If anyone had any doubt that the officials of the state of Texas are stupid, narrow-minded, and mean-spirited, then you can put that last doubt to rest. Last Friday Texas state troopers, at the request of a Texas State Preservation Board employee, arrested Santa Claus (see picture above). What was Santa's great crime? He had written "Santa's Wishes" on the south steps of the Capitol, and was passing out chalk to children and adults so the could write their wishes for a better world. It was a peaceful scene and everyone was having a good time writing those wishes -- wishes that could easily have been washed off with a garden hose (so no property was being damaged or defaced).But that didn't sit well with the stuffed shirts running the Capitol complex, so they called state troopers from the Texas Department of Public Safety (who are tasked with guarding the Capitol). The troopers asked Santa to stop handing out the chalk, and when he didn't they arrested him. Onlookers asked why he was being arrested, and were told it was for criminal mischief (writing on the sidewalk with chalk). They then informed the troopers that everyone had been writing on that sidewalk with the chalk, but the troopers weren't interested in arresting all of the other "lawbreakers" on the scene -- just Santa Claus. They tacked on a charge of Evading Arrest because Santa demanded to know why he was being arrested before submitting to the troopers.
Santa was a member of Occupy Austin named James Peterson. But I have to admit here that I don't understand why the arrest had to happen. Peterson was hurting no one, and no property was being damaged. Why couldn't state officials just let the people have their fun, and then wash the chalk off after everyone left? Wouldn't that have been a much more reasonable way of handling this situation, especially during this holiday season? All this ridiculous arrest did was spoil a visit to the Capitol for those in the peaceful crowd, and make Texas officials (and troopers) look like disciples of the Grinch. And the whole thing was taped by onlookers and now is on YouTube -- making the state a laughingstock around the world.
As a native Texan, I am getting very tired of the government buffoons in Austin going out of their way to embarrass the citizens of the Lone Star State. But I guess I'd better get used to it. The new legislative session will start in January, and I'm sure their antics will be even worse.
