Alamo is new passion for Phil Collins

[Faygo Kid]

Singer Phil Collins said his life now revolves around the Alamo.

Collins is in town, set to appear at local events commemorating the anniversary of the siege and battle of the Alamo. Though he's mulling the idea of recording a tribute cover album of 1960s songs, he said he's making the Alamo “my main thing” as a collector, history buff and possible author.

“Basically, now I've stopped being Phil Collins the singer. This has become what I do,” he said Monday, standing beside a 13-foot-by-15-foot model of the 1836 Alamo compound that will open to the public this week.

Collins, who is British, said he has “hundreds” of cannonballs, documents and other artifacts from the Alamo, possibly the largest private collection anywhere, in the basement of his home in Switzerland. He said he's collaborating with artist Gary Zaboly on a book about his collection.

His most prized item is a receipt signed by Alamo commander William Barret Travis for 32 head of cattle used to feed the Alamo defenders. . .

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/Alamo_is_new_passion_for_singer_Phil_Collins.html

OK, this is unexpected. This week is the anniversary of the Alamo siege, but Phil Collins??

[marmar]

1. I guess middle-aged rockers who are no longer relevant get bored easily.....

n/t

[DJ13]

2. I suppose thats better than a fixation on Beanie Babies

:shrug:

[damntexdem]

10. Ooh, Beanie Babies!

Bring back Beanie Babies! ;-)

[rcrush]

3. Thats about the most random hobby he could have picked.

[AnneD]

4. I am biased.....

but I am a Texan and a history buff and the Alamo and the Texas Fight for Independence IS interesting. One reason Phil might be interested-more foreigners fought at the Alamo than Americans. There were English, Irish, Scots, Germans, and even a Dane or two. Texas was wide open to immigration then.

These guys knew they were goners and fought to buy time for Houston to organize. They had grit.

[damntexdem]

11. They deserved what they got.

What a shame that Sam had his time to organize.

[AnneD]

14. Perhaps you'd feel better

if you took Texas out of your name.

[theblasmo]

18. Awesome

"Texas was wide open to immigration then."

Ha!

[AnneD]

20. Yes it was....

and what doesn't get told and should was the contribution of the Tejanos that fought along side the Texicans. Texas has always had a poreous border with Mexico.

[T Wolf]

5. I never got the idea of celebrating a total defeat. Turning it into a shrine has always

seemed ass-backwards to me. I just attributed it to Texas.

[AnneD]

15. So we do away with ....

the Memorial at Pearl Harbor. It's just as ass backward.

When you tour the Alamo you are reminded that it is a chapel and the site is when people of both sides lost their life.

[DonCoquixote]

6. Why the Alamo?

It was a war fought by a bunch of TERRORISTS (Yes Texans, I mean you) who were let into MEXICO (which Texas was) by Spain as a means of securing their dominion (since the French sold Louisiana to the Americans.) Mexico rebelled against Spain, and decided it would govern itself, which included making changes that would not benefit people who were favored under Spain. the TERRORIST fought, got their ASS KICKED, and then the US interfered.

Granted, I have no doubt that places like Los Angeles and San Antonio would be worse places to live if they were in Mexican hands. Lo Siento Mexicanos, but you have not had one decent government since Benito Juarez. I love Diego Rivera, I can admire David Siquerios (even though he was a Stalinist stooge) But een though I am a Latino, I have no illusions. As much as I wish Hugo Chavez the best, I get the feeling he, like Bolivar, will learn that "America is ungovernable." All the same, none of what I have said, makes the Alamo any more glorious.

[Faygo Kid]

8. The "Lost Cause" legend is always tantalizing. Also a fan of Diego Rivera.

I think the Alamo is a very interesting piece of history, but will leave that until another day.

As a native Detroiter, I love Diego Rivera. His murals at the Detroit Institute of Art never fail to inspire:

[a la izquierda]

19. Siquieros is way better.

:) But I only discovered that after going to Mexico City and seeing his murals. They are so scary (but in a crazy, socialistic sort of way).

[damntexdem]

13. Of course it was glorious -- it was a victory over those terrorists.

The U.S. takeover, first of Texas then of much more, was not inevitable. There were numerous filibusterers, most of which did not succeed. The one that succeeded in Texas, however, paved the way for the later invasion and conquest.

And who's to say what might have developed had Mexico not been crushed when it was?

[KG]

7. 'Basically, now I've stopped being Phil Collins the singer' - thank god for that!

[damntexdem]

9. Well, sure, it was a great victory. But the war was lost to the damn Texans.

So why celebrate?

;-)

[AnneD]

16. Texas might still be part of Mexico....

if Santa Ana had treated the Texans like free human beings instead of peasants.

He was notoreous for his cruelty with native Indian tribes and opposed Mexican independence from Spain for many years. He engaged in the whole sale slaughter of captured tribesmen or pows. He tried these tactic in Tejas and did not get the desired results. He was first and formost for himself and wanted to be on the winning side.

Texas was not the only Mexican state to rebel-but they were the only ones that won their independence.

From Wikipedia....

Several states went into open rebellion: Coahuila y Tejas, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, Durango, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Yucatán, Jalisco, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas. Several of these states formed their own governments, the Republic of the Rio Grande, the Republic of Yucatan, and the Republic of Texas. Only the Texans defeated Santa Anna and retained their independence. They and their allies from the United States declared independence from Mexico. Their fierce resistance was possibly fueled by reprisals Santa Anna committed against his defeated enemies.

<Skip>

Like other states discontented with the central Mexican authorities, the Texas department of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas went into rebellion in late 1835 and declared itself independent on 2 March 1836. (See Texas Revolution and Republic of Texas.) Santa Anna marched north to bring Texas back under Mexican control. On March 6, 1836, at the Battle of El Alamo, Santa Anna's forces killed 187-250 Texan defenders and executed over 350 Texan prisoners at the Goliad Massacre (March 27, 1836).

Following the defeat, the Texans were reorganized under Sam Houston. Santa Anna was soon defeated by Houston's soldiers at the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836, with the Texan army shouting "Remember Goliad, Remember the Alamo!" A small band of Texan forces captured Santa Anna, dressed in a dragoon private's uniform and hiding in a marsh, the day after the battle on 22 April.

Acting Texas president David G. Burnet and Santa Anna signed the Treaties of Velasco "in his official character as chief of the Mexican nation, he acknowledged the full, entire, and perfect Independence of the Republic of Texas." In exchange, Burnet and the Texas government guaranteed Santa Anna's life and transport to Veracruz. Before Santa Anna could leave Texas, 200 angry volunteer soldiers from the United States threatened to remove him from his boat and kill him as it left the port of Velasco. Back in Mexico City, a new government declared that Santa Anna was no longer president and that the treaty with Texas was null and void.

While captive in Texas, Joel Roberts Poinsett—U.S. minister to Mexico in 1824—offered a harsh assessment of General Santa Anna's situation, stating:

Say to General Santa Anna that when I remember how ardent an advocate he was of liberty ten years ago, I have no sympathy for him now, that he has gotten what he deserves.
To this message, Santa Anna made the reply:

Say to Mr. Poinsett that it is very true that I threw up my cap for liberty with great ardor, and perfect sincerity, but very soon found the folly of it. A hundred years to come my people will not be fit for liberty. They do not know what it is, unenlightened as they are, and under the influence of a Catholic clergy, a despotism is the proper government for them, but there is no reason why it should not be a wise and virtuous one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_L%C3%B3pez_de_Santa_Anna

Part of that bears repeating "I threw up my cap for liberty with great ardor, and perfect sincerity, but very soon found the folly of it. A hundred years to come my people will not be fit for liberty. They do not know what it is, unenlightened as they are, and under the influence of a Catholic clergy, a despotism is the proper government for them..."

And that my friends is why Texas celebrates it's Independence from Mexico, why we respect those that paid the ultimate price for their freedom both at Goliad and at the Alamo. Texas was always outnumbered by Santa Anna's army and it was the classic David vs Goliath.

[Faygo Kid]

17. Santa Anna was no sweetheart. For sure.

Refighting the war is a waste of time. Recognizing valor is not - and there was valor on both sides.

Of course, the Texians were more than happy to join the Confederacy.

It's never simple. The Alamo is a symbol of bravery in the face of great odds. At least they haven't mangled it (yet) like The 300.

[AnneD]

21. At her request....

I took my daughter to see The 300. There were several hysterically funny moments-the film was so bad. I had to give daughter a history lesson.:eyes:

But we both agree-it could not have been worse than Beowulf:puke:

[Politicalboi]

12. So does Phil

Have Pee Wee's bike?