The sad thing is not that Texas Governor and potential presidential candidate Rick Perry is rallying his state to pray for rain (again) — prayer is all the state’s got at this point, in the midst of this massive, harmful, record drought and heat wave. This is the worst drought and worst heat wave on record in Texas and the state, the state of my grandparents’ I’ll note, is in sore need of a miracle to break the spell.
The sad thing is, Rick Perry and his GOP are doing nothing to prevent future heat waves and droughts like these, or worse, from doing even more harm. Climate science is clear and sound. It has been developed over centuries! However, fossil-fuel-funded Republicans like Rick Perry are ignoring it and claiming it is a hoax to make a buck. I don’t think that’s very in-line with the teaching of Christ or any other religious leader. Since when was it moral to sacrifice the lives and basic necessities of billions so that you can make more money and have more power?
The tragedy and hardships Texas is currently facing are tremendous, but they are miniscule compared to the tragedies awaiting them, their children, their grandchildren, and their global neighbors all over the world as a result of the GOP’s subservience to the fossil fuel industry and dismissal of repeated scientific warnings by leading world scientists and even leading scientific institutions!
This is the biggest tragedy. Good luck with the prayer. But if you really cared, you would get to the root of the problem and stop the unrestrained emission of greenhouse gases.
Ricky Perry, God help us, will not end up gaining the U.S. presidency (he has not announced he’s running yet, but seems primed to). Or, if his and my grandparents’ state isn’t relieved of its tremendous drought and heat soon, hopefully it will burn some sense or compassion into him and get him to acknowledge the true human threats of climate change.
Want some more info on Texas’ record drought and heat? Here are some facts from Think Progress:
– Hottest month ever (July)
– Hottest July ever, average temperature 87.2°F (previous record 86.5°F in 1998)
– Hottest June ever (fifth hottest month ever), average temperature 85.2°F
– Least year-to-date precipitation, 6.53 inches (historical average 16.03 inches; previous record 9.36 inches in 1917)
– Driest consecutive 8, 9, and 10 months, 7.25 inches 8.35 inches, and 9.17 inches respectively
– Driest 12 months ending in July, 15.16 inches (previous record 16.46 inches in 1925)
– 99.93 percent of the state is in some level of drought
– 73.49 percent of the state is in exceptional drought
“These statistics rank the current drought as the most severe one-year drought ever for Texas,” Nielsen-Gammon explains. “Never before has so little rain been recorded prior to and during the primary growing season for crops, plants and warm-season grasses.”
Not fun stuff. but you can’t deny it’s more fair that it’s hitting this climate/science-denying state than poor countries of African and Asia that are truly concerned about climate change and trying to address it.
Image via eschipul
Texas wins again for the most misunderstood state in the Union thanks to “Dick” Perry! BUT, if it spooks non-Texans from moving in and taking jobs and driving up the cost of housing, then by all means let the puppet flop his hair around and summon up Jesus on national television.
“Hoping that Texas ‘fries’ and learns a lesson from such arrogant stupidity. But…nah….. Texas is Texass and screw everyone else!” –Are any of you actually from Texas? Or better yet, do you have a loved one residing there? Have you ever visited Texas for more than just a drive through? Honestly, you sound no different in your rhetoric than the loathed “stereotype Texan” image you seem to comfortably proliferate. And before you go wishing for roughly 24 MILLION PEOPLE to suffer, you should look at your own home state and ask yourself if you’d like to see all your brethren “fry” for the sins of your own politicians.
We Texans will endure this drought and survive, not because we believe that God will liberate us, but because we violently love this chunk of land and all her hard beauty. If any part of the stereotype is true, it’s this: a “Texan” loves Texas like they love their mother. If this is a crime, then leave us to it.
And a hypothetical question for some added insight: If someone you dearly loved had fallen gravely ill, and the doc told you with downcast eyes, “It doesn’t look good”—what would you do? Would you pray? Would you ask others to pray for them? Would you not do anything in your power that you saw fit to attempt to change the course of history?
We don’t all agree with Rick, and we didn’t all vote for him, but when we all are forced to endure this agony of heat and drought and utter destruction and loss, it seems like the least we can do is pray. If not for a reversal of these conditions, then to find peace while we survive it.
Ever since Thomas Aquinus had Pelagius murdered in the name of Jesus.
Is is Texas using or producing fossil fuels that is its downfall? I’m not sure
I for one am thankful that we have a leader that not afraid to use prayer.
It is frightening just how far removed from reality Governor “Bag of Hair” Perry really is. Not only has he repeatedly dismissed proven scientific facts, and threatened that Texas just might secede from the union, he also blatantly ignored International Law last month when he allowed the illegal execution of a foreign citizen:
http://ecolocalizer.com/2011/07/08/united-nations-texas-violated-international-law-with-texas-execution/