2011 TEXAS GUBERNATORIAL INAUGURATION - THE TEXAS CENTURY

As a contributor to the Perry Campaign, I received an invitation to Texas Governor Rick Perry's historic and unprecedented third inauguration at the Capitol in Austin yesterday.  It was my first time at a live inauguration and it lived up to all my expectations.

My daughter and I arrived an hour early to be sure of finding parking and getting a good spot to watch the event.  After parking, we browsed the capitol building, made of sunset red granite and dedicated in 1888.  The restoration work on the capitol I had seen on previous visits had been nicely finished and my daughter remarked how beautiful the building looked inside.  We picked up some souvenirs at the gift shop and headed out to the front to wait for the ceremony.  I've lost count of how many times I've passed through the rotunda and am always impressed at the size and spaciousness of this grand room.  That day it was packed with visitors and more than the usual complement of Texas State Troopers. My daughter remarked how imposing the tall peace officers looked in their gray uniforms and distinctive cowboy hats.

The weather outside was cool and overcast.  We walked past the National Guardsmen with the cannon borrowed from Camp Mabry and picked a nice spot on a small rise under s tree where we had a good oblique view of the stand.  The crowd was gathering and included a full spectrum of people from well dressed elites to curious street people.  Most of those gathered were middle aged adults, typically couples in coats and hats.  We didn't have special seating arrangements, so we stood near gate IV of  the VIP section where the fence had acquired a layer of onlookers about three people deep.

A little before the ceremony, an announcer instructed the media representatives to set up their cameras on one of the two scaffold set up for them there.  In reporter from KVUE came by and asked my daughter and me if we'd like to be interviewed.  My daughter felt unprepared, but I offered to do so.

The reporter, Jade Mingus, asked my why I had come and mentioned the high profile nature of the event and the recent shootings in Tucson and asked me if I was concerned for my safety.  This brought to mind my experience back in 2005 when I was an MP in the Texas State Guard and deployed during the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  We had been ordered by Governor Perry to provide security and relief operations for the evacuees.  During the two months I was deployed we worked in shelters and distribution lines that involved dealing with the full spectrum of people from very bad to very good, with most somewhere in between.  Many had come from the chaos in New Orleans and had expressed amazement and deep gratitude at how secure and orderly the shelters were in Texas.  There had been plenty of potential for trouble, but I hadn't seen it get very far.  I knew the governor and his people ran a tight, professional operation and had few worries then.  I wouldn't have brought my daughter to the inauguration if I'd thought there was any danger that morning.

After a moment of thought, I explained how we'd come from our home town in East Texas to show our support for the governor and witness the historical event.  Then I pointed out that besides the Governor's normal security detail, there were the State Troopers, DPS and National Guardsmen.  I added that I expected Perry, as a Christian, to give the matter to God in prayer and said that, in a word, the matter was covered and I wasn't concerned.  I thought I'd also recognized some Texas Rangers I'd met before in the crowd, but didn't want to give that away.  As expected, the event went quite smoothly.  I didn't see my comments in the final broadcast.

KVUE BROADCAST IN INAUGURATION SECURITY

We also didn't see the scheduled flyover of F-16s, but there was an extremely unprofessional pilot who flew a single engine plane overhead trailing an advertisement for a company I shall write a scathing letter to.  The noise of its engine interfered with the governor's speech.  I understand they have already apologized.

The band began to play a little before the dignitaries came out and were introduced.

Lt Governor David Dewhurst was sworn in first and gave a good speech that referred to his rise from humble origins as a model for what's possible for Texans, while giving due credit to his wife's loving support.  It was a passionate speech which was aptly summed up in Dewhurst's quote from Ronald Reagan, "There are no easy answers; but there are simple answers."  It was a speech about fiscal responsibility by government and personal responsibility by the governed. It was bold and impassioned.  I could only wish he'd finished the quote from Reagan with "We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right."

Later at the barbecue I had a chance to talk with Pat, one of his neighbors, who sincerely described the Dewhurst family as decent and personable people.  I had expected that, but was glad to have a first hand observation.

Next Governor Perry was sworn in and gave his speech.  It was a strong challenge to the administration in Washington to do better on the Texas model.  It was as great in its vision for Texas as Dewhurst's speech was passionate about Texas.  I especially liked his perspective on history how the attention of the country over time had shifted from east to west, and now looked to the gulf coast.  In the 21st century we hear much about the rise of China and Islam, which I think are way overdrawn.  It was refreshing to hear the governor of a state of 25 million people state emphatically that this is the Century of Texas.  It wasn't list on me that Sherry S., a Chinese student from Berkeley in California had come to see the inauguration and stood by us in rapt attention trying to peer over the crowd to watch Governor Perry as he spoke. Texas is doing things right and the world is watching.

Upon the conclusion of the speech, the mens' choir sang and the National Guard fired a twenty-one gun salute that startled not a few in the crowd.

After the speech we were invited to a barbecue lunch courtesy of billionaire Red McCombs who had paid $100,000 for an estimated10,000 people to eat on the capitol grounds.  The food was good and abundant and the lines moved remarkably quickly for so many people. We met a woman in line, Catherine R, who was blind.  We helped guide her through the line and to a table where we ate lunch together.  She told us about her work for a local oil company and her activity with the Republican Party.  Her best story was how, as a recent member of the party, she had volunteered for the county and then state delegation and eventually went to the national convention where she met President Richard M. Nixon.  After the barbecue we gave her a ride home and made the long trip back to our own much missed home.

It was also nice to know in a time of tight budgets that the $2 million cost of the modest inauguration had been covered by donations. I went away with the feeling that the "best is yet to come."