08/30/2024
I make a point out of staying out of politics in public spaces, but Texas Governor just went way too far. As someone who is still traumatized by the shooting last year at the , I am furious about him filing a lawsuit against the State Fair of Texas gun ban.
If you know me, you know how much I love the fair, and we go almost every day. I love to go for dinner in the evening when it is quieter. On October 14, we had just gotten there and were talking to the Director of Creative Arts - Kathy Bennett, in the Creative Arts Building when chaos broke out, and we heard gunfire nearby. Kathy immediately sprang into action and got everyone she could into her office, including us. There were babies in strollers, seniors, and at least one child who got separated in the confusion. We grabbed her and brought her inside, even though she wanted to go and find her Dad. She was about 7 or 8 years old and shaking. As a grandmother, I sat on the floor with her and tried to see if she knew her phone or her Dad's number, but she was too upset even to remember her name. When she looked up at me and asked me if she was going to die and if her father was dead. I couldn't hold back the tears anymore - I still cry every time I think about it; I'm crying now as I write this. People were banging on the door, and we had no idea if they were terrorists wanting to hurt us or people trying to hide like we were. I held her tight as the banging continued and tried to talk to her to keep her mind off of what was happening around us. We were under Kathy's desk, and I think that Kathy and the other State Fair staff would have done anything to protect that little girl. Finally, security let Kathy know we all needed to leave and head to our cars. I waited until the little girl's father found us, and to this day, all I can think of is if she will ever be able to forget those horrible memories.
The shooting happened in the food court, where many of our "Fair Family" work. It happened right in front of Baileys, where our friend Tom was working. He first pulled his staff to safety the best he could, then helped as many others as possible. The police tried to get all the booth workers to leave immediately- fortunately, Tom had the presence of mind to talk them into letting them turn the fryers off and salvage what food they could. All of those concessionaires who had 24 days to make a living were robbed of that valuable time to be open and had to throw away a lot of their assets. For days after that, people were afraid to enter the competitions and to go to the fair because a couple of fools decided to have a gunfight in the middle of one of my favorite places on earth.
So no, Ken Paxton, it is not a god-given right to carry around fi****ms and take safety and security away from people, especially children who will be scarred from it. There is no reason that anyone besides security needs a gun at the fair. Just because some people want to have guns, and as of right now, that is a right, that doesn't give them the right to take away my rights. Just because I have the right to walk around naked, I don't because I have more common sense than that. Too bad everyone else doesn't use the same common sense. If you want to come and enjoy the fair, you should be able to leave your gun in the car at home for that short amount of time, or do the rest of us a favor - just don't come.
A year ago, there were many heroes, especially Kathy Bennett, Tom Deschenes, and the officers who ran towards an active shooter and tried to protect us. Will the selfishness of a few keep me from attending the fair this year? Absolutely not - I will not let bullies like Ken Paxton ruin my favorite time of year. Still, if they do allow guns, I will be watching and looking for the next person who might be carrying a gun instead of just being able to have a good time and enjoying my Fletcher's Corny Dog and Hippie Chips. We all can make our voices heard by voting in upcoming elections and supporting the fair, including the many people who make it so special. Please say thank you when you come to the fair to the teams, families, and security staff that make this the place I want to be.
