Training operations have Texans throwing hissy fits
| Leah Nash/The Cougar
It is no secret that Texans love their military. In fact, Texans make up a majority of the Armed Forces.
But conspiracy theorists have been stirring Texans into a paranoid fervor over the upcoming military training operation known as Jade Helm 15.
The theory going around is this training operation, which is taking place across seven states, is just a façade so the federal government can enforce martial law and impede upon individuals’ civil liberties, an idea supported by conspiracy-loving conservative radio host Alex Jones.
Jones also believes President Obama is going to force a third term and declare himself a dictator. Naturally, he also thinks the moon landings were fake and that 9/11 was a government inside job.
He’s definitely the life of the party.
Jones’ theory has sent ripple effects throughout Texas, where some people don’t believe anything the government says, regardless of validity. The Pentagon sent Director of Public Affairs Lt. Col. Mark Lastoria to speak at a Bastrop town hall meeting to assure the people that this exercise was not a preparation for martial law.
He was not well received.
“You may have issues with the federal government, you may have issues with the administration; so be it,” Lastoria said. “But (the army) has been with you for over 240 years, period.”
In response to this insanity, Gov. Greg Abbott is deploying the Texas National Guard to “monitor” these armed forces in order to protect Texans’ “safety, constitutional rights, private property right and civil liberties.”
He seems to be ignoring the facts, catering to Jones’ Sanitarium of Suspicion and Idiocy.
“Jade Helm is a long planned and coordinated exercise,” said Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman. “We are not taking over anything.”
The backlash from Abbott’s decision is, surprisingly, coming mostly from the Republican Party.
Abbott has tried to downplay the situation by projecting the image of a governor who cares about all of his constituents.
“We are all together on the same page in making sure we rally behind and support our military, and at the same time making sure our fellow Texans seem more at ease,” Abbott said.
What Abbott doesn’t realize is the problem isn’t that he is deploying these troops, but that he is “pandering to idiots,” as former GOP Texas congressman Todd Smith eloquently said.
Unfortunately, Texas still has three more years to deal with Abbott, and if he can produce this much stupidity in just five months, Texas’ near future does not look bright.
According to McClatchy Newspapers, approximately 2.5 million military personnel served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and around 6,600 died.
That’s a big sacrifice; one that civilians should respect.
Texans supposedly support the troops, but their heated paranoia seems to outweigh their love of their country.
Opinion columnist Anthony Torres is a political science sophomore and may be reached at [email protected]
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