Reason

Full disclosure here:  considering ourselves independent moderates, we have voted on both sides of the political spectrum, until of course the Republicans themselves, by their own mouths, made it impossible for us to consider them seriously.  We can mention former Republican congressmen, such as former senator Chuck Hagel, as an example of intelligent, balanced thinking.  But note that he is no longer in Congress, by his own choice.

And unfortunately, as far as the current crop of presidential candidates, there’s not a one we’d have to dinner, much less vote for, particularly our own governor, Rick Perry.  As some would describe Mr. Perry in Texas, “he’s all hat, no cattle.”  It has been an amazement to us that he has been elected and re-elected, until we consider the sources of his support:  real big money.  The poor man has done terrible things to our cherished state.   His programs have ‘borrowed’ funds from Teacher Retirement, cut resources by as much as 75% for volunteer firemen, pushed through all sorts of cuts that severely disadvantage the state, and worst of all, claimed credit for jobs which in many cases he did not create, and in others, are so low-paying that, as one person stated, “Governor Perry has created jobs; I know, I work three of them!”

But!  Oh, how we dislike defending the fellow on anything.  But!  The thing that Perry is being ragged on just now, education at state resident rates for illegal immigrants, is, in our opinions, his one saving grace.  First of all, when folks check out the details, as we understand them, young people must have lived in the state for three years, have graduated from a Texas high school, and must promise to begin the procedure to become citizens.  Now what is wrong with any of that, when you consider that they are already here, and education at residence rates is so much cheaper than what it would cost to incarcerate them when they are uneducated and jobless and get into gangs and mischief or worse.

Another Texas fellow we didn’t always agree with, but who went on to do wonderful things such as support the Civil Rights Act, and you know who I mean, Lyndon Johnson, well, Lyndon Johnson said, “Education will not cure all the problems of society, but without it no cure for any problem is possible."

So there you have it.  Good ideas and good actions can come from those we perceive as flawed or plain old wrong.  It might benefit us all to listen to us all.