Ranger Schultz, fully aware of the situation, stepped in front of Dixon and introduced himself to deflect from Dixon.
“I’m Texas Ranger Schultz. Now, sir, can we get that open lane established?” He glanced at his watch.” The polls will open in fifteen minutes.”
“I’m under orders to shut down this polling place, gentlemen. I also have orders in my hand from a federal judge that this vote will not be recognized or carried forward.”
“Under whose authority?” asked Schultz.
“The mayor of Houston,” Henry barked.
“Well, sir, I’m under orders from the Governor of Texas to keep this polling place open and, furthermore, I’m under orders to make sure that this polling place is free from intimidation and voter fraud. Now, I’ll ask you kindly once more for your people to make a lane. I would also direct you to move those lunatic union members another two blocks east. They cannot be intimidating voters.”
“We are not allowing this polling place to open. I have my orders. This vote is illegal,” said Henry. “You will remove your people, dismiss those I see in line to vote, disperse and go about your day.”
“Like hell we will, sir,” said Ranger Schultz defiantly.
“Schultz is the name?”
“Yep.”
“This doesn’t have to be this way. You folks knew this was going to be the reaction. Surely you did not think this vote was going to occur in my jurisdiction?” boasted Henry.
Schultz turned away from the chief to the rank-and-file policemen behind the barricades.
“You men better be prepared to die today. The people you see behind you are willing to lay their lives down to allow those people you see in line to exercise their constitutional right to vote. This isn’t a rock concert, and it sure the hell isn’t the Occupy Wall Street people. These folks have been fully deputized by the governor. You need to know that you will also be moving on fellow career law enforcement officers.”
“That’s very cute and a little bit romantic, Schultz,” Henry chided. “I’m sure by now you are aware that federal troops are en route. They won’t be as sympathetic as we are…”
Suddenly, there was some commotion fifteen yards behind the chief. About a dozen Houston police were pushing and shoving to get to the front of the barricades and moved several aside and walked toward the group speaking with the chief, who suddenly looked very confused.
As they approached, the lead officer came directly to Dixon and turned to face the chief as if he was a friend of Dixon’s or Ranger Schultz.
“My name is Officer Petersen. All of us are members of Keepers of the Oath. We are sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States and we will not enforce any unconstitutional orders. The order to close this polling place is unconstitutional; therefore, we will assist these people in keeping this polling place open!” announced the officer.
“Officer, you are immediately relieved of duty and you men have just assured yourselves of a federal arrest warrant!” yelled an indignant Henry, the veins in his neck bulging conspicuously over his crisp dark blue starched collar. “I order you to surrender your weapons, now!”
Police officers behind the barricade started yelling at the policemen who crossed the line, reprimanding them as traitors.
“No, sir, we will not surrender our weapons unless you order these men to move back three blocks and create the clear opening for voters the Ranger is requesting. If you will do that, we will gladly surrender our service weapons and our badges to you right here.”
Another commotion from behind the barricades was occurring on the corner opposite where the meeting with the chief was occurring. Four ordinary men with briefcases were brought to the group by a police officer.
“Sir, these men are stating that they are poll watchers from Scotland. They demand to be taken to the polling place.”
“Geez, I have no clue how you got here but, gentlemen, there will be no vote today. I’m sorry you made this trip for nothing. Go back to Scotland.”
“Aye, sir. We have heard this type of bull cocky throughout Scotland’s history from Great Britain. We will just remain if it’s all the same to ya.”
Suddenly, police officers in the barricade were yelling at someone from Dixon’s group to stay back. He was holding up a small piece of paper and was running fast towards them.
“He’s bringing a message. Let him continue!” yelled Schultz at everyone within shouting distance.
“I have a message from the governor,” whispered the volunteer into Dixon’s ear as he gasped for breath.
“Gentlemen, excuse us for a second,” Dixon said to the opposing group as the chief began to wonder aloud who this civilian really was. The message was given to Dixon instead of the Ranger or the DPS officers. Henry turned to his men to ask if anyone recognized him or knew who he was.
Dixon, dressed in blue jeans, tee shirt and tennis shoes, unfolded the note. It read:
From Governor Brahman. The Texas Attorney General’s petition to fast-track a hearing to overrule the federal judge’s order to stay the special election is to be ruled on by 9:00 a.m. EST. Delay all polling places opening by one hour. Vote will proceed no matter the ruling. Open the polling places at 8:00 a.m. Supreme Court ruling could trump Johnson’s orders and thus diminish any threat of violence.
“This could possibly avoid any potential conflict, but it’s going to be a real challenge to delay this opening. This is a highly charged environment. I’m sure we aren’t the only ones going through it,” whispered Schultz after reading the note.
The pro-vote Texans were in something of a quandary. Dixon wondered to himself that, if the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the stay, how they would react? What would be the perception? The Supreme Court was not infallible, making significant ruling errors in the past that needed eventual correcting, such as slavery. Chuck knew deep in his heart that no literal interpretation of the Constitution could deny their right to hold an election.
Dixon walked back to where the chief was standing.
“Sir, we have just received communications from the governor that the Supreme Court could rule on this election by 8:00 a.m. our time. It is entirely possible the Supreme Court could allow this vote to move forward,” reasoned Dixon.
“You’re Chuck Dixon, aren’t you?” asked the chief after a fellow officer whispered in his ear.
“I’m once again asking you to open an area where people can get through to vote. We are going to delay opening the polling place until 8:00 a.m.”
“My orders are that this polling place will not open at any time!” Henry roared.
“What if the Supreme Court rules otherwise?” asked Dixon, taking a huge chance that the high court would rule in their favor. He had no idea of what the chances of a favorable ruling were. The high court had been wrong on many issues of late, in his opinion.
“Well, what if it rules it’s unconstitutional? Then what?”
“I’ll follow the orders I receive from Austin,” answered Dixon.
“And I will follow orders from the mayor and the president,” countered the chief.
Dixon, Ranger Schultz, the DPS troopers, the poll watchers and the police officers that crossed over to Dixon’s camp walked fifty yards away from the chief to talk in private. Chuck couldn’t help looking over his shoulder to see if they were coming for him, but the chief didn’t signal anyone to arrest him.
The chief had already figured out that he could kill two birds with one stone because his officers substantially outnumbered the small volunteer force at the center. He could shut down the polling place and arrest the infamous Chuck Dixon at the same time. He could hardly wait.
In the meantime, the DHS force that had been burning up the interstate to get to Houston from Louisiana arrived and began to set up in front of the barricades. Clearly, DHS was now taking over the operation. Meanwhile, two U.S. fighters continued to buzz the downtown skyline. If there was ever a time for Dixon and his Tea Party patriots to be intimidated by
this show of force, it was now.
Chapter 50
“But, when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.”
~ The United States Declaration of
Independence, 1776
At 9:02 a.m. EST, the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court announced the Court had set aside the stay issued by the federal judge from Texas in a contentious and bitter 5-4 ruling.
It was a narrow ruling, only commenting on the facts of how the special election was called and structured. Texas had followed the letter of the law according to their state constitution and federal election laws in calling for a special election. The court, however, did not rule on the constitutionality of the referendum and stated that this particular referendum was not the “final” act or authority for the state to issue articles of secession or separation.
When the news hit the Jewish Community Center in downtown Houston, the volunteers and Tea Party faithful went up in cheers, as did the line now stretching around three city blocks, which was estimated at three hundred people waiting to cast their ballots. Frustrations began to show across the street with the SEIU, who began a new round of hurling slurs at those at the polling place.
“Well, I guess that’s it,” said Houston Police Chief Henry to his lieutenants. “I’m sure we will be getting orders to pull back or simply maintain.”
* * *
Within minutes of the world news channels reporting the Supreme Court ruling, President Johnson issued a statement:
“Once again, the Supreme Court has missed an opportunity to clearly and correctly provide a concise interpretation of the Constitution. This ruling in no way changes the directives issued to the State of Texas by the federal government. Texas is under martial law and this referendum is illegal, and it will not go forward. I once again appeal to the governor of Texas to shut down this attempt at a sham vote and bring Texas in line with federal law and its fellow states.”
Gov. Brahman’s office immediately spread the word to each and every polling location, stating: “The Supreme Court has validated this free election. The election is ON! Open the polling places.”
Cheers went up from the Jewish Community Center and polling places all over the state.
Chief Henry got off his cell phone with the mayor. The mayor instructed the chief to cooperate with DHS.
The DHS armored vehicles began slowly moving from three separate locations toward the center, followed by full paramilitary DHS forces, followed by Houston Police officers. TV news helicopters were instructed to move to an area five miles outside of downtown. U.S. military fighter jets were continuing to buzz the downtown area, and two more had arrived. The fighters had been launched eighty miles southeast of Galveston Island from a U.S. aircraft carrier.
Four Texas Guard Apache helicopters stationed in Conroe, Texas, approximately forty-five miles north of Houston, slowly lifted off the tarmac of the small regional airport, with two turning south toward downtown Houston, and one headed to Galveston and one to the Bay City Nuclear Power Plant. Two more Texas Air Guard F-16 fighter jets screamed down the runway at Ellington Field, where the Texas crisis was originally lit, afterburners aglow.
Reports from across the state were a mixed bag for the governor’s office. Rural and smaller cities and communities were reporting no immediate problems, but major Texas cities were another issue altogether. Similar scenarios to Houston were beginning to play out in San Antonio and Dallas. Austin’s polls were open, but seas of protestors were on hand. The Democrats and the administration had been organizing the protests. Now that the polls were officially open, the drama began to unfold.
As the DHS forces began to slowly advance down Travis Street, Tea Party patriots, DPS officers and the two Texas Rangers formed a line across the entire width of the four-lane downtown street, weapons drawn. Unable to film from helicopters, news crews were in various buildings in the two blocks surrounding the center and had great vantage points from which to witness the escalating scene.
“Chuck, what the hell do we do?” screamed one volunteer as he knelt on one knee with an AR-15 pointed at a slowly moving armored vehicle plodding toward them.
“We hold this line until everyone in line votes! We do not give up this line!” yelled Dixon. He turned to other volunteers twenty yards behind him. “Keep ’em moving. Move that line! Get them in and get their votes!”
Many of the people who voted failed to leave despite the increasing tensions. Some joined the line on Travis Street, even though they had no weapons, and began to shout at the advancing federal agents, shaking their fists at them and at the SEIU on the opposite block.
Dixon became increasingly frustrated when he would turn to look back at the center.
“What the hell are they doing in there? There’s only one item to vote for! How long does that take?” he yelled at everyone and nobody in particular.
“Chuck, the line isn’t getting smaller… it’s getting larger!”
“What? Why?”
“Chuck, look! People are streaming in!” Ranger Schultz pointed to people coming to the center from back alleys and any hole they could find in the barricades, but mostly from walking through buildings that had not been quarantined or locked shut.
“Chief, we have a problem!” shouted a police lieutenant on the radio. “We’ve got some out-of-state militia here behind us!”
“What? Militia? How many and from where?”
“Sir, there’s about two hundred and they’re from South Carolina and Missouri! They are on our flank, sir, and they are heavily armed. We have spotted at least two .50-calibers!”
CBS News went live and reported that the president gave orders to advance military units who were poised on the Texas borders in Arkansas, Louisiana and New Mexico. But, more importantly, the military was seeing mass confusion in regimental and battalion-level commands in the officer ranks that were refusing to march into Texas.
The minority leaders of both houses of Congress called emergency sessions. World leaders were already beginning to condemn the Johnson administration for its early actions to suppress the vote. The United Nations Security Council voted to condemn the United States for its heavy-handed actions in Texas, but was vetoed by permanent Security Council members, the United States and Great Britain.
Then, finally and inevitably, the Texas crisis hit its crescendo.
The DHS troops fired tear gas and concussion grenades at the line of volunteers and law enforcement officers on Travis Street. DHS agents began marching and firing their weapons. For the next few minutes, shots rang out from both sides as bodies dropped in the streets, buildings caught fire, glass broke and grenades continued to explode. Texas was in chaos, and it was happening live for the entire world to witness.
Dixon immediately became concerned for the unarmed voters.
“Hold the line! Hold this line! We’ve got to get those people outta here!” as he pointed to the stunned voters in line who began to frantically disperse.
No less than Atty. Gen. Jamail Tibbs issued the orders from the situation room at the White House to advance and to use any means necessary to take the center.
“No, no, no… this is not supposed to happen!” screamed Chief Henry into his radio. “Why the hell did they start shooting at them?” he said, referring to the DHS forces.
The chief ordered the police to stand down and maintain position. Many police officers were visibly upset and very angry that the feds were indiscriminately shooting at their fellow Houstonians and Texans. Some were even yelling and screaming at DHS to stand down.
Chief Henry was extremely nervous about his flank. Those heavily-armed militia were breathing down his neck, and he was sure they had no clue that his officers were not in the immediate battle being waged. He ordered staff to immediately go to them and tell th
em that they would not advance on the center.
Sudden breaking news announced that Texas Guard and Militia troops had stormed twelve Minuteman nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile sites near Abilene, Texas and had gained control of all twelve sites. Neither governor had concerned themselves with these sites during the crisis until now.
Gov. Brahman, seeing President Johnson make good on his threats, raised the stakes. Surprisingly, nobody in the administration considered this scenario for a single second.
News was coming in so fast, from so many different directions, that all the networks seemed to have their own exclusive stories breaking on the suppression of the Texas vote simultaneously.
The Missouri and South Carolina militia told the Houston Police liaison to clear Travis Street so that they could engage DHS forces immediately or suffer the consequences.
Chief Henry relented, as much because of the disgust of the rank-and-file police officers on the street as his fear of the trained and well-armed militia.
Both militia groups stormed through barricades unimpeded by the Houston Police and began to engage DHS agents. Many of the Tea Party volunteers and militia at the Jewish Center fled into buildings, positioning themselves in 2nd, 3rd and 4th story windows and were in serious firefights with DHS troops.
Gov. Brahman was operating his own “situation room” from Austin with Pops Younger and the Texas Guard generals. Houston, Dallas, Texarkana and San Antonio were in skirmishes with federal agents to some extent, but Houston’s was the most intense at the moment.
As bullets, tear gas and concussion grenades whirled by him, Dixon’s focus shifted to the safety of the voters and securing the precious votes that had been cast. The two blocks surrounding the Jewish Community Center were a war zone.
“Get those ballot boxes!” barked Dixon to volunteers to take the votes that had been cast to a pre-planned destination. Even though the voting booths had been open for less than an hour, Dixon was determined to have those votes counted.
A State of Treason Page 33
