From the northern Panhandle to the Rio Grande Valley and everything in between, Texas is arguably the nation’s most unique and culturally diverse state. Second-largest in the Union, with nearly 30 million inhabitants, Texas boasts 268,596 square miles of prairies, mountains, basins, deserts, brushlands, and coastal plains. The combined beauty within our borders is unrivaled anywhere else, but to truly appreciate its grandeur, you must journey across its wide open roads. Texas pride resides in the heart of those fortunate enough to be born under our BIG painted skies and those who arrived as fast as they could. In its enormous metropolitan cities and sleepy “blink and you’ll miss it” towns, you will discover one commonality, our pride is as immense as our state; we love our home, our traditions, and our barbeque.
Our monuments, symbols, and traditions testify to the spirit of Texas and that which lives in each of us. The Alamo, the San Jacinto Battlefield, and the Lone Star flag represent what Texans stood, fought, and died protecting. Our freedoms and liberties undoubtedly came at a heavy price, and if not for those who chose to draw a line in the sand, our beloved state would be in stark contrast to what we cherish today. However, a passive misconception has grown about sovereignty, which is that it will always exist. The shifting sands of relative thought and evolving culture have departed from the core values that many hold so dear. Sole dependence on elected officials is a slippery slope challenging to recover a firm foothold. Community, at its center, encourages each citizen to sustain an active role in nurturing positive growth. The passage of time and prescribed opinions have dulled our nation’s sense of worth and security.
Born out of necessity, citizens formed militias in Texas to serve and protect their communities from aggressors and the ravages of war. Men in arms, or minutemen, were a hand-picked elite force that was required to be highly mobile and able to assemble rapidly for community defense. David Crockett, frontiersman, politician, and soldier, drew a line in the sand during the 1836 Battle of the Alamo. Being a militia man from Tennessee, Davy knew what it meant to stand his ground and fight, even against all odds. Standing alongside their fellow volunteers, these men fought for what they believed was worth defending. In all respects, these were ordinary men with little to no military discipline. Encroachment on values beckons those determined to contend with challenges of relative thought and fight for the return to foundational truths.
Embedded in the U.S. Constitution, the Second Amendment states, “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed” (The 2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution). There is a perpetuating debate that this nearly 235-year-old document affords connotations from its explicit intent suggesting that freedoms change or relative to the observer; for this reason, the forbearers of this nation had the foresight to write the Second Amendment to protect the right of the people from tyrannical abuse of power. We, as Texans, chose to exercise our rights and defend our freedoms.
Although the landscape has changed, the call to remain vigilant has not. Those who stay steadfast in established values can preserve their way of life. The TEXAS STATE MILITIA is in a state of readiness and trains regularly to protect its families and communities by staging real-world scenarios, such as natural and manufactured disasters, civil unrest, and foreign and domestic terrorism. The Texas militia (or militia in general) is not a new concept or a radical movement driven by any political faction or agenda. We are Constitutionalists sworn to protect the ground on which we stand.
Hope is why we train, the hope for a brighter future for our children and generations to follow. Idle hands do not achieve freedom; it is through the diligent efforts of men and women like you who recognize the need to defend our way of life.
We are Oscar Mike
References:
https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/amendments/amendment-ii