Texas showed us how to make sure the government knows who it’s working for

I’m proud of Texas.

These are words I never thought I would hear myself say but it’s true. Oh not the rich old white man part of Texas but the other part – the underdogs – the women.

Specifically, one woman, with pink tennis shoes and a heart the size of, well Texas.

Sen. Wendy Davis upheld her reputation for being a fighter on Tuesday when she stood for 13 hours and talked about why the Anti-Abortion bill should not be passed.

What she didn’t say with her words but shouted from the rooftops with her action is that this bill went against the will of the people and that the will of the people is what she (and they) were hired to represent. Not some of the people who have certain religious beliefs but all of the people.

As they say in Texas, that woman has more guts than you can hang on a fence.

After 13 hours her filibuster was squashed on a technicality but it was not wasted as the elated crowd outside the chamber took the baton and brought the point home.

They sang, chanted and cheered so loudly that those stuffy old guys couldn’t hear themselves think. As a result, the bill wasn’t signed until after the deadline and that, as they say, is that.

Shortly after this news was the news that DOMA and Prop 8 were squashed by the Supreme Court and I found myself sitting at my desk, weeping with relief.

This is a good day for the American concept.

It doesn’t matter to me what side of the abortion fight you’re on or how scared you are for your own marriage now that my brother can have his.

What matters to me is that there are at least a few people in this country who are awake and willing to fight for the rights of the many.

What matters to me is that, in a truly American display, people stood up to the powers that be and said NO loudly enough to stop the progression of bigotry and religious oppression in our great country.

According to Chris Tomilson of the Associated Press, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst vehemently denied losing control of the chamber. He blamed it on the “unruly mob.”

Well I salute every person that showed up and made some noise in that “mob.” It’s too easy these days to stay home, throw up our hands and say, “What can we do?”

Texas showed us today what we can do if we are determined to stop letting our government forget who it’s supposed to be working for.

I saw a glimpse of it in Baltimore recently when the Occupy movement hollered loudly enough get in the way of a plan to build another prison.

Remember, it was an unruly mob that broke free of the clamps of British rule and founded this great nation to begin with.

So look closely, America. See that you do have a voice if you are willing to raise it like those people did.

See that you do have a cause if you are brave enough to speak up for it like Sen. Davis did.

People are like dollar bills – the more of them you gather together the more power you will generate.

This country is awesome but it’s up to us to keep it that way.

Nancy Murray

Nancy Murray is pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing and the Publishing Arts at University of Baltimore. She is a playwright who as enjoyed full productions of her work at Fells Point Corner Theater, Silver Spring Stage and the Montgomery County One Act Festival where it was selected as The Best of Festival. Most recently she has been enjoying participating in the Submit 10 Series as both a playwright and as a performer.