7.25.2006

WOW.

Words cannot describe how stupid I think this is. Not that I am dissing the idea of prayer, mind you, but the idea of the elected officials actually adopting resolutions to get their town to pray for rain. Just read the quote from the town preach...uh, I mean, MAYOR. Makes you realize why the Dixie Chicks rake the town over the coals on their last album. (Their lead singer is from Lubbock.)

*****
Lubbock, Texas, plans to pray for rain
LUBBOCK, Texas, July 24 (UPI) -- Public officials in Lubbock, Texas, are organizing a day to pray for rain.

"Nobody is going to tell God what to do and what not to do, but we are in a serious drought in West Texas and since he is the man who controls the rain clouds, we're asking him for his mercy and his help," Mayor David Miller told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.

The City Council and the Lubbock County commissioners are expected to adopt resolutions this week asking local residents to both pray and fast for rain this Sunday.

So far this year, Lubbock has received about half of its normal 10 inches. In the weeks since June 1, the growing season for cotton, rainfall has been a scant .75 inches, far less than the normal 4.43 inches.

Officials have tried prayers before and say they were answered. In January 2004, after a year of drought, the city and county set aside a Sunday to pray for rain and got the second-wettest year since records have been kept.
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From Taking The Long Way:

LUBBOCK OR LEAVE IT

Dust bowl, Bible belt
Got more churches than trees
Raise me, praise me, couldn't save me
Couldn't keep me on my knees
Oh, boy, rave on down loop 289
That'll be the day you see me back
In this fool's paradise

Temptation's strong
(Salvation's gone)
I'm on my way
To hell's half acre
How will I ever
How will I ever
Get to heaven now

Throwing stones from the top of your rock
Thinking no one can see
The secrets you hide behind
Your southern hospitality
On the strip the kids get lit
So they can have a real good time
Come Sunday they can just take their pick
From the crucifix skyline

Temptation's strong
(Salvation's gone)
I'm on my way
To hell's half acre
How will I ever
How will I ever
Get to heaven now
Get to heaven now

International airport
A quarter after nine
Paris Texas, Athens Georgia's
Not what I had in mind
As I'm getting out I laugh to myself
Cause this is the only place
Where as you're getting on the plane
You see Buddy Holly's face

I hear they hate me now
Just like they hated you
Maybe when I'm dead and gone
I'm gonna get a statue too

Temptation's strong
(Salvation's gone)
I'm on my way
To hell's half acre
How will I ever
How will I ever
Get to heaven now
Get to heaven now
How will I ever

Get to heaven now

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

My parents live in Lubbock. That whole city council is on crack. This is the same city council that is currently proposing to put a canal system in downtown Lubbock. Maybe that's their real reason for praying for rain!

Travis said...

Your parents are from there...or just living there? That actually explains quite a lot. I remember when Hector used to talk about not wanting you to come over because you kept trying to convert him into one of your crazy "snake handlers."

(I couldn't remember what those people were called so I had to google it...they're truly NUTS!! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_handling)

Anonymous said...

My dad is from Lubbock, and now they live there to run inherited family farms. And while they really need rain for the crops they aren't generally the praying or crazy types. Almost every phone conversation I have with them includes whatever stupid thing the Lubbock city council has proposed that week.

And Hector is full of crap, it was totally the other way around. I mean, didn't he live in Tennessee? Home of the crazy snake people? He even showed me how he speaks in tongues. WHATEVER!