enough to give you everything you want is strong enough to take it away"- Thomas Jefferson

"They who give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety"- Benjamin Franklin

"The constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness, you have to catch it yourself"- Benjamin Franklin

"That government is best, that governs least"- Thomas Paine

"If the freedom of speech is taken away then the dumb and silent may be led, like sheep to the slaughter." - George Washington

"All men having power should be distrusted to a certain degree." -James Madison

"Americans have the right and advantage of being armed, unlike citizens of other countries whose governments are afraid to trust the people with arms."- James Madison

"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For that reason alone, people of other faiths have been afforded freedom of worship here."- Patrick Henry

"It is necessary for the welfare of the nation that men's lives be based on the principles of the Bible. No man, educated or uneducated, can afford to be ignorant of the Bible."- Theodore Roosevelt

"I therefore beg leave to move that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessing on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning...."
"A Bible and a newspaper in every house, a good school in every district; all studied and appreciated as they merit; are the principal support of virtue, morality, and civil liberty."- Ben Franklin

"It behooves us then to humble ourselves before the offended Power to confess our national sins and to pray for clemency and forgiveness..."
"I am profitably engaged in reading the Bible. Take all of this Book upon reason that you can, and the balance by faith, and you will live and die a better man."- Abraham Lincoln

"Intelligence, patriotism, Christianity, and a firm reliance on Him, who has never yet forsaken this favored land, are still competent to adjust, in the best way, all our present difficulty." – Abraham Lincoln

"The laws of nature are the laws of God, whose authority can be superseded by no power on earth."- George Mason

God and Texas,

Jason Watson

Coleman PRCA Rodeo

Coleman Texas has about 5,500 residents, give or take. Like most other small towns there is not much to do around here. This town fits all the usual stereotypes. We roll up the sidewalks at sundown and the little old ladies just drive their cars to church on Sunday.

With that being said there is one thing that Coleman is known for and that we do really well. I'm talking rodeo. Not just any rodeo mind you, a real live PRCA rodeo just like the kind you see on RFD-TV and ESPN 8 (the ocho!) Since it is a PRCA event some of the top cowboys in the country come out of their way to find little old Coleman Texas. No it's not Houston and it's not Cheyenne or Las Vegas but "the cowboys are the toughest and the stock's the best there is" to borrow a line from Red Steagall.

The Coleman rodeo started in 1936 during the Texas Centennial. Some local citizens were looking for a fun way to commemorate Texas 100th birthday and what better way for a small town in West Central Texas to do that than to do what they know best? They came out and cowboyed!

The rodeo came from humble beginnings; using the local football field for an arena. It steadily grew and gained popularity throughout the region and it began to grow. They bought some land south of town and built an arena, grandstands and other things such as show barns, breeder-feeder buildings and a dance pavilion.

It seems like the rodeo kind of went through a lull for a few years where it just wasn't as good a show as it used to be. I don't have anything to base that on it is just one fans perception. Whatever the problem may have been they have come back with a vengeance the last few years. I know the prize money has been upped and the Stace Smith Contractors have provided excellent stock to show the cowboys off. The dances have also been much improved, I know over the last few years big Texas acts such as Kevin Fowler, Pauline Reese and one of my personal favorites Ricky Calmbach have all come through Coleman to play. Also in the last few years they have added the Bill Franklin Center and a new Expo center both of which have been huge improvements not just for the rodeo but for all the local events our town hosts.

What would a rodeo be without a parade? As usual the folks of Coleman did not disappoint. The parade was full of everything you would expect in a Norman Rockwell style town. We had homemade floats, local cheerleaders, various civic organizations, fire trucks, police cars and lots and lots of horses and cowboys to ride them. Of course you cant have a rodeo without your rodeo queen. My buddy Doug Burks and his band Barbwire also provided music and entertainment after the parade was over.

One other thing that the Coleman rodeo has that almost no one else does is an equestrian drill team. This team is made up of local cowgirls, they have no sponsors or endorsements, they do this all on their own. They are a really talented bunch of cowgirls, if you ever get the chance to attend a rodeo in Coleman they are worth the price of admission themselves.

Well that about does it for this year. I attended the Friday night show. We had a great time, my oldest daughter wants to be a barrel racer (among other things). My youngest daughter thought seeing all those cows and horses was about the coolest thing around.

God and Texas,

Jason Watson

The Texas Rangers

This is a re-post of a previous article

Well, this week I kind of wanted to write about something historical, but I also wanted to write about Texas; so I settled on writing about the Texas Rangers, and that would kill the proverbial two birds with one stone. Just to give a quick rundown on the Rangers, they were started in 1823 by Stephen F. Austin. They were unincorporated and loosely banded. In 1835, they were officially recognized as a “Ranging company”. In 1935, they were folded into what became the Texas Department of Public Safety. Nowadays, they aren’t the nomadic, ranging, bounty hunter types that were portrayed in the movies; they act as the state's intelligence agency. Basically, they are Texas’ version of the FBI.The following is a list, with a short profile, of some of the agency's more legendary lawmen. These men had a large part in Texas developing the reputation we have worldwide as rugged, independent individualists who feared nothing or no one. I feel that we are losing that identity as a state due to political correctness and a huge influx of out-of-staters who want us to be more like them, instead of them assimilating into our way of life. Here is my warning to all parents: Teach your kids about our history. You can’t really rely on the school systems anymore. Let your kids know what it is to be a Texan!

Frank Hamer 1884-1955

The name Frank Hamer is a synonym for “Bad#ss.” Frank was a typical lawman, in that he hated outsiders interfering in law enforcement business. He would never make it today in law enforcement. Between the ACLU and citizen review boards he would be run out of town on a rail. But back in the day (1920’s and 30’s), he brought law and order to a state that was still pretty wild and wooly. In 1932, he is said to have retired, but the truth was that he was ticked off at local politicians, so he quit. Sure enough, two years later, they needed him again, so they talked him into coming back. This time they needed him to find none other than Bonnie and Clyde. Frank tracked them down and got permission to cross into Louisiana. On May 23, 1934 they set up an ambush and pumped over 130 rounds into the car they were driving. The moral of the story kids…….don’t piss Frank Hamer off

Manuel Trazazas "Lone Wolf" Gonzaullas 1891-1977

'Lone Wolf' Gonzaullas is pretty cool guy for a couple of reasons. First, he is the first Ranger of Spanish decent. He was born in Cadiz, Spain. Secondly, he is the namesake, at least his nickname is, of my favorite movie: Chuck Norris’ “Lone Wolf McQuade,” about a modern day Texas Ranger in El Paso. Lone Wolf’s biggest case was the notorious murders in Texarkana, Texas in 1946 just after World War II. If you can find it, there is an old movie called “The Town That Dreaded Sundown.” It dealt with those murders. After retiring from the Rangers he moved out to Hollywood to be a technical advisor for TV movies and radio. His most notable project was called “Tales of the Texas Rangers”. Like any good Texan, Manuel came back to Dallas so he could die in Texas.

Leander Harvey McNelly 1844-1877

McNelly was one of the first to really develop the rough and tough Ranger image. In the 1870’s, he was sent down to South Texas along the Nueces River. Mexico and Texas had argued for years on where the southern border was. Mexico said the Nueces River, and of course Texas said it was the Rio Grande, a little further south. That area of Texas was notorious for cattle thievery and lots of rough Mexican banditos. A special branch of Rangers, called “Special Force,” was commissioned and they specialized in carrying really big cans of whoop ass. Leander was rough as hell, but he did bring law and order to that area. He died of tuberculosis in 1877; God finally did what no man on Earth could. In 2001, they made a movie called "Texas Rangers" about McNelly. The movie starred Dylan McDermott. I don’t know why they chose him. Hell, they might as well have chosen Angelina Jolie. (in case you cant tell I’m not much of a Dylan McDermott fan!)

Samuel Hamilton Walker 1815-1847

There are not a whole lot of individual stories to tell about Sam. He served in the Mexican-American war in the 1840’s. In 1844, he was serving with Jack Hays' Ranger Company. They were 15 Rangers who took on 80 Comanche Indians near the Pedernales River. They had the the newest Colt Pistols available. Apparently, they made a hell of an impression on Sam. A couple of years, later he was in Washington D. C. and met Sam Colt. He would later help him develop what became the Walker .44. That became a legendary pistol in the old west. That gun killed more men than Cecil B. Demille.

John Salmon “R.I.P.” Ford 1815-1897

“R.I.P.” is another nickname that Hollywood borrowed for a fictional Texas Ranger. Kris Kristofferson played Texas Ranger Cecil “R.I.P.” Metcalf in a couple of made for TV movies called “A Pair of Aces” and “Another Pair of Aces." The real RIP was mostly known for creating the Ford and Neighbors Trail between San Antonio and El Paso. He was later made a Ranger Captain in that area where he was an Indian fighter in the early 1850’s. That might not sound like much but you have to understand that the area of Texas between San Antonio and El Paso was some of the roughest, toughest country in the entire United States. To tell you the truth; even today, once you get past San Angelo it still not the most welcoming country in the world!

Ramiro “Ray” Martinez

I wrote about Ray several months ago after reading his book “They call me Ranger Ray.” It was fascinating. It really makes you proud to be a Texan. I could personally relate to the book because of the places he talked about. He grew up in the Rotan and Sweetwater area. He later lived in Austin. He is most famous for what he did before he became a Ranger. Ray is the man who killed Charles Whitman; the sniper on the UT observation tower. He later joined the Rangers and served down in South Texas fighting political corruption. You can check him out at http://www.rangerray.net/.

William Alexander Anderson (Bigfoot) Wallace 1817-1899Bigfoot Wallace wasn’t famous so much for a single event. He is more famous for what he encompassed. He is the stuff that Hollywood likes to make movies out of. He was a larger than life character. It is said that he is a descendant of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. He moved to Texas from Virginia after hearing that some of his family had been murdered in the Goliad massacre. So like his purported Braveheart ancestors he went to Texas to kill those that were responsible. Another legend of Bigfoot was the following passage from the Texas Handbook Online: He drove a mail hack from San Antonio to El Paso and on one occasion, after losing his mules to Indians, walked to El Paso and ate twenty-seven eggs at the first Mexican house he came to-before going on to town for a full meal.

Ben McCullough 1811-1862
Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good. McCullough had decided to follow Davy Crockett to San Antonio and fight at the Alamo. Ben came down with the measles though and was bedridden in Nacogdoches. By the time he was healed up, it was too late. Everyone at the Alamo was dead. Instead he joined up with Sam Houston and fought at the Battle of San Jacinto. He later became a Ranger and like most of your typical, individualist Texans, he liked to fight with his own weapons; shotguns and Bowie knives instead of the standard issue saber and carbine rifle.

John B. Jones 1834-1881

He was involved in one of the most legendary old west shootouts. He was a Major in the Texas Rangers and he set up an ambush for the notorious outlaw Sam Bass in Round Rock, Texas in 1878. I am personally interested in this one because I believe one of the Rangers involved was named William Ware. I am related to a William Ware who also lived in the 1800’s but I have not been able to connect the dots on this one yet.

Joaquin Jackson
Joaquin is where Hollywood meets reality. He was a real Texas Ranger who retired in 1993 and got into movies. His biggest role was Sheriff Wes Wheeler in the Tommy Lee Jones western “The Good Old Boys”. He is also the man who discovered country singer Johnny Rodriguez singing while he was in jail. He is also on the board of directors of the NRA. Jackson is an expert with firearms, so in the words of Willie Nelson, “Don’t boss him; don’t cross him, just wait till tomorrow, maybe he’ll ride on again.”

Well as you can see they are some colorful characters. They have developed a few nicknames and mottos over the years. They have been called “Los Diablos Tejanos” the Texas Devils, “Los Pinche Rinches” the f#cking Rangers. They have also developed the motto “One Riot, One Ranger”. That phrase was coined in 1896 when Ranger Captain Bill McDonald was sent to Dallas to stop an illegal heavyweight boxing fight. When he got to town the local sheriff asked him where his help was and McDonald replied: Hell! Ain't I enough? There's only one prize-fight!

God and Texas,

Jason Watson