Reflections from the Alamo
As a part of ASP’s national security and climate tour, General Cheney, General Seip, and I are in San Antonio.
One thing I’m struck by as we travel the country is how close history remains, even in places where it gets overlooked. Last week, in Dallas, we stayed only blocks from the place where President Kennedy was shot.
This week, in San Antonio, our hotel is only two blocks from the Alamo. As I walked around it, I was struck by how small the place is. For this place to be revered as the “Shrine to Texas Liberty” that it is today is to show just how much has changed. It shows how the actions of a determined few can literally change the course of history. Just 189 Texans were able to hold an army 1,800 long enough. They all gave their lives, but those extra days gave General Sam Houston’s forces long enough to gather in strength enough to later defeat the Mexican Army at the Battle of San Jacinto.
The lesson for today is not that we should simply lay down our lives for a cause, but that a determined few can literally change the course of history. If a few true believers are willing to work hard enough and sacrifice enough, maybe they will bend the curve of history against what seems like unlikely odds. The cause of climate action started many years ago with a determined few scientists trying to tell the world about the danger. Today, governments and the people are finally listening.
Read ASP’s recent report: Texas and Climate Change
