Your circle is not very big, but mine is. I am a Fannin County, Texas resident. And have been a Texas resident since the day I was born, almost 44 years ago.
Evidently what has happened around you has gone unnoticed by you. I know a whole lot or people. The contact list in my phone is obscene. Firefighter/Paramedic for 26 years and the owner operator of an 07 FFL and 800 yard private rifle range. And friends with Law Enforcement from many agencies.
There are more shooters long range shooters and hand loaders now than any other time in the history of Texas. "End of an era". Yeah, we are armed up and better trained now than ever before. You just didn't participate in it. It happened under your nose and you didn't even know it. All good bro. Being in your 70's, sit down with a glass of whiskey and cheer. I sincerely mean that with utmost respect.
Laws an law enforcement are the only thing keeping this from being solved by the citizens. As I said before, maybe a week and it's over. Most likely hours to days.
I hunt in Fannin County.
Anyway, so, I work in Dallas, on the west side, where all the warehouses and stuff are, i.e., people wear work boots and break a sweat and do, you know, actual work, which is kryptonite to the protesters.
So, during the mostly peaceful protests, I was okay there. Armed to the teeth a few different ways, I never had to use it. But that was just hoodlums and random bags of shit creating problems as opposed to soldiers being directed by Potato-in-Chief. Which is not fair to potatoes, those serve a useful purpose.
I think what is helping here is not just that Texas is standing up against our communist dictator, but that other states are supporting us, including actual physical support from the governor of ND.
People have reach just about the limit of shit that they will endure. Yes, a person can be pushed so far. A people can be pushed so far.
Trump won Iowa by the largest margin in history. Same with NH. Seriously, the numbers for DiSantis and Haley are mere slivers. Two things. The people who voted Trump in 2020 against the machine did, in fact, "vote harder." And, in the open primaries, dems are voting for Trump.
Call Trump every bad name in the book. Call him a troll and a mouth. On his worst day, he is still better than dems and not even a close contest to being better than memory care dementia patient in the WH.