>Mind you, I don't support the methods or madness of the Republic of
>Texas,

Note: There have been, since 1992, no less than four groups claiming to be the provisional government of the Republic of Texas. Lance McLaren's group, who had the standoff in the Ft. Davis Mountains, was the founder of all of these groups, all of which but his core later disowning him. Most of the less lunatic RoT people have moved on to a new project, "Texas Constitution 2000," which is a thinly disguised secession document which they want to have 2/3 of Texas' counties ratify. Problem is, the smallest 2/3 by population of Texas counties only contain a total of 4% of their population. I oppose them because, even if they manage to realize their delusions, their independence will last just as long as it takes to have the Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico National Guards to roll down Congress Ave. in Austin.

> but the fact that I was born and raised in a state that was its
>own country for a while is still pretty, darn keen. Wouldn't you say,
>Kris?

A state with its own independence day, its own declaration of independence, and possibly the most hallowed battlefield in the USA... yeah, it's cool.

>On topic, nice story. I wonder, though, if the Redneck has been
>reading any O. Henry recently? Or perhaps, his father read him the
>tale of "The Ransom of Red Chief" when he was young. Charley and
>Harvey seem awfully familiar, and despite the difference of manner,
>they did get the same walloping that Bill and Sam received.

I had it in lit class a couple times in middle and high school. It wasn't in my mind at all during this. Harvey and Charley are comic relief, not the main protagonists (as in Ransom), and their suffering is not ironic turnabout but well-earned karmic retribution.

(Incidentally, the O Henry museum is in Austin, and it hosts a national pun championship every May.)

Redneck

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