Broke 0 #1 March 3, 2009 This came to me yesterday from the LP monday message Quote Your Monday Message from the Libertarian Party: Happy Texas Independence Day! Trust me, I’m going somewhere with this because it matters to you. You see, on March 2, 1836, a small group of Anglo settlers and native Mexicans gathered in a tiny village on the Brazos River to declare their independence from Mexico and its bloodthirsty dictator, Generalissimo Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. For the Texians, as we were known then, and Tejanos, this was no mere act of civil disobedience. Their civil rights and civil liberties were being violated and their government was forcibly seizing their goods and wealth, as well as their guns. As John Wayne himself put it, “they now faced the decision that all men in all times must face…the eternal choice of men…to endure oppression or to resist.” A charismatic leader, Santa Anna rapidly rose to take Mexico’s highest office. He promised to protect the poor from the wealthy and powerful, but instead centralized the government and delivered a tyranny even more terrible. The Mexican army was the largest and best-trained in the Western Hemisphere. Their orders were clear – slash and burn their way through Coahuila y Tejas, take back the town of San Antonio de Bexar, move north, crush the rebellion and execute its leaders. The only thing between these simple farmers, lawyers and doctors and the hot lead and slashing bayonets of the “Napoleon of the West” was a crumbling stone church along the main road through Texas. Around 180 volunteers were huddled inside the Alamo, holding off as many as 5,000 Mexican soldiers as long as possible to buy their fellow patriots some time to declare independence and raise a resistance. They refused Santa Anna’s offer of mercy to any man who left the fort, which came with a promise to slaughter everyone else, despite not knowing that same offer to rebels at Goliad ended with Santa Anna executing those who accepted his "generosity." Flying a flag of no quarter, Santa Anna lived up to his word to kill all inside when a pre-dawn assault on March 6 finally breached the walls after 13 days of resistance. Every Texian and Tejano defender was killed, but recapture of the Alamo came at a demoralizing price. Fewer than 200 rebels killed around 600 of the Western Hemisphere’s best soldiers and wounded others. The stubborn resistance bought the freedom fighters time. The Texas Declaration of Independence was signed at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2. Santa Anna’s crimes against liberty were announced to the world before he could capture the rebellion’s leaders and tighten his dictatorial grip over the rebellious colony. A small band of colonists, armed only with simple hunting rifles and hastily assembled into a makeshift militia, now fled ahead of the massive military juggernaut rampaging north through Texas, burning towns to the ground in its wake. Many Texians were angry, wondering why the leader of their forces, former Tennessee governor Sam Houston, was retreating from Santa Anna rather than fighting. But they weren’t exactly retreating. General Houston knew an army of thousands, which had marched over 3,000 miles from central Mexico at breakneck speed was exhausted and had overstretched its supply lines. And they knew the valiant sacrifice at the Alamo deeply wounded the Mexican Army. As they lured Santa Anna further north, they waited for their moment to strike. It was a bold gamble with seemingly slim odds of success, as Santa Anna was better armed, better trained, had an exponentially larger force and would stop at nothing to exterminate the rebellion. Well, the beautiful thing about liberty is that it eventually gives you an opportunity to win it back. For the Texians and Tejanos, that moment came on the afternoon of April 21. Santa Anna, a brilliant military strategist, had not only split his weary army, he camped his contingent on a wedge of land hemmed in by thick swamps and the San Jacinto River. The arrogant Santa Anna had overreached. The freedom fighters seized the opportunity, charging down the hill into the much larger Mexican camp. The attack came as a total surprise. As the rebel militia hurtled towards the camp, some Mexican soldiers returned fire and others feebly attempted to retreat into the only directions not blocked by Texians and Tejanos – the nearly impenetrable swamps and the San Jacinto River. The short battle was a mind-boggling defeat. The outnumbered militia of farmers, doctors and lawyers killed over half the Mexican force of 1,200, wounded more than 200 and captured over 700 more in less than 20 minutes. They lost only nine of their own. Among those captured was the bold, cocky, arrogant Generalissimo, the “Napoleon of the West,” the once-inspirational hope who changed Mexico from a constitutional republic into a centralized superstate. Only the rebels didn’t know it. Santa Anna ordered a lowly soldier to hand over his uniform, hoping the rebels wouldn’t know who they captured. His cowardly disguise would have worked, had his soldiers not seem him being led back to the camp and started chanting his name. Disgraced and humbled, he agreed to a simple trade. Give them Texas, and they would give him his life. Unlike Santa Anna, the Texians and Tejanos actually kept their promise of mercy. And therein lies the lesson of Texas Independence Day. Liberty can be violated, infringed and outlawed, but the transformational leaders behind it eventually overreach. Their arrogance, pride and hope to change a nation in their image lead them too far. That’s when liberty presents the opportunity for once-inconceivable victory those bold enough to declare their independence and win it back. God bless TexasDivot your source for all things Hillbilly. Anvil Brother 84 SCR 14192 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuckakers 426 #2 March 3, 2009 QuoteTheir arrogance, pride and hope to change a nation in their image lead them too far. You mean like $3 trillion too far?Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
livendive 8 #3 March 3, 2009 Not only that, but today is Square Root Day (03-03-09)...yippeee! Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shropshire 0 #4 March 3, 2009 Quote Not only that, but today is Square Root Day (03-03-09)...yippeee! Blues, Dave Hey one of those rare dates, that not even people on the other side of the Atlantic can't mess up - dd-mm-yy (.)Y(.) Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
livendive 8 #5 March 3, 2009 Quote Quote Not only that, but today is Square Root Day (03-03-09)...yippeee! Blues, Dave Hey one of those rare dates, that not even people on the other side of the Atlantic can mess up - dd-mm-yy I wouldn't call 12 dates a year particularly rare. And in any case, I only do that for other people. In my personal and small business accounting, I use the only logical format, YY(YY)-MM-DD. Blues, Dave"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shropshire 0 #6 March 3, 2009 I love history ... and this is a great lesson. Big nasty guy gets taken down by small band of committed people. (.)Y(.) Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masterrig 1 #7 March 3, 2009 So good of you to remember this day! Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #8 March 4, 2009 Quote Quote Quote Not only that, but today is Square Root Day (03-03-09)...yippeee! Blues, Dave Hey one of those rare dates, that not even people on the other side of the Atlantic can mess up - dd-mm-yy I wouldn't call 12 dates a year particularly rare. And in any case, I only do that for other people. In my personal and small business accounting, I use the only logical format, YY(YY)-MM-DD. Blues, Dave The hyphens are superfluous. YYYYMMDDquade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
livendive 8 #9 March 4, 2009 Quote Quote Quote Quote Not only that, but today is Square Root Day (03-03-09)...yippeee! Blues, Dave Hey one of those rare dates, that not even people on the other side of the Atlantic can mess up - dd-mm-yy I wouldn't call 12 dates a year particularly rare. And in any case, I only do that for other people. In my personal and small business accounting, I use the only logical format, YY(YY)-MM-DD. Blues, Dave The hyphens are superfluous. YYYYMMDD You're absolutely correct, and I'm not sure why I put them in my post, as I don't anywhere else. Blues, Dave"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Broke 0 #10 March 4, 2009 I am just interested in the personality Parallels that can be drawn between Santa Anna and the present day leader of the United States. Charasmatic and overeachingDivot your source for all things Hillbilly. Anvil Brother 84 SCR 14192 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masterrig 1 #11 March 4, 2009 I never read where Santa Anna was 'charismatic'! If anything, it was just the opposite. Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 2 #12 March 4, 2009 QuoteI am just interested in the personality Parallels that can be drawn between Santa Anna and the present day leader of the United States. Charasmatic and overeaching I challenge any scholar of either history or psychology to write a serious paper advancing the proposition that Barack Obama is like Santa Anna. You'd be laughed out of the first level of peer review. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Broke 0 #13 March 4, 2009 A charismatic leader, Santa Anna rapidly rose to take Mexico’s highest office. He promised to protect the poor from the wealthy and powerful, but instead centralized the government and delivered a tyranny even more terrible. How is that paragraphDivot your source for all things Hillbilly. Anvil Brother 84 SCR 14192 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masterrig 1 #14 March 5, 2009 They failed to mention that after the last day of the seige on the Alamo, Santa Anna had the few survivors lined-up and shot to death. He then had all the bodies piled-up and burned. He was later, after San Jacinto, run-off in shame for being a coward. Santa Anna was an ego-maniacal jerk with a Napoleanic complex. He studied and patterned his military and 'leading' methods after the 'little general'. Is this what you are saying Barack Obama is or represents? I might compare Santa Anna with General Custer but not Obama! Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Broke 0 #15 March 5, 2009 I was just thinking along the lines of the egomaniac part of Santa Anna. Look at Obama his ego is huge. He has never been told no in his life. Yeah it dd fail to mention that. The also failed to mention the Goliad Massacre. He was treated way better than he deserved.Divot your source for all things Hillbilly. Anvil Brother 84 SCR 14192 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masterrig 1 #16 March 5, 2009 Name one politician who doesn't have a huge, over-grown ego!Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Broke 0 #17 March 5, 2009 Quote Name one politician who doesn't have a huge, over-grown ego!Chuck True You know the more I read about the Texas Revolution the more and more impressed I am.Divot your source for all things Hillbilly. Anvil Brother 84 SCR 14192 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
