What a year it was, with patriotism overflowing, led by a courageous leader daring danger to give America a sense of glory and new heights, an air of joyfulness and a future so bright that other nations could only gasp in admiration. Of course, I’m referring to 1776. But 2025 looked hopeful: it was only a prelude to 2026 when we shall celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday, and we can wonder at the pride our Founding Fathers would feel towards the way we have handled what they created.
So let’s look back at 2025 with the good (no hurricanes), the bad (Hill Country floods) and the ugly (the Texas state government). First, our Somewhere Over the Rainbow Award: Officials with the cities of Galveston and Houston had crews remove two rainbow crosswalks to avoid losing state transportation funding. In Lubbock they even removed crosswalks portraying local hero Buddy Holley’s glasses. The ICE of Texas: Two immigrants opened three Trump Burger joints in the Houston area. Trump memorabilia festooned the restaurants. The tops of the buns were branded “Trump.” Then Trump’s ICEmen arrested them for being illegal immigrants.
A Scotsman playing his bagpipes in Memorial Park was accosted by a woman who objected to the music. One thing led to another and the angry woman was led away in handcuffs by constables. According to an analysis from Stacker, “a digital content distribution firm,” (whatever that is) Hunters Creek Village is the richest town in Texas; 75 percent of households in the small city of about 4,400 people earn at least $200,000 a year. Meanwhile, just 1.6 percent of families in the community fall below the poverty line. They must be the maids and bodyguards…