I’m continuing to consume Ron Chernow’s 1000 page bio of Ulysses S Grant while I enjoy my stay in Dallas, Texas. I’m struck by how much more California has in common with Texas then the differences between the states. And the parallels between our time and the Civil War.
Last night (for me) Generals Grant and Robert E. Lee negotiated the terms of surrender for Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox. As they did so, they chatted a bit about mutual friends and family–they had met when they both fought for the American army in the Mexican War a decade hence. Even though they had just spent years fighting to the death, and even though the Confederate “rebel” army had in fact committed treason, Grant was able (with Lincoln’s blessing) to extended generous terms of surrender to them. Instead of being executed for treason, they were paroled to their homes, allowed to keep their sidearms and horses. Even the enlisted men were given a ride home on the federal railroad. The night after surrender, General James Longstreet, of the Confederacy, dropped by to pay his respects to General Grant–leader of the Union Army. Grant invited him into his quarters, slapped his back, offered him a cigar and invited him to play Brag–a card game they had enjoyed before the war.
Don’t get me wrong here: The sides and the men involved had fierce ideological differences. They weren’t mercenaries. Grant was said to be absolutely convicted about the Union cause and by this time a strong abolitionist. Longstreet was very much for the rebel cause.
While safely ensconced in California, I like to imagine Texas as a very different world. When my son was younger and we took these frequent 35 minute drives across I-80 from Fairfield to Sacramento, we allowed some road signs (“Alamo” “Arsenal” and such) to queue us that we were suddenly driving in Texas instead of California. Instead of Nicky he was Nicky Bob. Instead of Sara, I was Sara Lou. We spoke with Texas accents. We talked with disdain about our cousins (Nicky and Sara) on the left coast and their misguided support for handgun control, high taxes and Democrats.
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| Los Angeles freeway |
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| Dallas Freeway |
I’ve visited Austin, Texas before–considering it a safe politically left enclave in the state. This is literally the first time I’ve spent any time at all deep in the heart of Texas. Yet, in driving around (north) Dallas, I am so much more struck by the similarities than the differences between Texas and California.
Look at these Dallas and LA freeways here–big difference? I mean these large, populous, formerly Mexican states are both so wealthy, so beautiful, so culturally rich, so full of themselves. Seeing us square off against each other in the culture wars its like watching two people hating what they see in the mirror of each other.
Granted, big cities tend Democratic (can we talk about that sometime? When people live close together, do they basically always move to the left unless they have a dictator?) and Dallas is no exception.
It’s exciting to sit here in the heart of two potentially key Congressional races: Democrat Colin Allred is running hard against longtime Trump-supported Republican Pete Sessions in the House 32nd district (I think I’m literally in that district now). Democrat Beto O’Rourke is considered to have a shot at taking down Republican Ted Cruz in the US Senate.
Today’s Civil War, is, after all much more “civil” than “war.” We are fighting at the polls not on the battlefields. And that’s how it should be. We need to fight hard nonviolently for the America we believe in. But you take my point. At the end of the day, Texas and California are both America. Let’s smoke cigars and play Brag while we fight.