There are moments in our national story when a single decision crystallizes the tensions between security and ideology, between vigilance and complacency. What is unfolding in Texas right now may well be one of those moments.
Governor Greg Abbott has taken the significant step of designating the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations. According to the governor’s assessment, these groups have made their intentions abundantly clear: to forcibly impose Sharia law and establish what they describe as Islam’s dominion over the world.
Lieutenant Colonel Allen West, the retired military officer and former congressman, weighed in on this development with characteristic directness. West believes this designation serves a dual purpose. First, it addresses what he describes as troubling developments surrounding a proposed community project originally known as the East Plano Islamic Community, now being rebranded as The Meadow. Second, it prevents CAIR from representing certain interests within the Lone Star State.
The implications run deeper than a single development project. West raises concerns that should give any American pause. He points to what has transpired in the United Kingdom and France, where so-called “no go zones” have emerged alongside parallel systems of jurisprudence operating outside the framework of established law. According to West, similar patterns are beginning to manifest in Texas.
“We cannot allow them to freely operate,” West stated plainly. “We don’t want to see Texas, we don’t want to see the United States of America go to what we see in the United Kingdom, what we see in France.”
The practical ramifications of designating CAIR as a terrorist organization extend to legal representation. If the designation stands, CAIR lawyers would presumably be unable to practice in Texas courts, effectively dismantling the organization’s formal operations within state boundaries.
But here is the question that demands an answer: How does this happen in Texas of all places? West acknowledges what many Americans might find uncomfortable to admit. Even in the most vigilant states, people can fall “asleep at the wheel just a little bit.”
West draws attention to a troubling pattern. Every major urban population center in Texas now operates under leftist control. Austin and Travis County, Dallas and Dallas County – the state’s largest cities have become ideological battlegrounds. The former congressman suggests this is no accident. Texas holds symbolic importance that transcends its considerable size and economic power.
“So goes Texas, so goes the rest of the United States of America,” West observed. He notes that Texas remains unique in American history as the only state with its own Declaration of Independence, the only state that existed as an independent republic before joining the Union. “There’s something symbolic about being able to overtake Texas,” he added.
The broader implications deserve serious consideration. If parallel legal systems can take root in Texas, with its proud tradition of independence and self-governance, what does that portend for the rest of the nation? Governor Abbott’s designation may prove to be either a necessary firewall against encroaching extremism or a flashpoint in an ongoing cultural conflict.
What remains beyond dispute is this: The battle over American identity and the rule of law continues to intensify. Texas has drawn a line. Whether other states follow suit may well determine the trajectory of this debate for years to come.
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