Good morning,

Why did the minutemen fight? For the same reason we must keep fighting. For the same reason we must not cringe as supplicants before governing masters promising that their rule is for our benefit.

More thoughts on that after today's Texas Minute.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Friday, June 19, 2020
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Programming Note: I’m going to be focusing on a special project for the next few weeks so Brandon Waltens will be temporarily taking over the daily Texas Minute duties. Watch for the Texas Minute to come from [email protected] while I am away. -mq

• Yesterday morning started with a ruling from the United States Supreme Court upholding an Obama-era amnesty program. Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas quickly reacted, calling for a “permanent solution” that will “unequivocally” provide amnesty for an entire class of illegal aliens. Brandon Waltens has the details.

• Gov. Greg Abbott’s mask order is not going over well. Conservative activists and lawmakers are reacting negatively to Abbott’s assertion that local governments can compel local businesses to mandate masks. 
       
• “This is a clear overreach; he is acting like these Democrat governors, and it’s a real disappointment.” – Dena Carper Dunton, a real estate agent from Southlake
      
• “If you refuse to wear a mask, you will be welcomed in my business. If you wish to wear a mask, you will also be welcomed. But do not expect me to order my patrons to comply, because I am not law enforcement, nor will I act as such.” – Katy businessman Richard Devaney
      
• “Our state deserves leadership, and instead, our governor is teaming up with local liberals to suppress hardworking small businesses.” – State Rep. Tony Tinderholt (R-Arlington)
       
• “These restrictions not only take away the private property rights of the business owner but also take away the individual rights of those who wish to do business with them.” – State Rep. Valoree Swanson (R-Spring)
     
• “Fining Texans is unconstitutional and only serves to delay the need for urgent reopening of Texas businesses.” – State Rep. Dan Flynn (R-Van)
     
• “Abbott, I have lost all respect for you. … Resign so Dan Patrick can take over!” – Susie Etheridge of San Antonio
     
• Consider this: the same mayors, city councils, and county judges who don’t want the police arresting rioters seen defacing property are now being emboldened by Gov. Abbott to harass and harangue business owners and customers for not wearing masks. While 50,000 people can gather to cause disorder and chaos, your neighbor’s business can be shutdown if an old lady doesn’t wear a mask while shopping.
      
• Per Gov. Abbott’s mask order, David Vasquez reports businesses in Hidalgo and Cameron counties will now be required to have their customers wear face coverings or suffer penalties.
   
• FYI: Brandon Waltens, Cary Cheshire, and I will be talking about Abbott’s Mask Order at 11am today on Facebook Live. Join us there, or watch the archive on our website. 

• GOP congressional candidate Genevieve Collins wants amnesty for “dreamers.” (That’s the media-friendly name given to twenty-somethings who are in the country illegally.) Cary Cheshire reports on the statement issued by Collins yesterday morning. Collins is the Republican nominee facing off against freshman Democrat incumbent Congressman Colin Allred on the November ballot.
       
• As the race for the Republican nomination for a district judgeship in Collin County enters the home stretch before the runoff, Tony McDonald writes that deleted social media posts by candidate Sarah Fox are raising questions about whether she supports the GOP platform.
      
• Robert Montoya reports taxpayers in the City of Dallas might get a tax increase this year. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we pass another tax increase,” said Councilman Lee Kleinman.
      
• The Austin City Council has already set in motion plans to tax its residents more. Jacob Asmussen reports the city council would levy an unprecedented tax hike. If adopted, the median homeowner would be paying as much as $440 more on their city property tax bill next year.

Friday Reflection

by Michael Quinn Sullivan

We have forgotten just how extraordinary it is to be Americans. We have allowed the notion of being an American to be common, just like everyone else. But the fact is, America is anything but common – at least, in its origins.

British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher understood that. She once said, “Europe was created by history. America was created by philosophy.”

But it was not an esoteric philosophy of learned men in ivory towers. No, it was the practical philosophy of a practical people guided by their faith and experience.

In the early 1840s a young historian named Mellen Chamberlain sought out one of the last surviving participants from the Battle of Concord to ask him about that experience. The minuteman’s name was Levi Preston, who was 91 at the time of their meeting.

(Mr. Chamberlain later reported the interview in his book, John Adams, the Statesman of the American Revolution.)

Chamberlain asked Preston why he had fought the British. The answers weren’t what the historian expected, for Preston did not speak of the oppressive British rule, the stamp tax, the tea tax or the writings of philosopher John Locke.

“Well, then,” Chamberlain asked, “why did you fight?”

Preston’s answer still takes my breath away: “Young man, what we meant in going for those redcoats was this: We always had governed ourselves, and we always meant to and they meant that we shouldn’t.”

It was this concept of self-government, so natural to Levi Preston and his contemporaries, that changed the world. It is at the practical root of American exceptionalism. It’s why our nation has thrived, even as other, older and more established nations withered and died. 

America is exceptional because we, the people, govern ourselves. Levi Preston and his generation had the moral courage to do what they knew to be right: reject an offer of tyranny so that self-government could thrive.

We do not elect almighty leaders, but public servants. We cannot tolerate unlimited government or make allowance for the divine right of politicians. As H.L. Mencken wrote in early 20th century, “The urge to save humanity is always a false front for the urge to rule.”

Tyranny sometimes arises as a threat, but more often it comes about with the promise of benevolent governance. 

Even still, we can govern ourselves, thank you very much.

Self-government is fragile; it only exists to the extent we continue to participate in it. If self-government is to continue, if liberty is to flourish, if we are to remain independent, we must be informed, engaged, and active citizens.

We must, every day, intentionally fight for the right to govern ourselves.

Programming Note: I’m going to be focusing on a special project for the next few weeks so Brandon Waltens will be temporarily taking over the daily Texas Minute duties. The emails will come from [email protected].