WRITE OF CENTER
The Texas Hill Country is in the path of two upcoming solar eclipses that will bring tens of thousands of visitors to Kendall County to witness the natural phenomena.
The first eclipse will occur Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, when the sun will appear as a “ring of fire” around the moon. During the second eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024, the moon will completely cover the sun and will allow the sun’s corona to be seen. Kendall County is in the path of totality for the solar eclipse, meaning the moon will completely block out the sun for 4 minutes and 23 seconds beginning at 1:32 p.m.
In ancient times it was commonly believed astronomical events like eclipses foreshadowed religious happenings, pointed to the deeds of dark forces in the universe, or bespoke of the endeavors of the gods and goddesses. Today, we know an eclipse is simply the obscuring of one celestial body by another.
Another definition of eclipse is “the fall into obscurity or “a decline.” With the shredding of the moral fabric in our current culture, our ethics and principles are falling into obscurity and our country is headed into a decline.
Who would have envisioned our Texas Legislature having to address legislation to prohibit pornography in schools (HB 1655), the sexual grooming of children at drag shows (SB 12), and men competing in women’s sports (SB15)?
We should be grateful for the good work by our state senators and representatives to tackle these issues but imagine if our legislators could spend more time and resources to: · Safeguard the 1st Amendment rights of citizens to practice their religion and exercise their right to free speech in the public square · Save Texans from being driven out of their homes due to high property taxes · Defend our state border against criminals · Ensure honest elections · Protect our homes and property from flooding · End the use of eminent domain to seize private property for private economic development or increased tax revenue · Support education for youth who want to work in the trades · Help mentally disabled legal Texas residents · Provide robust training for police officers, firefighters, and other first responders Despite the darkness and difficult challenges there is a bright side. We have faith in God, the inherent knowledge of what is good and a burning desire to leave our country and community better than when we arrived here. As Republicans we should answer the call to be strong trail blazers, torch bearers, and role models.
The two upcoming eclipses will be amazing, so plan to marvel at the phenomena safely with eclipse glasses. And keep working to shine your light of wisdom, love, and compassion into a dark world. “It is better to light one small candle rather than curse the darkness.”
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