Is Texas America? Ask Molly Ivnis!
Does Molly Ivnis pity or condemn the state of affairs in Texas?-by reading her articles a reader is confused. What she wrote 8 years ago has remained green and polished even now. Any literature on Texas demands a second reading for the Americans, as it means a lot to them. This is the home state of ex-President George Bush. The author has a peculiar style of writing. She tackles the controversial issues that continue to engulf Texas, as if a grandmother reveals anecdotes to her grandchildren. She is not interested in creating opinions in the minds of the readers; she takes them on a pleasant journey based on facts related to the current state of affairs in Texas, a State she is prepared to believe that it will not improve. She injects humor in otherwise dull looking situations that continue to happen in Texas.
Is there unity in diversity in the state of Texas? Administratively, Texas is one unified State and Molly Ivnis wonders how that statement could be true, when the common denominators of unity are missing. According to her, there is nothing common about its people, the disposition, the geography and language. She writes, “Here’s the deal on Texas. It’s big. So big there’s about five distinct and different places here, separated from one another geologically, topographically, botanically, ethnically, culturally and climatically. Hence our boring habit of specifying East, West and South Texas, plus the Panhandle and the Hill Country.”
According to her the politics in Texas has invariably been messy. She avers that the elected representatives cannot function as per their free will-they are controlled by lobbyists as per the system of corruption that envelops at every level of politics and administration. Such groups virtually purchase the government and dictate terms. She brings to the notice of the readers that Enron is a Texas company. The entire system in the state of Texas is rotten and loan scandals happen regularly as if they are engineered unchecked and get support from the regulating authority. Frauds happen in the normal course. The functioning of insurance companies is ever in a state of jumble. To put it curtly, the Texan government is manipulated and it is run in a systemically unsystematic style, with no sense of responsibility.
The author praises Texas lavishly for its old world charm. . She attacks Bush, but in her inimical style. She writes, “If you want to understand George W. Bush–unlike his daddy, an unfortunate example of a truly Texas-identified citizen–you have to stretch your imagination around a weird Texas amalgam: religion, anti-intellectualism and machismo. All big, deep strains here, but still an odd combination! Then add that Bush is just another li’l upper-class white boy out trying to prove he’s tough.”(Ivins…)
Know why ‘pen is mightier than the sword,’ after reading what the author has written about Texas. She makes fun of the politicians in her sarcastic language. Her style of criticizing is bitter but it doesn’t hurt.
Finally is Texas America? Is America as a whole moving towards Texan-like culture? Not yet, all issues taken into consideration.
References: (1) Ivins, Molly: Article: Is Texas America? Published in The Nation dated November 17, 2003;www.thenation.com/doc/20031117/ivins (2) Syndicated columnist Molly Ivins… www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16910834/ – 50k –
