Texas governor Rick Perry today issued an official proclamation implementing a new strategy for suppressing the fires that have burned over a million acres in his state so far this year. Here is an excerpt:
…WHEREAS, a combination of higher than normal temperatures, low precipitation and low relative humidity has caused an extreme fire danger over most of the State, sparking more than 8,000 wildfires which have cost several lives, engulfed more than 1.8 million acres of land and destroyed almost 400 homes, causing me to issue an ongoing disaster declaration since December of last year; and
WHEREAS, throughout our history, both as a state and as individuals, Texans have been strengthened, assured and lifted up through prayer; it seems right and fitting that the people of Texas should join together in prayer to humbly seek an end to this devastating drought and these dangerous wildfires;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, RICK PERRY, Governor of Texas, under the authority vested in me by the Constitution and Statutes of the State of Texas, do hereby proclaim the three-day period from Friday, April 22, 2011, to Sunday, April 24, 2011, as Days of Prayer for Rain in the State of Texas. I urge Texans of all faiths and traditions to offer prayers on that day for the healing of our land, the rebuilding of our communities and the restoration of our normal and robust way of life.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto signed my name and have officially caused the Seal of State to be affixed at my Office in the City of Austin, Texas, this the 21st day of April, 2010.
RICK PERRY
Governor of Texas
Sorry, Bill… you’re a step ahead of me. Was seeing red and missed your comment. Thanks for posting it.
Though climate change is having more disastrous effects year to year, we have climate change deniers now praying for rain (which was forecast for the weekend anyway) and asking for socialist assistance from the much maligned federal government. The irony is simply too much.
April 22, 2011: CNN Belief Blog: “CNN meteorologist Sean Morris said thunderstorms are expected in the region this weekend, but they may not be of much help –- rainfall is expected to be low, and the lightning could spark further wildfires.”
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/22/praying-for-rain-in-texas/
I’m all in favor of private citizens gathering for prayer no matter what the circumstances may be so long as the directive isn’t coming from the government. What I find offensive in all this is Rick Perry playing evangelical huckster to score a cheap political point.
He uses the people’s faith to his political advantage while doing everything he possibly can to undermine real solutions to real problems simply for the benefit of wealth over people. It is a truly sickening display.
Instead of praying for rain, Gov. Shyster ought rather to pray for forgiveness. It is a sick individual who will use his people’s love of God against them. May this man fry in hell.
Bill, I ran across this on National Review Online this morning…. I’m not from Texas and I’m not particularly religious but I still assert that Texas is a place where prayer is an important part of life and the power of prayer should not be under estimated….If the hot link under ‘it rained’ didn’t transfer, the story was form NBC and noted 2 to 3 inches of rain over the weekend on the Possum Kingdom complex.
Praying for Rain
April 25, 2011 11:22 A.M.
By Kevin D. Williamson
I have a story about Texas governor Rick Perry on NRO today, a magazine piece graciously made available online, free of charge, by The Suits.
Because American politics is stupid, Perry has been in the national news of late because, in the midst of a drought, he suggested that the people of Texas say a prayer for rain. This has been a source of mirth for some of the more secular-minded pontificators — you know the sort: “Flying Spaghetti Monster” jokes and such.
About that, a few thoughts:
1. If you’ve ever seen a drought in Texas, prayer might not seem like an unreasonable response. I might ask: Got a better plan?
2. There is a long and charming history of prayers for rain in my part of the world. I remember going home once after a long while away and, driving in from the airport (the Lubbock International Airport), seeing a group gathered in a field to pray, and thinking that those petitioners were a pretty good symbol of the difference between a place like West Texas and the Northeast or the West Coast.
3. I note that while they may pray for rain, the local farmers still build high-tech irrigation systems. The Lord helps those who help themselves.
4. It rained.
Mike-
A weather forecast issued by the National Weather Service at 4:26 a.m. CDT Thursday April 21, the day the governor issued his proclamation asking for prayer on the weekend, said that a cold front was going to move into the area over the weekend, which would stall, and “…the stalled boundary will provide a focus for showers and thunderstorms this weekend over mainly the northern and northwestern counties.”
The Possum Kingdom PKLT2 RAWS station recorded 0.01″ of rain on Saturday April 23, and 1.57″ of rain on Sunday, April 24. So the rain may or may not have been caused by prayer, but it was predicted before the governor’s proclamation.
While I agree praying is a good practice and always welcome, it doesn’t replace proper preparedness and response… two things that Gov. Perry and the TX legislature seem to have overlooked from lessons learned in the past… 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2006.
All of you bleeding heart, tree hugging, baby killing communists need to keep quite. This is Texas! This is not the cesspool where you come from! We do pray, and we pray often. Contrary to what y’all think, this is not joke; this is a serious matter. We are currently loosing life and property. Here in Texas we still believe in God, country and family. Prayer is the only answer.
Native Texan – your comments sure don’t reflect my religious values: with out knowing who is out there, you call those who have made comments you don’t agree with some nasty names, and have no basis for doing so. While claiming to believe in your country, you direct anyone who disagrees with you to remain “quite” (and quiet too??) In my country, where Montana is a State too, we believe in Freedom of Speech and the separation of Church and State – is it different in your country?
No one can deny the serious nature of the fire situation in Texas, and at least 35 other States have sent help in your direction; we’ll surely again see Texans on other wildfires around the US as the need arises in the coming months and years. But to blast folks who make comments (and yes, some jokes) about the Declaration from a Governor who was just a few months ago threatening to cecede from the US is, in my opinion, overkill. Just for the record: as a Forester I have hugged a tree or two (usually while throwing a D-tape around it; don’t live in a cess pool (I have a septic tank in my front pasture – does that count?); have never killed a baby (except for mice and voles); my heart isn’t bleeding yet that I’m aware of; and I’m an Independent, not a Commie. I’m also a practicing Roman Catholic who prays, but usually don’t feel the need to yell my faith to the rest of the world. So please recognize that while some fun has been poked at the Governor of Texas, those of us in the wildland fire community are with you, hope (and yes, sometimes pray) for an end to your drought, and wish all of the firefighters a safe return to their homes at the end of the day. Have a safe and happy Easter.
Sorry I hurt your feelings, Dick. I wasn’t referring to you, rather everyone else who commented prior to mine. I believe in freedom of speech too….the freedom to call a spade a spade. Nice to hear from a fellow forester. Happy Easter to you too!
Everyone except for Mike G 😉
Native – thanks for the feedback! Have a safe weekend, and we’ll all be hoping for a break from your fire situation.
Sweetheart, God helps those who help themselves and does not suffer fools gladly… particularly those who continue to deny reality in spite of decades of warning that this would eventually happen and will continue to happen. Direct your ire toward your nitwit gubernor and associated politicians who are throwing Texans over a cliff for profit.
And by all means, pray. By the time they get finished with you, you’ll have no other recourse.
Texas is a state enduring a rash of large fires that are proving difficult to control and are effecting the lives of it’s citizens. They’re doing what they can to suppress these fast, rapidly emerging events and protect people and property.
The Texas governor has appealed to a higher power for relief. Granted, it may or may not be effective, but it can’t hurt and will provide comfort to many of the states citizens. Make fun of the power of prayer if you wish but I find the comments posted here juvenile and self-serving.
I second you on the childish comments, Prayer can’t hurt.
Normally it can’t hurt except when politicians use God and end times rhetoric to justify climate change denial for profit.
What would a task force under this strategy be composed of?
a muslim a priest and a rabbi.
Don’t forget the Govenor is a politician that must be reelected to affect any thing. He is in a state whose faithbase charities made huge contributions to the Hurricane Katrina and Rita relief efforts. I think his proclamation actually has little to do with the many fires that will soon be history.
You have GOT to be kidding me…..please remind me what century this is again? Until the diety of your choice shows up with a Red Card ready to work on the fireline with a Council Rake and a bladderbag, I’d like our elected representatives to leave religion out of this and stick with the idea of long-term committment to funding well-trained personnel to implement a combination of proactive controlled burning (with the public’s acceptance of Rx fire smoke) and firefighting actions combined with better community planning/fuels management.
Zach – for most of us, it’s the 21st Century; for Texas politicians (remember Tom Delay – the “Hammer”) it’s the mid- to late 1800s. And to think that in 1960 we worried about having John Kennedy as a Catholic in the White House – how times have changed!Things have sure gone to heck since we let the Ladies have a vote!
Emmett it sounds like you are still stuck in the 1800’s with a comment that “things have sure gone to heck since we let the Ladies have a vote!”
A feable attempt at humor – obviously missed the point! My apologies.
Some people don’t DO satire (heh)
Maybe they should pray for an end to the release of millions of tons of carbon so global climate change can be averted!
I think that Gov Rick should ask Jerry Jones to be the Prayer Leader, backed by a choir of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders. Heck, if JJ can get Texans to finance his new Ego Palace, he can do anything!