University Diaries » “Juan Reaves, 52, who worked at the Smokey John’s Bar-B-Que locations at the [shot-up Texas State] fair, said that three of his employees have quit because they no longer feel safe. ‘This is so disappointing. The fair is one of the best reflections of Dallas.’”

Post mass-shooting, people always say stuff like that. They always say mass shootings are a grotesque departure from local social life and make the whole place look bad.

But they need to begin to understand – certainly in our bloodiest states, like Texas – that spilled blood everywhere – football games, parks, churches, highways, schools, state fairs – IS the state of Texas. Blood and guts all over the place is our clearest reflection of places like Dallas. Blood and guts and shrieking families running all over the state fairground IS the news out of Dallas, just as much as massive suicide by gun is the news out of Wyoming.

Like… it’s time to rewrite the state song:

It’s the crimson rose of Texas…

But Texas isn’t ready for this transition, even if this is indeed the stark reality, so until it arrives at an acceptance of its killing fields identity, we are going to have to watch as its citizens draw themselves up in shock again and again and again and again as mass killers shut down public life.

More interestingly: What happens when Texas does eventually realize the elementary truth that when everyone in the state owns shitloads of unlocked guns, someone in the state, purdy much every day, is going to go shooting one of them off in a public place? Eventually, in states like Texas, events like state fairs, without clear defensive barriers/National Guard protection, will be seen as the provenance of shabby stupid pathetic people who don’t know any better than to come in from the blood. No one will be seen outside, except at hyper-surveilled gated community socials. Hell, in time even the gated landscape will become too dangerous. Everyone will move inside.

******************

Correction: It’s not the state song. UD thanks a reader.

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JND Says:
October 17th, 2023 at 4:07PM

Well, I was planning to take three of my grandchildren to the State Fair Thursday. We called it off, but, I must admit, for a different reason.

Arguably, “The Yellow Rose of Texas” SHOULD be the state song. The actual song is the relatively bland “Texas, Our Texas.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas,_Our_Texas

Fun fact. “Boldest” in Verse 1 was “Largest” until those sneaky Alaskans came along and ruined everything.

As you and the vendor both said, “The Fair IS one of the best reflections of Dallas.” And so it is, for better or worse.

Margaret Soltan Says:
October 18th, 2023 at 5:12AM

JND: You know I wondered if I got that wrong about the state song. Many thanks. UD

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