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Saturday, March 3, 2012

1824 ALAMO BATTLE FLAG

About 10 days late getting this up this year, have not been home in the daylight to do it. This is the flag that I said to remind me to tell you the story behind, and I will, might as well do it now.
About 3 years ago, I put it up for the first time, when the siege of the Alamo started back there about 1836. I was determined to leave it up, till the fall of the garrison, and put up the 'COME AND TAKE IT' flag after the 6th of March, when the flag fell.
We'll, it was a very nice Sunday spring day, Patti and I were composting the front yard, minding our own business, when a Police car pulled up in front of the house, and a 'kid' Police officer, about 21 0r 22 got out and approached me in the yard, and said,' How you doing today?'
Patti and I both said we are fine, and traded howdy's, and I ask him if I could help him, since he came on to private property, he must have a reason, or a warrant? He of course bristled at that, and said.: We have had some complaints from your neighbors that you are flying a MEXICAN FLAG in your yard. I also see that your are carrying a side arm, can I get you to give me that while we talk? ( my sidearm was not visible to him, until he got about 5 feet from me, it was covered by the jacket I was wearing).
Patti looked at me, then him, and me again, and gave me that, YOU NEED TO TALK TO HIM LOOK.
I have to be honest, I may not remember exactly what I said in reply, but I think it went something like this:
Officer, I have the utmost respect for you, but your on private property, and you have no reason, or cause to un arm me on property that I own, or is in my direct control. You came here without an invitation, and you are trespassing, so, no I will not give you my weapon. In addition, my wife will not give up her weapon either. ( Patti had her .22 mag derringer in her pants pocket ) He countered with, do you have a CHL License? I countered with, that has nothing to do with the fact that your trespassing, without a warrant, so let's remember why your here. ( we both have a concealed handgun license.)
He then said something about the flag again, and forgot all about taking my sidearm, and I said something like this, although not word for word I'm sure, as a matter of fact, I was danged mad, I might have forgot exactly what I said, but it went something like this:
I can understand how stupid my neighbors are, but a police department that is hooked up with Homeland Security has no reason to be stupid. No excuse. You go trot back to the station, and ask your Boss what that flag is, and see if he can tell you. I'll give you a hint, IT AIN'T THE MEXICAN FLAG.
It's obvious to me that no one around here knows a dammed thing about Texas History, so I'll leave that flag up there, so you ALL will have to learn something about it, or get the city to make a case that I need to take it down.
He said he was not there to make me mad, just doing an inquiry, and I said, well, you have now got your information, so now what are you going to do?
He got in his car and left without a word, which is what he should have done. We never heard another word from them, or our neighbors about the flag, and it fly's right now.
I am a private property advocate, and I do not appreciate anyone trying to unarm me on my own private property, especially a police officer.
Since this encounter, I have talked to this young officer, and he has informed me that he has studied Texas History, and in fact, knows now that it's not  a Mexican Flag, and apologized for the way he handled the investigation at the time. ( He's from Indiana ).
 NO EXCUSE.

That's what happened with the flag in my yard, guess it was so close to 911 that the neighbors just wanted to complain that it was not a  US flag? They are stupid too as far as I'm concerned, if they wanted to fly a British flag in THEIR yard, I wouldn't call the cops and complain about it.

Try to check in Sunday, time permitting.
Suerte

11 comments:

  1. I must admit I did not know what an 1824 Alamo flag looked like. No one ever taught me that in school and I went to school in Texas. It is good to learn something new every day.

    As far as that stupid policeman, I am glad you set him straight in so many levels.

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    1. I'm with MsBelinda. When you posted your reminder I did a search on Texas flags. I may have been taught about the 1824 flag in school, but it obviously didn't stick. I guess if you don't use it you lose it.

      I will certainly recognize it from now on though, thanks for the refresher in Texas history.

      Don

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  2. Thanks to you Don, and MsB, I will post other flags as they become appropriate, and hope the 'flag police ' don't give me greif over it. Good Greif, are we that so pc that we can't even remember our own history here? Come on!
    Patti and I were at the Alamo @ 5:10 this morning, stayed about 15 minutes, and hit the road so I could be at work late, at least I didn't break my string.........30 years today, every March 6th.
    MsB, loved your post, have not had time to comment, although I think your real brave crossing the border anywhere.

    Suerte

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    1. I am glad the string was not broken. Thirty years is a long time, my hat is off to you.

      Our local television programming comes from San Antonio and I watched the early morning battle re-creation on KSAT12 and thought of you and Patti.

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  3. I'm glad you set him straight. I have my Come And Take it flag & plan on flying it also. Great blog I enjoyed it, thanks.

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  4. Suerte,
    Proud to see you've got the 1824 flag flyin'. It proves you are more than just a verbal Texan. I partly agree with your critics in one way.

    When Travis, Bowie )and the other resident Texicans (not sure about Crockett)entered the Alamo compound they were Mexican citizens. As you know, they flew the 1824 flag to show they opposed Santa Anna's dictatorial assumption of power contrary to the constitution of 1824. They legally remained Mexican citizens for 9 days. On March 2 the Texicans declared independence. At that point they were no longer Mexicans and the flag then was no longer Mexican.

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  5. Funny thing about history: "HISTORY is the TRUTH!"( Until the TRUTH be known.) THE FLAG of THE ALAMO was captured, Santa Anna himself had THE Alamo Flag sent straight to Mexico City. There it remained on display for all the world to see. From 1936 the U.S. has tried EVERY channel to get THE ALAMO FLAG back to the U.S. Mexico has refused. Presidents and governors have tried,( A couple fellas that tried for years and still are trying) you know the fellas are from Texas BUSH THe both of them.

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  6. Much effort was spent by anti-Mexican personalities in the earliest 20th century up until about 30 years ago. A falsified letter, ostensibly written by Col.W.B.Travis, indicated that he and all his men were dedicated to Independence from Mexico and that if the sessions at the Washinton on the Brazos did not produce such results he and all his men would lay down their arms.
    That letter was proven to be false. Plus, several Mexican officers arriving in San Antonio de Bexar noted that the Texans were very astute, because they had legitimised their resistance to Lopez de Santa Anna's usurpation by hoisting the Mexican tri-colour with the number 1824 on the white. Lorenzo de Zavala was,after all, the principal inscriptor of the common and natural law, democratic republican document, the Mexican Constitution of 1824.

    Also, it becomes clearer from a distance that Crockett probably did not come into the Alamo as a combatant. And, he did not come to the Alamo with Buddy Ebsen. He had left prosperity in Tennessee, and the floor of the United States Congress in disgust because of the failure of the central government to abide by the treaties with the Cherokee, Choctaw, and Cree(K) nations. Crockett had been a somewhat successful officer in the Tennessee militia, fighting the Indians and had, as things often work out, become a "fair-play for the Injuns" advocate. He and Houston were not the only ones who wandered about in Washington D.C. in Indian garb, and Houston,of course, was a fully and legally adopted and included member of the Cherokee Nation. Crockett was thought to have had strains of Indian ancestry as well, as did and do many Southern whites. The Southern Negro does as well, but more from Seminole and Tidewater-side Indian nations.

    We find your blog an interesting and wise "rest stop", and a fair forum. It smells like Texas. A+ !

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  7. How did I miss this post? Weird.

    Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad!

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  8. Thanks to all, appreciate every one of your comments

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  9. Thanks to all, appreciate every one of your comments

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