As the Texas General Land Office and the city of San Antonio are finalizing their plans to “reimagine” the Alamo, including putting the 82-year-old cenotaph in jeopardy by removing it from the Alamo plaza, Texas Nationalist Movement President Daniel Miller appeals to RPT Chairman James Dickey to rein in the anti-Republican actions of one of its own… Land Commissioner George P. Bush.

Bush has been instrumental in ramming through the multi-million-dollar plan to refurbish the Alamo. Though not everything about the plan is awful (such as the inclusion of an Alamo museum, the return to the original footprint, etc.), the plan has been from top to bottom plagued with problems. From its lack of oversight and questionable financial transactions, to the implication from its planners that they will de-emphasize the 1836 battle in their presentation, the “reimagine” plan has faced near-unified opposition across the political spectrum.

More immediately of concern is the plan to remove the cenotaph. Though they won’t say it, it seems an obvious conclusion that they find the message of the memorial, that of brave men giving their lives in defense of Liberty from government tyranny, offensive and want it gone. Though they say they will at some point reassemble it (assuming it survives), with their lack of accountability and how they get their way despite the overwhelming voice of the Texas people to leave the Cenotaph alone, it seems highly likely that it will join many other Texas historical monuments in an undisclosed storage location. This is especially shameful considering that the Cenotaph is more than a monument, but a grave stone. I doubt Bush would take kindly to somebody suggesting that his grandmother’s stone be removed so that College Station can put an amusement park in its place, so why is he trying to do the same to the graves of the Alamo defenders?

To the end of ending the destructive madness of this project, Daniel Miller sent an open letter to remind Chairman Dickey that plank 296 of the Republican Party Platform says:

‘We believe the Alamo should be remembered and not “reimagined.” We believe Texas’s authority regarding the Alamo shall not be infringed upon by any organization or authority, including but not limited to local governments, the federal government, the United Nations, or UNESCO. We demand that the decision-making authority for the Alamo never be removed from Texas, and the custodians of the Alamo be required to 1) affirm and emphasize the intrinsic significance of the 1836 battle in telling the story of the Alamo, and 2) maintain transparency in finances and operations of the Alamo. Specific protection shall be afforded the site, including all land and existing monuments, including the Cenotaph, which SHALL NOT be moved from its present site.’

Miller reminded Dickey how Bush stands in direct opposition to the will of his own party, and demanded that Dickey formally address these issues, saying:

The party has remained officially silent on the matter. It’s time that they go on the record regarding one of their own that has obviously gone rogue.

As Miller additionally noted, “Bush officially carries the ‘Republican’ label and, therefore, the Republican Party of Texas should be called to account for the actions of someone who is unquestionably one of their own.” Though the Bush family’s roots in the GOP of Texas run deep, the Alamo’s roots in Texas run even deeper, and unless the RPT wants the stigma of being the party that killed the Alamo, Bush must be stopped. And with the Democrat and the Libertarian running to Bush’s right on this issue in the election that falls within two weeks, the GOP in Texas could suffer, not only by possibly losing the GLO position, but any other position that was perceived to have the power to stop this, but did nothing.

To read the full letter, click here.

To read a report detailing the tangled web of the “reimagine” plan, click here.

To find out how you can defend the Alamo, click here.