The Perils of Perry (or The Trouble with Texas) … By Whitney Farmer – Un Pop Culture

August 12, 2011 Whitney Farmer 16 Comments

Whitney runs a rock music venue on the beach in L.A.. She has an M.B.A, has red hair, and lives in a blue state.

Governor Rick Perry of Texas convened a gathering of 30,000 called The Response on August 6 in Houston. The seven-hour event reportedly included those who were fasting and praying to ask for divine help for problems that are beyond the ability of our government to fix.

In his time at the podium, Perry reportedly prayed for wisdom for President Obama and protection for his family. He also reportedly stated, “You call us to repent, Lord, and this day is our response.” He didn’t indicate specifics for the repentance.

He also stated, “We see discord at home. We see fear in the marketplace. We see anger in the halls of government and, as a nation, we have forgotten who made us, who protects us, who blesses us, and for that, we cry out for your forgiveness.”

The following is a prayer for repentance from a governmental leader – Daniel during the reign of Darius – that can be used to compare with the recent event in Houston:

“We have sinned and done wickedly and have rebelled, turning aside from Your commandments…we have not earnestly begged for forgiveness and entreated the favor of the Lord our God that we might turn from our iniquities and have understanding and become wise in Your truth…we do not present to You our supplications before You because of our own righteousness and justice, but for Your great mercy…”

Did Perry repent, first as himself and then with clean hands as a leader? Or did he use the term “prayer” as a backdoor attack like witchcraft for his own political gain? Did he pray for wisdom for Obama because he wants everyone to know that he thinks he is an idiot, but not for blessing and intentionally excluding him from the prayer over his family for protection because he wants to replace him in the next election?

I have issues with Texas. My grandmother died there under suspicious events linked to the local sheriff’s office with jurisdiction over where she was living. While I was planning the funeral in Washington, her body was misplaced by the coroner’s office. My mom and sister were there to handle her personal effects when unusual circumstances began to be revealed.  As she discussed these in a meeting with a judge who a family friend knew, Mom was told to leave the state quietly as soon as they could, not letting anyone know when they were leaving or their route and – even if they saw police lights in the rear view mirror – to not stop until they crossed the border.

When “Texas Justice” is spoken of with fearful awe, it should more accurately be whispered as “Texas Power”. Right and Wrong aren’t necessarily considerations when balanced against Will backed by Power and Wealth. Might Makes Right and the powerless just hope that the sword arm swings in their favor.  This place kills kings, and anoints the common into the highest places of power. Nearly fifty years after the assassination of President Kennedy, tapes of Jacqueline Kennedy are due to be released next week. Preliminary reports from the Daily Mail and ABC News state that she discusses her belief that Lyndon Johnson and a cadre of Texas powerbrokers were behind her husband’s death. Johnson certainly was a master of politics.  He still carries the most successful record of any president of having his sponsored legislation being vetted by Congress. And that didn’t happen because he was a nice guy. And he was a Democrat.

A few years ago, I attended a gathering in L.A. that was presented as being for people of faith who cared about politics.  It ended up probably being all Republican, except for whatever I am. I intentionally came to the event with a humble and open mind, and listened carefully while Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee spoke. I think I even shook a hand or two. But the person that most caught my attention was the Texas businessman who funded the event.  He only was in the background. I don’t remember if he was ever acknowledged from the stage, but his money made the event happen. I listened while he spoke afterwards to a small group of people in the back of the room. He acknowledged that the West Coast was the battlefront, and he told us to, “Do your part and hold up your end of the stretcher.”

What is my part…? My part is to say “no” to bullies and to have intruders into my home thrown out.  But when they are backed by the powers of mammon and politics and shielded by theocratic scripts, the outcome of the struggle is less certain. When you mess with Texas even if you do it for the right reasons, there might not be a happy ending. People I love are in Texas. My mom is from Texas and studied geology at the University of Houston. An evangelist I trust who has spoken wisdom into my life travels throughout the world but returns home there. I’ve traveled with friends to pray in the New Year at the Super Pit at University of North Texas in Denton. A dear friend, an ace bartender, and his family bought their first home in Austin and they have a new life surrounded by music and joy. Texas offered refuge to Katrina victims. My Preacher Man is in San Antonio.

But right is right, and wrong is wrong. And the Right might not be right, even if it comes outta Texas.

The prophet Ezekiel wrote that the sin of the people of Sodom was that they had become arrogant in their wealth and abandoned the poor. There was no mention of the poor in the gathering last Saturday.

This is what Jesus stated in Luke 18:10-14…

“…Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee (a religious leader) and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee took his stand contentiously and began to pray thus before and to himself: God, I thank You that I am not like the rest of men or even like this tax collector here…But the tax collector, standing at a distance, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but kept striking his breast, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, wretched sinner that I am!’ I tell you, this man went down to his home justified and forgiven rather than the other man; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

According to Jesus, those who pray contentiously are only talking to themselves. This Saturday, Rick Perry is expected to announce to the media that he will be running for President. But last Saturday – except for the 30,000 who were there in the stadium with him – who was listening when he prayed?

Quote of the Blog, from Molly Ivins: “Good thing we’ve still got politics in Texas – finest form of free entertainment ever invented.”