Liberty....or Death??

In the article Happy Texas Independence Day! by Jonathon McClellan, a proud honorary Texan and a conservative activist residing in Austin who has worked on political campaigns as well as local state officials. He admits he is biased toward those he has worked for and it shows as evidence in this article; a blatant advertisement for the campaign for Ted Cruz for Senator. The intended audience is clearly for his fellow Texas Republicans.

As referenced in our textbook, the two most important ideologies to the Texan Creed are individualism and liberty. And Ted Cruz is basing his campaign on the latter of the two, liberty. The slogan for his campaign is “Stand for Liberty with a Strong Conservative Fighter”.  The article begins with a short recap of the events of March 1836 when 52 men with modest possessions and little organization gathered at Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas to officially create their own nation.

He goes on to paint a picture describing the men with Lt. Col. William Barrett Travis and the men in the Alamo who were battling against the Mexican Army and General Antonio Lopez De Santa Anna, who reportedly campaigned on a platform of change and liberty but didn’t delivery on those promises. He draws close similarities between his own ideals on liberty and that of Lt. Col. Travis by including quotes from the Victory or Death letter, “I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patriotism & everything dear to the American character to come to our aid, with all dispatch…”

The blog certainly draws at the strings of pride in every Texan. Pride in what our ancestors endured for us. Yet his article shows no supporting evidence as to why he should be our new symbol of liberty. What makes him so important that he should compare himself to William Barrett Travis who died defending Texas? I completely support the idea for Texas pride. However, there is absolutely no facts or even claims as to why we should support him in his race for Senator. In order for this article to be more effective there should be some substantial evidence reflecting why he would be a good candidate for Senator.