Dac Crossley's Western Blog

The War on Science

Back in the 1950’s the Atomic Energy Commission regulated itself. Wrote its own guidelines and policed them without any oversight. Congress recognized the dangers there and split off the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, making it an independent body.

Now, we seem to be going in the wrong direction. The leader of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology is a Texan who has packed his hearings with industry leaders instead of scientists. A bill introduced would pack the EPA’s advisory board with industry representatives. Substitute a political process for the scientific process? Congress used to have an independent Office of Technology Assessment. What happened?

I understand that we’ve become “tribalized.” We belong to one tribe or the other, Democrat or Republican, and we’re supposed to conform to the beliefs of our tribes. Does your tribe deny global climate change? Vaccinations? Does it supply “alternate facts?”

We’ve got to get over this division. We have problems; let’s face them and work through them. Science isn’t our problem. Politics is.

Dac Crossley
September 27, 2017

“The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe in it.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Changing of the Seasons

The autumnal equinox arrives. The long shadows of fall days are upon us. I am not pleased; as I’ve noted before autumn is my least favorite season. During winter I have something to look forward to.

This is the time of the yellow flowers. Country roadsides are filled with goldenrod and camphor-weed here in the Georgia Piedmont. And the beetles have a heyday. I think goldenrod is a singles bar for those beetles. They eat pollen but don’t seem to digest much of it. Maybe it’s margaritas for beetles?

And I have to confess – I’m skidding toward my 90th birthday this fall. It’s been the Summer of Sciatica and I’m not in the best shape, but not ready to surrender. There are parties to plan, Thanksgiving coming up. And there’s a little red wood-burning stove up at the cabin that calls to me. A book signing at the Watkinsville Wall of Books next weekend is there on the calendar.

Maybe Autumn isn’t all that bad.

Dac Crossley
September 21, 2017

“You gotta try your luck at least once each day, because you could be going around lucky all day and not even know it.” – Jimmy Dean.

The Time Between The Wars

The decade between the Texas Revolution (1836) and the Mexican War (1845) was a lawless time for my South Texas homeland. Mexico regarded Texas as still theirs, but battles between political factions paralyzed Mexico’s government. The conservative Centrists (the rico landowners in Mexico City and the Church, fought the liberal Federalists who favored local autonomy, small central government and opposed church power. Battles between these two forces were frequent and make for fascinating research.

Texas was not ignored by the Mexican Generals. On March 5, 1842, General Vasquez and 700 men invaded San Antonio. The Texans moved out, and Vasquez, having made his point, returned to Mexico two days later.

Then on September 11 General Adrian Woll, a French soldier of fortune, brought a larger army into San Antonio. Captain Matthew Caldwell (“Old Paint”) and Captain John C. Hayes (“Devil Jack”) rounded up volunteers and marched to Salado Creek, 7 miles north of San Antonio. They hoped to goad Mexican troops into a fight. General Woll came at them with his full force, and the Texans fled in panic. At last the Texans settled into a wooded area where the deadly Mexican lancers were ineffective, and repulsed the Mexicans with their long rifle fire.

General Woll retreated back towards Mexico. The Texans followed but their leaders fell into arguments about tactics. Paralyzed by the indecision, the Texas troops were disgusted. Woll retreated across the Rio Grande, where the Mexican Government heaped praise upon him.

If you seek parallels between the nineteenth century and today’s problems, I believe you look in vain. The current invasion by illegals has accomplished more than gunpowder could.

Dac Crossley
September 11, 2017. Happy Birthday, Guy C.

“I ain’t gonna study war no more…” - Spiritual sung by Slaves during the Civil War.