True Texas Project: The New Red Scare
Organizing Communities and Challenging the “True Texas” Narrative
With a clever rebranding in 2019 came a new strategy for expanding their messaging of misinformation. Let's go back a little to bring you up to speed on the comparison to the Red Scare.
The Red Scare is the promotion of a widespread fear of a potential rise of communism, anarchism, or other leftist ideologies by a society or state. In an effort to control the masses, the narrative was that anyone who spoke out for civil liberties and free speech was enemies of the state and was treated as such.
“One thing to remember in discussing the communists in our government is that we are not dealing with spies who get 30 pieces of silver to steal the blueprints of new weapons,” McCarthy warned in an infamous 1950 speech. “We are dealing with a far more sinister type of activity because it permits the enemy to guide and shape our policy.”
Sounds all too familiar, doesn’t it? The True Texas Project was born out of needing to keep the basic white supremacist ideologies intact. They are against any form of immigration and truly believe that they are preserving the “true values” of America. To push their narrative, they have created satellite offices across the state to recruit like-minded individuals to spread their anti-government messaging.
Based out of Tarrant County, True Texas Project has been branching across the state since 2022 in an effort to spread their fear-mongering to others. True Texas is dangerous because they have convinced the people that their way is the only way to save Texas. They have come after Democratic candidates, elected officials, and Republicans who do not necessarily share their views. This tactic has given them the momentum they need as followers believe they are true supporters and want what’s best for the people of Texas. However, that is far from the truth. True Texas has grown utilizing some of these key tactics from the Trump administration, one being alienating them all, and this will show you our way is the best way.
By organizing an already polarized base, their efforts to move the needle of fear have proved promising for the organization. Even garnering attention and support from top elected officials within the state. We have to remember that in order to combat this constant misinformation, we need to continue to organize our communities across racial lines and that we must become proactive instead of reactive. That starts by identifying the villains and confronting their narrative. It is much work to do, and I pray we all are ready for the battle ahead.
Tune back in next week, when I'll be discussing more around these villainous actors.
Great clip of bully Senator Joe McCarthy and his search for Communists. Today's bullies are recycling old methods. May they end up in tatters.
I’m guilty as charged on advocating for democracy but not with simply voting and hoping for the best. Voting is, and always has been, crucial to freedom but unless it actually happens on a large scale it will never be enough. Everybody needs to vote but many people do not for a variety of personal reasons, none of which are even remotely valid. Until this changes, nothing changes and this won’t change without political activism. People have to be contacted directly and challenged to vote so, my best advice is to contact your County Party, volunteer and then actually carry through. If one is not knocking on doors, donating locally (seriously, locally.), making postcards, stuffing walk packets with lit, identifying Democrats and calling/texting to remind them to vote or reaching out via relational organizing platforms during early voting and on Election Day, then one is effectively doing nothing to help. It takes sweat equity to preserve freedom and, my unvarnished opinion here, that labor will be most effective when channeled through your local Democratic Party. That’s not to diss like-minded allied groups but, coordinated action will be more effective than multiple independent ones. I’ve taken both routes at different times but, in the end, I have found the Democratic Party at the County and local level to be the biggest hammer we have. We just need more people to pick it up and start swinging. I don’t know where you are but you and/or anyone else is welcome to ping me at PCLead@TarrantDemocrats.org and I’ll be happy to point you in the right direction or connect you with the right people.