Thread by @ClaireBerlinski

So, yesterday, I saw these peculiar stories about armed militias "helping" businesses across Texas reopen. And the grotesque photos of what look like armed, lawless intimidation to me. But I thought about it. nytimes.com/2020/05/13/us/…

1) Is this my business? No.
2) Is this Texas's problem? Yes.
3) Are Texans cool with this? I don't know.
4) Can Texans vote? Yes.
5) So if they're not cool with it, they can do something about it? I reckon.

6) Is there any need for me to judge the way Texans like to do things? No.
7) Is the beauty of federalism that people in different states can have their own laws, traditions, cultures? Yes.
8) Is this an outrage like slavery? No.

9) Do I fear the perpetuity and nationalization of the tradition of opening local tattoo parlors amid a pandemic by summoning up a posse of AK-wielding thugs? Not really.

10) So is having a tradition of handling disputes this way a legitimate issue of popular sovereignty--as both Douglas AND Lincoln would have understood it--and exactly why we have a union of states, rather than a single federal government? Yes.

11) Do I ever have to go to Texas? No.
12) Will anyone ever force me to? No.
13) Can I stay in parts of the world where we discuss our differences without threatening to massacre each other, explicitly or implicitly? Yes.

14) So is this my concern? No.
15) My business? No.
16) Reason for me to have any kind of strong emotion? No.

So you go on being you, Texas. Diversity is our strength.