ABBOTT THE ASSASSIN

I heard a Texan (former) NASA employee on NPR Radio yesterday (7/9/2025). He didn’t want to say anything bad about anyone or any organization from Texas. But, the NPR interviewer “pulled” out of him… the prior plan from 2017 and 2018 with the sirens for early warnings for Kerr County aka “Flash Flood Alley.” (See also the 7/10/2025 Detroit Free Press front page article, reprinted from USA Today… Texas Camp). That forewarning, siren plan was opposed by local businesses as distracting and unreliable (might accidentally go off without an emergency). Still the plan was submitted to the Texas Legislature (at the cost of one $1 million) and the Legislature (brave and insightful, rugged individualists one and all) “took a pass.”

What a lame decision. Should we get rid of our Michigan tornado sirens or seat belts or our airbags or our lifeguards or the multitude of medical devices used on hospital inpatients that warn that vital signs are falling ??? That warning sign system of sirens was rejected by the Texas Legislature twice. Hooray for Texas… the state of rugged self determinism and self reliance. Let the little girls die because we Texans are tough Republicans who disdain both governmental assistance and accountability.

And then Abbott the Assassin dodged any accountability for the deaths with a non-sequitor, locker room pep talk by telling the rest of us we don’t have to revisit the “whys and wherefores” of accountability and learn from the tragedy of dead girls dying young, because, well because, us rugged individualist Texans will just bury our dead on Boot Hill and carry on with our chins up.

This Texas debacle will not quietly fade away because these sweet, innocent girls were not just some underprivileged kids from poor families who got a chance to escape the Blackboard Jungle for a camping experience. I suspect these sweet innocents came from parents and grandparents of means so the lawsuits seeking accountability will be filed and vigorously pursued. Then, his Honor, Governor Abbott, will blame the entire matter on Trial Lawyers— those dastardly charlatans who have the audacity to seek accountability and deterrence from future tragedies and compensation for the pain, suffering and loss of companionship of the surviving parents. Just like the Trial Lawyers who represented the Governor himself when he was paralyzed by a falling tree and recovered a lifetime of guaranteed income for him. Or maybe wi’ll just place the blame where it should be placed… on those damned immigrants.