Thread – A Rant on the Cancel Culture from a Retired Cop in Texas

1. A pal sent me this excellent rant, which is excerpted here. It will resonate with you, too. I took the liberty of doing a light editing throughout.

2. I am 83 years old, and I NEVER thought I would live to see American society degrade to the level that we are now witnessing.

3. Let me begin by addressing the movement we are now seeing regarding special interest mobs destroying various statues and monuments portraying various people and events in the history of our great country.

4. Who was Lawrence Sullivan Ross? If you are not a native Texan, this man's name probably will not have much meaning to many of you.

5. BUT, if you are either a Native Texan or a long time resident of the state of Texas, you might realize that Lawrence Sullivan Ross played a big part in the colorful history of this state.

6. Lawrence Sullivan "Sul" Ross was a Soldier, Statesman and University President. He was born in Bentonsport, Iowa Territory, on September 27, 1838. He came with his family to the Republic of Texas in 1839. "Sul" Ross attended Baylor University.

7. He received his degree from Wesleyan University in Florence, Alabama in 1859. He returned to Texas, and in 1859 and 1860, he served as a captain in the Texas Mounted Rangers. In the 1840s, Sullivan Ross' father also served as a Texas Ranger under Captain Jack Coffee Hays.

8. During the Civil War, "Sul" Ross served in the 6th Texas Cavalry rising to the rank of brigadier general and commander of the Texas Cavalry Brigade. After the Civil War ended, "Sul" Ross farmed and raised cattle.

9. In 1873, he was elected Sheriff of McClennan County and in 1876 was a member of the 1876 Texas Constitutional Convention. From 1881 through 1883, he was a Texas state senator, and in 1886 he was elected as the 19th governor of Texas.

10. The present Texas state capitol was constructed during his terms. In 1891 he became President of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. (Today, it is better known as TEXAS A & M UNIVERSITY.) He served in this capacity until his death in 1898.

11. When he died at College Station on January 3rd, Texans mourned and extolled him for his courage, his dedication to the state and his public spirit.

12. The Dallas Morning News wrote of "Sul" Ross, "IT HAS BEEN THE LOT OF FEW MEN TO BE OF SUCH GREAT SERVICE AS SUL ROSS. HE HAS DISCHARGED EVERY DUTY IMPOSED UPON HIM WITH DILIGENCE, ABILITY, HONESTY, AND PATRIOTISM."

13. In 1917, the Texas Legislature named a newly created school in Alpine, Texas in his honor – Sul Ross College, which became Sul Toss State University in 1969. He is an inductee in the Texas Ranger Museum and Hall of Fame in Waco, Texas.

14. Incidentally, that is a very good place to visit. I have been there several times and never get tired of seeing the exhibits. Of course, almost every time I go there, I see a new name of an inductee whom I have known at some point in my law enforcement career.

15. ANYWAY, Lawrence Sullivan "Sul" Ross has at the present time a statue of his likeness which overlooks the Academic Plaza at Texas A & M University. Up until the present time, the statue of "Sul" Ross has been one of the most revered works on campus.

16. AH, but now there is a move afoot to tear down the statue of this true Texas hero and is receiving the support of the present quarterback of the Texas A & M football team. The quarterback happens to be black.

17. Now this quarterback may play for the Texas Aggie football team for 4 years. He may or may not play football for the NFL. But to support his position to disrespect the memory of a true Texas and American hero is ABSURD. This is where our country has allowed itself to decline.

18. I saw yesterday where they are talking about removing the statue of Theodore Roosevelt from the front of a museum in New York City. This move is also receiving the support of the present New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo.

19. There is a move afoot to tear down the statue of former U.S. general and President Andrew Jackson in Washington, D.C. The so-called "demonstrators" have defaced a statue of former general and President U.S. Grant.

20. Wonder if today's "African Americans" have any idea who Ulysses S. was, or on which side he fought in the War Between the States?

21. The tearing down of a statue of a famous person from the past WILL NOT ERASE OUR COUNTRY'S HISTORY although that is just exactly what these idiots are trying to do.

22. On this same subject, I watched one news report yesterday where some idiot reporters asked the parents of George Floyd what they thought of the practice of removing the statues of anyone who may have been on the side of the Southern States during the Civil War.

23. I did not even stop to listen to their answer because, like Rhett Butler in the now forbidden movie "Gone With The Wind", FRANKLY, I DON'T GIVE A DAMN about what the parents of George Floyd think.

24. One must wonder if the reason they asked the Floyds could have been that the media has some concept that the Floyd family did such a great job of raising George Floyd and teaching him the basic concepts of right and wrong.

25. For some reason, after looking at the felony arrest AND conviction record of "The Gentle Giant", I do not think the Floyds will receive a "Parents Of The Year Award."

26. I even saw yesterday where these BLM and ANTIFA idiots are proposing the destruction of a statue of Abraham Lincoln commemorating the Emancipation Of Slaves. Anyway, to all of this BLM and ANTIFA and destruction of historical and religious statues, I say ENOUGH!!!!

27. Let me dwell for a moment on all the hoopla this past week regarding the NFL's position of players kneeling during the playing of our national anthem.

28. First of all, the first time that Colin Kaepernick was observed kneeling on the sidelines during the playing of our national anthem, he WAS NOT the starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. He had already been replaced as the starter.

29. Then yesterday, I heard several NFL Coaches as well as the idiot NFL commissioner supporting the practice of kneeling during the anthem.

30. Then, I heard NFL Hall of Framer Brett Favre make statements supporting giving Colin Kaepernick another shot at playing for an NFL franchise.

31. Now I always enjoyed watching Brett Favre play, but I do not remember anyone ever electing Brett Favre to any position in which his political opinions were required.

32. The best thing these athletes in all sports can do is to play their sport to the best of their ability and shut up about political matters. The same holds true with college athletes, who are becoming damn near as obnoxious as the professionals.

33. Then, to top it off, I heard one idiot sports reporter yesterday compare Colin Kaepernick's "sacrifice" of showing his political views by kneeling on the sideline during the playing of our national anthem to that of former starting defensive back Pat Tillman ….

33A. … who gave up his NFL career to join the U.S. Army and fight with his brother in Afghanistan, where he was killed by friendly fire. That is an insult if there ever was one. To this nonsense, I also say ....... ENOUGH!!!!!!!

34. Finally, I was watching some news film last evening of one of the multitude of so-called "peaceful demonstrations" around one of the statues, I believe it was in Washington, D.C., and I observed a line of uniformed police officers in full riot gear complete with vests, ….

34A. … helmets with face masks, riot batons, and shields, being confronted by a large group of so called "demonstrators". Of course, the "demonstrators" were in the officers’ faces screaming all kinds of insults.

35. Then I saw one of the "peaceful demonstrators" grab the top of one of the officer's shields and slam it back into the face of the officer several times. Of course, the shield hit the helmet and face mask, but the blows were pretty solid.

36. Now, I am not criticizing the inaction of the Officer, as I am sure he was following orders to not to use any type of force. And I am sure that were I on that front line as was this Officer, and I wanted to keep my job, I would follow orders.... or at least I think I would.

37. BUT, chances are also just as good (particularly if I had enough years to retire) that I would have given this rioter what has in the past has been known as, "a wood shampoo." Yes, that means I would have cracked his ass with my wooden riot baton.

38. I can remember in Houston, Texas, back during a couple of racial outbreaks when our chief of police gathered his entire department except for just a few personnel to man the police station, and his instructions were rather simple:

39. "Arson WILL NOT be tolerated. Looting WILL NOT be tolerated. Get out there and do it the way you think I want it done, and if you do it wrong, I will take the blame!”

40. That "demonstrator" needed some stern discipline just like my old chief implied. ENOUGH OF THIS CRAP!!!!!!!!!

41. <end of his rant> He is spot on, and there are a lot of normal Americans who are equally fed up with the unchecked rioting and mayhem that is ongoing in #Dementiacrat-run cities and states across the US.

42. And we’re not about to let the cancel culture get away with destroying our cultural history and American history, either. ///The end.