For thirteen days in early 1836, the Mexican army laid siege to the Alamo. When the battle had ended, nearly two hundred brave Texans were dead. “Remember the Alamo” became a rallying for the Texas army, and less than two months later, Texas had secured its independence.
Perhaps more than any other event in Texas history, the Battle of the Alamo symbolizes our heritage. Texans took up arms to oppose the tyrannical Mexican government. They were willing to die fighting for the freedom of individuals to live as they choose, rather than live under despotism. Sadly, some Texans are now attacking that heritage.
In recent years, some Texans have called for extending preservation ordinances to include old trees. They would like us to believe that protecting old buildings and old trees through regulations will preserve our heritage.
Preservationists would like us to believe that if enough like-minded people demand a regulation to protect buildings and trees, then they are justified in doing so. But this is nothing more than a tyranny of the masses, in which the “will of the people” replaces the will of the dictator. And in both instances, the individual is the victim. That is not our heritage.
Preservation ordinances dictate what owners may and may not do with their property. They cannot act by right, but only with the permission of government officials. This is precisely what Texans rebelled against in 1836.
It is certainly understandable that some want to preserve historic buildings and majestic trees. Historic buildings can be a great source for education and enlightenment. Majestic trees can be a source of beauty and enjoyment. But neither is our heritage.
Texas’s heritage isn’t about bricks and mortar, bark and leaves. It’s about ideas. And the fundamental idea is the freedom of each individual to live his life as he chooses, free from the arbitrary restraints of government or his neighbors.
The right to property is one of our most sacred freedoms. Property rights protect our freedom to create, trade, and use the values that sustain and enhance our lives.
Many brave Texans died in defense of that idea. If we truly wish to preserve our heritage, we won’t honor it by protecting buildings and trees. We will honor it by protecting individual liberty, even when we disagree with how others use their property. That is what is means to remember the Alamo.