Photo by Kathy O’Cain via Facebook

None of you understand. I’m not locked up in here with you. You’re locked up in here with me.
-Rorschach, Watchmen by Alan Moore

An interesting feature of the past week’s events in Texas is the seemingly genuine surprise, not only among Republican leaders, but rank-and-file “pro-life” supporters as well, that so many people care so deeply about this issue and will stand and oppose bills like SB5 and its zombie equivalents, HB2 and SB9.

After ten years of dominating all statewide elected offices and both chambers of the Legislature, I suspect that Republicans, and conservatives in general, began to think of it as their state, and that we progressives were stuck here with them. If you’ll pardon the Watchmen reference above, maybe it’s time for them to realize that Texas is our state, too, and it is time for conservatives to realize that they have to live in it with us.