City of Austin considers renaming itself

Alinsky Rule 5 Post 36:

The website mystatesman.com seldom makes it to the Drudge Report, but it did on July 29, 2018 with this link to an article entitled “City report on Confederate monuments raises idea of renaming Austin.”

Here’s an excerpt from that article:

“Known as both the ‘father of Texas’ and the namesake of the state’s capital, Stephen F. Austin carved out the early outlines of Texas among his many accomplishments.

He also opposed an attempt by Mexico to ban slavery in the province of Tejas and said if slaves were freed, they would turn into ‘vagabonds, a nuisance and a menace.’

For that reason, the city of Austin’s Equity Office suggested renaming the city in a report about existing Confederate monuments that was published this week.”

{snip}

“The Equity Office’s report concludes, ‘It is essential to acknowledge that societal values are fluid, and they can be and are different today compared to when our city made decisions to name and/or place these Confederate symbols in our community.’

‘It is also important to acknowledge that nearly all monuments to the Confederacy and its leaders were erected without a true democratic process. People of color often had no voice and no opportunity to raise concerns about the city’s decision to honor Confederate leaders.’”

With the deceased Stephen F. Austin now in the crosshairs of the Orwellian social-justice warriors in Austin, Texas, it’s only a matter of time until calls come from the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University to change the letterhead on all stationary, and diplomas.  Then there’s Austin College – a private school in Sherman, Texas.  That’s gotta change, too.

Austin is the State Capitol of Texas. So, once it has a new name, a ripple effect will spread across the Lone Star State.  Perhaps there’s the new name for Austin: Lone Star, Texas.

But that will only begin the work of the Austin’s Lone Star’s Equity Office.  The opportunities to spread equity, far beyond allusions to the Confederacy, in the Lone Star City and State will abound. Here’s just a few.

A few other Lone Star Cities needing a new name

1. San Antonio: Named after the feast day of St. Anthony of Padua. That’s clearly an afront to religious diversity.
2. Arlington: Named after General Robert E. Lee’s Arlington House in Virginia. Shameful naming.
3. Corpus Christi: Spanish explorer Alonso Alvarez de Pineda named it after a Roman Catholic feast day – it means “body of Christ.” See #1.
4. Lubbock: Thomas Saltus Lubbock was a soldier in the Texas Revolution and served as a Texas Ranger – they were particularly brutal against some of the native American indigenous peoples – and he supported the Confederacy.
5. Brownsville: Named after Major Jacob Brown, a soldier in the Mexican-American War, and the commander at Fort Texas where he died in a Mexican attack there.
6. Odessa: Likely named after a Russian railroad worker who saw in the area a resemblance to the land around Odessa, Ukraine, but who was born long before Donald Trump – so there’s no Russian collusion there.
7. Tyler: Named after the 10^th POTUS, John Tyler, who – and this seals the deal on changing the name of Tyler, Texas – when his father died in 1813 he inherited the family plantation and 13 slaves.

About 10% of Texas Counties are named after Confederate historical figures

Ector
Mathew D. Ector, Confederate General
Foard
Major Robert L. Foard
Gray
Peter W. Gray, Houston District, Confederate House of Representatives
Tom Green
Tom Green, Brigadier General
Gregg
John B. Gregg, Brigadier General
Hemphill
John Hemphill, Representative of Texas in the Congress of the Confederate States of America until his death
Hood
John Bell Hood, Lt. Gen.
Jeff Davis
Jefferson Davis, President CSA
Johnson
Middleton T. Johnson, Colonel
Lee
Robert E. Lee, General CSA
Lubbock
Thomas Saltus Lubbock, Terry’s Texas Rangers
Ochiltree
William Beck Ochiltree, Colonel, 18th Texas Infantry
Oldham
Williamson Simpson Oldham, Pioneer Texas Lawyer and Confederate Senator
Randall
Horace Randall, Brigadier General
Reeves
George R. Reeves, Colonel
Scurry
William R. Scurry, General
Starr
Dr. James Harper Starr, Confederate agent for the postal service west of the Mississippi River
Stevens
Alexander H. Stevens, Vice President, CSA
Stonewall
Thomas J. (Stonewall) Jackson, Lieutenant General
Sutton
John S. Sutton, Colonel
Terrell
Alexander Watkins Terrell, Brigadier General, “Terrell’s Texas Cavalry Regiment”
Terry
Benjamin Franklin Terry, Terry’s Texas Rangers
Upton
John C. and William E. Upton, Confederate Generals
Val Verde
Named to commemorate a battle which involved Texas Confederate Forces (the Sibley Expedition) who fought at Val Verde, near Fort Craig, New Mexico, on February 19, 1862
Winkler
Clinton M. Winkler, Colonel
Young
Overton C. Young, Colonel, Twelfth Texas Infantry, CSA

They those counties need new names. Now, focusing back on Austin…

Austin’s inequity in housing

Here’s a sample of the inequity of housing in Austin Lone Star, Texas

For Sale: $15,000,000

For Sale: $25,000

Austin’s inequity in Public Schools

A list of the worst schools in Texas notes these 20 in the Austin I.S.D.

1. Brooke Elementary
2. Burnet Middle School
3. Cunningham Elementary
4. Dobie Middle School
5. Eastside Memorial at the Johnston
6. Garcia Young Men’s Leadership Academy
7. Houston Elementary
8. LBJ High School
9. Martin Middle School
10. Mendez Middle School
11. Norman Elementary
12. Oak Springs Elementary
13. Pecan Springs Elementary
14. Pickle Elementary
15. Ridgetop Elementary
16. Rodriguez Elementary
17. Sadler Means Young Women’s Leadership Academy
18. Travis High School
19. Webb Middle School
20. Widen Elementary

Lastly, inequity abounds in neighborhood safety in Austin.

Conclusion: All aspects of life in Austin Lone Star, Texas considered, the City’s Equity Office has its work cut out for it.

Perhaps starting with the vast inequity in citizens’ incomes.