Republic of West Texas (1983: Doomsday)

The Republic of West Texas is an American survivor nation based in the old southwestern United States, out of portions of western Texas and southwestern New Mexico. Area cities, led by Midland and Odessa, Texas, established a confederation in August 1984 which became an independent nation on July 4, 1985. West Texas received aid from Mexico for a short time in 1985, then was cut off after the Mexico City earthquake for still-uncertain reasons. That spurred West Texas into a long period of isolationism, one that officially ended after youth-led protests in February of 2009, although West Texas parties had maintained unofficial, but good, relations with nearby survivor nations Dinetah (aka Navajo Nation (1983: Doomsday)), Deseret (1983: Doomsday) and Colorado over the years. The republic claims official sovereignty over the entire area of the former state of Texas and southwestern New Mexico. It is in the process of crafting plans for the exploration of old Texas, and is debating whether to formally join the North American Union (1983: Doomsday). West Texas sits on top of an abundance of oil, a natural resource that could be quite valuable to the survivor nation. West Texas also faces dealing with unresolved issues regarding Mexico (1983: Doomsday).

The early years
The state of Texas was hit hard during Doomsday, particularly in its eastern half.

All of its major cities - Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Austin and El Paso - were hit, along with many smaller, but strategically important, cities and towns: Brownsville, Del Rio, Galveston, Midland, San Angelo, Laredo, Lubbock, Texarkana and Wichita Falls.

The first sign of the impending nuclear strike was found on local television around 7:45-7:50 p.m. Central time, as network programming, including the Emmy Awards, was interrupted by frantic reports from network studios in New York of impending missile strikes. Feeds were then lost from all three major networks (ABC, CBS and NBC), plus the national feed to the local PBS affiliate. The Emergency Broadcast System then activated itself.

In newspaper offices around the area, the Associated Press and United Press International wires moved items from Washington, New York and Dallas referring to impending missile strikes and instructions to seek immediate shelter; the last received wire from AP came at 8:01 p.m., from Dallas, indicating a hit in nearby Fort Worth and probable strikes in Washington and along the East Coast.

Flashes in the distance, in the direction of some of west Texas' largest cities, were then seen over the next 10 minutes..

The largest cities in western Texas to not get hit were Midland and Odessa. It was there that relief efforts for western Texas were headquartered. Civic leaders agreed to fully cooperate on all matters for the foreseeable future, with the top priority to provide food, shelter and safety for their residents and as many refugees as possible. A similar agreement was come to among civic leaders in nearby Carlsbad and Hobbs, New Mexico.

Midland/Odessa received refugees flowing northward from south Texas and the border Mexican states of Chihuahua, Nuevo Leon and Coahuila, and eastward from Santa Fe and Roswell, New Mexico, as news of the Midland/Odessa cities' survival spread amongst refugees from the various blast sites. Some of the Texan refugees had initially went into Mexico, only to flee back north with Mexican refugees as rumors flew that Mexico would quarantine its border states.

After officials failed to establish contact with Austin and Washington, as well as any state, federal or military agency outside the immediate area, Midland leaders decided to send parties towards El Paso, San Angelo, Amarillo, Abilene, Austin and San Antonio to see if anyone or anything had survived. Parties never made it to the cities, as refugees abandoning them told of the blasts that decimated each area.

In southwestern New Mexico, it was confirmed that blasts had devastated nearby Roswell, as well as Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Clovis and the Las Cruces area. Carlsbad and Hobbs combined efforts for relief, and were able to contact their counterparts in Midland and Odessa to coordinate relief efforts and other actions.

The situation amongst all the refugees in the area was fluid and chaotic. Eventually, a larger group settled in Mexico, a smaller group in and around Midland and Odessa. Estimates are that the area's population had swelled to a million people by December, and despite the best efforts of civic leaders and relief workers, providing food and medical care proved almost impossible. City leaders rationed food and requested help from surrounding surviving towns.

Midland, Odessa, Carlsbad and Hobbs officials then decided to take control of all radio and television stations; 550 AM and 99.1 FM were designated to broadcast official news and information to the area. With the Federal Communications Commission no longer having any authority, Midland and Odessa leaders put a priority on repairing any damage to studios and transmitters as soon as possible. They also authorized the maximum wattage for the 550 AM and 99.1 FM transmitters, with the purpose of allowing their signals to reach as many people in western and central Texas, eastern New Mexico and northern Mexico as possible.

The power grid was an issue for the region from the beginning; it went in and out at an increasing rate through the end of the year. January 1984 brought a lengthy blackout, and leaders ordered utility workers to find a way to restore the power grid; this was done largely by May of 1984, in Midland and Odessa, and throughout the Republic by June 1985. Meanwhile, people looked back towards their ancestors, those who settled the state of Texas in the 18th century, for ways to cope and survive temporarily without electricity and other modern conveniences.

In the next couple of years the area population of residents and refugees declined to 700,000, on account of deaths from radiation, disease and violence.

Confederation
On October 4, 1983, Midland and Odessa formed a joint confederation, and to see if any other cities and towns had survived. Exploratory parties headed in all directions to see what had been hit and what had survived. Scouts returned in November and reported that


 * in the north, Amarillo and Lubbock, Texas and Roswell, New Mexico were destroyed. Survivors from New Mexico had either fled into Mexico or had taken refuge in Carlsbad and Hobbs, N.M. One party came back with nearly 2,000 Lubbock area survivors traveling on foot; they reported mass chaos and violence in the area when the bombs went off.
 * in the east, Abilene and San Angelo had been bombed. Local officials established Sweetwater as relief headquarters, but the city had to be abandoned due to radiation and violence amongst its residents; those who could, fled west to Big Spring.
 * from the south came news that San Antonio was hit and that the Mexican cities of Cuidad Acuna and Piedras Negras were "overwhelmed" with refugees and were being set up as relief centers
 * and from the west, El Paso and Juarez had been destroyed, and survivors either fled toward the city of Chihuahua or east towards Van Horn and Pecos.

Midland/Odessa leaders first approached Carlsbad and Hobbs leaders about a confederation, for mutual aid and defense. Carlsbad and Hobbs agreed to the idea. Midland/Odessa then approached leaders of all other surviving towns in the area about joining the confederation, and by January 1984 the confederation had been formalized (the borders which were roughly the same as in the map above). The cities agreed to form a provisional state government, but talk quickly came to form an independent nation, as no contact with Washington or any federal or military agency had been made since Doomsday.

The cities decided to formalize their union into a Provisional Government of the Cities of Western Texas and Southwestern New Mexico in August 1984. A provisional governor, Midland mayor Thane Atkins, was appointed by direct vote of the mayors of the towns that made up the alliance. The confederation's order of business, other than providing necessities for people and defense against rogue parties, was to stem the "tide of death" as nearly 300,000 died due to aftereffects from radiation poisoning; disease; and an increasing wave of violence sparked by incidents between locals, angry over refugees consuming resources, and refugees, who were angry over the perception of extreme favoritism of Anglos in government and in food distribution.

West Texas violence, and reconciliation
Nearly 20,000 more people died in the wake of a 19-month-long series of skirmishes between Mexican refugees and locals, starting with conflicts in Midland and Odessa in November, 1983.

The conflicts unfortunately divided down racial lines - Anglo residents and refugees versus Hispanic refugees, primarily from neighboring Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas. Despite the efforts of civic and religious leaders to diffuse the situation, violence regularly broke out over across the area, cumulating in April, 1985 riots in Midland, Carlsbad and Fort Stockton that broke out into all-out fighting and an estimated 2,000 deaths.

In the following week leaders representing the native Texans and the Mexican refugees sat down for talks in Andrews, and everyone agreed that both sides needed to live in peace.

"There has been enough killing," said Mexican representative Jaime Morelos on April 29. "We must join together as one, to build life for ourselves and our loved ones the best we can."

The Hispanic leaders also asked that the Anglos consider formalizing the confederation of towns into an independent republic, with equal participation in all political affairs with Anglos by Hispanics, and to help lay down the foundation for equal participation in society by Hispanics. Both sides worked on the social and political issues involved as momentum grew towards creating a Republic.

Declaration of independence and the establishment of the Republic of West Texas
Officials began to draft a provisional constitution for a Republic of West Texas, based upon the United States and Texas state constitutions.

On July 4, 1985, representatives from Seminole, Lamesa, Andrews, Colorado City, Snyder, Big Spring, Midland, Odessa, Kermit, Monahans, Sweetwater, McCarney, Fort Stockton, Fort Davis, Alpine, Marfa, Presidio, Sanderson, Ozona, Pecos, Van Horn, Carlsbad, Hobbs, Lovington, and Artesia gathered at the Midland Community Theater to formally sign the constitution.

The capitol was established in Midland; the President worked out of the mayor's office, and the Legislature met in Midland at the Midland Community Theatre until the West Texas Capital Building was completed in 1999.

Atkins, the provisional government of the confederation of cities that preceded the Republic, was elected by the provisional assembly as the Provisional Governor of West Texas. Elections to formally elect a president and legislators were held in November. The Legislature was seated on January 20, 1986, the same day Atkins was sworn in as President.

Mexico
One of the first acts of the Republic of West Texas in July 1985 was to send parties into Mexico to see if the country had survived, and request aid if the country was able and willing to give it. The West Texas group moved through Presidio, Texas and approached the Ojinada-Presidio International Bridge, which was being patrolled by Mexican troops who happened to be the only other people in the abandoned town. Both group were surprised to see each other, and surprised but thrilled over the fate of each others' respective countries.

Arrangements were made to send food and medical supplies from Mexico through Presidio, and a scout team was escorted down to Monterrey to meet with local officials. There, they learned of the Mexican government decision to quarantine the border states, as well as the presence of several million American refugees there. Mexico also learned of its country's citizens who had fled north and decided to settle in West Texas.

Provisional Governor Atkins traveled to Mexico City in August, and met President Miguel de la Madrid; they discussed how their nations were coping with the aftermath of the war, as well as the status of American citizens in Mexico and Mexican citizens who had chosen to stay in West Texas. Relations between the two countries were generally good, although there were isolated incidents of conflict between West Texans and Mexican military. Telephone lines between the two countries were reconnected.

In September 1985 West Texas representatives were turned back at Anahuac, although they were given supplies, and told of the earthquake that had devastated Mexico City. They were "strongly urged" by a Mexican captain on the scene to turn back.

Atkins and other West Texas officials were curious as to why this would be the case. Appeals via radio met with no success, and phone calls into various points in Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas went unanswered. The line into Mexico City, obviously, had been cut by the quake. The government therefore had to send emissaries via horseback into Mexico. They did so officially 27 times between October 1 and December 14th, and civilians made dozens of unofficial attempts on their own; the 19th attempt, on November 19, by a party from Fort Stockton is considered to be the last positive contact with any military or humanitarian agency from Mexico.

From that point on, all attempts, government and civilians, to cross over were met with a show of extreme force.

On December 14, West Texas government parties - escorted by three divisions of Texas Rangers on horseback - were stopped at the Ojinada-Presidio International Bridge by an estimated 1,000 Mexican military personnel. A Mexican Army general on the scene stopped the party at the bridge, and read a statement which said that all border states were being abandoned because of "your war" and that Mexico could no longer render aid to West Texas due to the Mexico City earthquake and the government's responsibility to care for its own citizens. The general then began to make disparaging comments about the West Texans and the United States, telling the representatives they could "go to hell for destroying our land" and that west Texas would "soon die off, like the rest of your country". He disparaged the refugees who fled from Mexico and said "you can keep those traitors", then went on an incoherent rant before yelling at his lieutenants to train their guns on the west Texans and shoot them "if they took another step forward".

West Texas parties on the scene have said they were willing to let the "your war" comment go, but the atmosphere - and their perceptions of the Mexican government - changed when the general read the statement, went on his rant and ordered his men to shoot. The leaders of the West Texas party put up their hands and said they would leave; before they did, the general threw a letter to them said to be from de la Madrid. The West Texans backed off the bridge, Mexican military pointing guns at them until they disappeared in the distance.

After returning to Midland on the 17th, officials read the letter, in which de la Madrid repeated verbatim what the general had said at the bridge. Its legitimacy was hotly debated, but Provisional Governor Atkins, the Provisional Assembly, and top officials in the Army and Texas Rangers determined it to be legitimate. They, and leaders of the Mexican refugee contingent, were outraged by the letter, and by accounts of the incident at the bridge. This is said to have altered not only any views West Texas had of Mexico, but also the government's policy regarding exploration: leaders saw it as a sign that the post Doomsday landscape was "every man fend for himself" - as Mexico was apparently doing - and that West Texas should not only do the same, but stay completely to itself so it never found itself in a situation again like it had with Mexico.

The Rangers sent scouts to observe the Ojinada-Presidio bridge, and other previous points of entry into Mexico, through February 1986. Each time they reported the presence of armed soldiers, and signs on the Mexican side of the border that read "STAY OUT. ENTRY DENIED. TREPASSORS WILL BE SHOT ON SIGHT".

No contact with Mexico has been made since.

One important thing did occur as a result of the incident, however: relations between Anglos and Mexicans greatly improved, as they realized that they were both rejected by Mexico and would need to work together as one people to survive whatever challenges the future offered them.

1986-1991: Oil and isolationism
Over the next couple of decades, the population stabilized and began to grow, as women were encouraged to marry and have as many children as possible, to ensure the continued survival and growth of the Republic.

West Texas also benefitted from the Permian Basin oil fields not having been hit, and the added benefit of being able to conserve oil for only domestic use. Because parts were rare, and the thought that the oil in the Permian Basin wasn't limitless, West Texas made the decision in 1989 to discourage mass consumption of oil and vehicles, and limit them only for public transportation and to farming, government, military and police use.

When the Legislature was seated in January 1986, work quickly moved to formalize a policy of official isolationism, given Mexico's actions and having heard nothing from the rest of the United States; the House and Senate passed the bill, and Atkins signed it into law on January 21.

The Department of the Interior - given temporary authority over broadcasting, until a Texas Communications Commission could be created - mandated that radio and television stations' transmitters reach just past the national borders, as the flow of refugees coming in had ceased, and it was judged that it was not worth transmitting into areas that probably had no one to hear the signals.

The young republic would not remain completely isolated, however. In September of 1989, West Texas scouts outside Carlsbad were surprised to make contact with scouts from Dinetah, a survivor nation established just two months before by Navajo Native Americans that encompassed portions of northwest former New Mexico. News of Dinetah's existence was a very pleasant surprise to West Texans. Dinetah ambassadors visited Midland in October, hoping to set up official relations between the two survivor states.

The representatives, and many West Texans for that matter, were surprised when the conservative-dominated government declined, again citing its experience with Mexico as the primary reason. Popular opinion favored official relations with Dinetah, but President Atkins and the Republican/conservative Democrat-dominated House and Senate held firm.

Nevertheless, West Texas decided it would not object if citizens "happened to run into friendly outsiders" on their own accord. Dinetah scouts were told repeatedly that the policy of the government was not the will of its people in this matter, and on that account Dinetah agreed to continue unofficial relations with West Texas, hoping someday its government would change the policy.

The "friendly outsiders" provision, as it came to be known, was enacted numerous times over the years as West Texas citizens met citizens from Dinetah, Deseret and Colorado. Through these meetings the Republic received updates of happenings in Dinetah and Deseret and the "reformation" of a provisional government of the U.S. by a number of western survivor states. West Texas rejected membership, citing it only wanted to join a "legitimate" government of the U.S., and also rejected unofficial overtures to join the North American Union.

The 1990s and 2000s: The Great Immigration, and the seeds of rebellion
Ham radio operators reported some success in reaching others in Canada, Nebraska, British Columbia and central and south America. Through the late 1980s and 1990s, they learned that civilization had survived in both hemispheres and that Vice President George H.W. Bush was alive and running a provisional American government in Australia; that most of the countries in central America and the Caribbean had also survived; and that Mexico had officially abandoned its border states.

Signals were also heard from upper Michigan and New England; at this point, government officials told operators to not contact anyone, again citing its official isolationalism policy, as well as uncertainty regarding the true status of the federal government and not being able to tell for certain if the operators were legitimate or not.

Conservative leaders, fully in control of the executive and legislative branches, as well as the military, were able to long shoot down any momentum towards breaking the policy through the 2000s, even considering the events of 1995.

On May 24, hundreds of former Americans crossed over the bridge from abandoned Manual Ojinaga into Presidio, greatly surprising the few sentry guards on duty. The West Texans guards were informed that the Mexican border states had officially been abandoned a year and a half before, and that on May 1st the United States of America government in Australia had officially been disbanded, leading thousands of American refugees in Mexico to leave for Australia, Canada...and western Texas.

The ranking officer on the scene made the call to peacefully wave them through, but was warned "there are more of us headed north", and advised refugees would probably pass over the Presidio bridge or through Bend National Park. The sentries asked them to stay until their relief arrived, then accompanied them to Fort Davis. Officials sent troops down to Presidio, and they arrived just in time to see a second wave of refugees cross. President Tom Craddick was informed of the situation that evening, and decided on the spot to allow them into the country and give them shelter. Craddick reopened a refugee shelter outside Odessa still standing from Doomsday; it held 2,000 and Craddick hoped it would be enough.

Thousands more headed over the Rio Grande through Bend National Park, and while troops were able to intercept most of them, some - primarily survivalists - were able to live undetected in the park for a number of months. Military leaders also thought that people might cross over from the abandoned La Linda village in Mexico, due south of Fort Stockton. Thousands were when troops arrived, and were sent to the other still-standing refugee center outside Fort Stockton.

Refugee flow into West Texas ended in the third week of June. 1,876 of the refugees had relatives or friends willing to take them in. 6,194 remained in the Midland and Fort Davidson refugee centers. With government and private-sector help, almost all of the refugees were able to find work and housing, and some were able to make significant contributions in the business, educational and communications sectors.

The minority Democrat Party decided to use this event to advocate the end of isolationism, knowing any real changes would be declined by the majority Republicans but hoping to plant the seeds of a more open policy, especially amongst the younger, more moderate Republican leaders.

DIscussion arose in 1997 of exploring the rest of the state and adjoining states, but the government again affirmed its policy of isolationism. One senator said "we're doing just fine on our own; if anybody wants to find us, they can come find us. We have enough problems here without going out looking for more trouble."

The government's policy of isolationism wouldn't stand forever, though, as sentiment grew among many in their teens and early 20s, and some of their parents (some of whom were legislators and military personnel) to see who had survived and what was out beyond the West Texas borders.

Students at Midland High and Odessa Permian high schools staged an impromptu walkout of classes in 2005 to protest the government's isolationistic policies. Officials pledged to revisit the issue and break its policy, but little besides talking was done until February 11, 2009.

Feburary 11, 2009: The day West Texas renounced its isolation
That day, mass protests broke out at Permian, Midland High and Midland Lee high schools and at the University of West Texas, and spilled out into Midland and Odessa cities proper. The Midland protests cumulated at the state capitol building.

The House of Representatives was in session at the time, and while Texas Rangers and capitol policemen sealed off the building from protestors, House leaders met with President Mike Conaway to discuss the situation. Senate leaders in the building joined the discussion, which was described by bystanders as becoming "very intense at times." The President decided to ask two junior representatives to resubmit what has become known as the Marshall/Gonzalez Exploration Act: requesting an end to the state's isolation policy and explore the old state of Texas, and adjacent areas in the former U.S. and Mexico. Conaway realized that the full House and Senate would need to vote on the bill, so through an emissary he requested that rioters allow the full Senate to be seated in the Capitol. The protestors did so, the bill was presented, and discussed into the early morning.

A few diehard senators and representatives demanded that the President send in the Army to disperse the protestors, but declined to push the issue after the President made it clear that the protestors were peaceful and had the right to be heard by their government. Perhaps seeing the choice of abandoning a now-archaic policy versus maintaining it by fighting against their own people - and mindful of Morelos' comments back in 1985 - the full Legislature voted. The bill was passed by the House at 3 a.m. and the Senate at 4 a.m. February 12. Conaway signed the act into law at 4:38 a.m. local time, officially opening West Texas to the world.

Present day
In July 2009, the President and Legislature approved formal expeditions to all points north, south, east and west, starting with expeditions into former New Mexico, Coahuila, and eastern Texas. It was also decided to make formal requests for relations with the other known survivor states West Texas representatives could get to the easiest: Dinetah, Deseret and the North American Union.

On August 3, 2009, West Texas formally declared its claim to all of the former state of Texas and its intention to negotiate with Dinetah in regards to the portions of former New Mexico not in the borders of their two nations.

President Conaway also took a historic step when he spoke via ham radio to Superior President Terrance Newman on October 15. The two leaders exchanged greetings, and gave updates on what had happened to their respective nations in the past 26 years, and pledged to build formal relations. Conaway then joined his Secretary of State in exchanging greetings with Vermont President Jim Douglas, and with a representative of the League of Nations visiting the Vermont capital of Burlington.

Conaway told reporters gathered in his office that he looked forward to establishing friendships with other leaders and their nations on behalf of West Texas. When asked if "other nations" included Mexico, Conaway paused, and said simply "there's a time for everything."

Exploration
There are tentative plans in the next two years to scout the western and northern halves of the old state of Texas outside of the West Texas borders, specifically the following cities:

There are also long-term plans to scout eastern Texas, the Oklahoma panhandle and the ruins of Albuquerque and Las Cruces. Weak ham and AM signals have been detected from eastern Texas, possibly from Bryan, College Station or Nacogdoches. Some officials want high priority to be placed on searching this region in the next few months.
 * Amarillo
 * Lubbock
 * Abilene
 * El Paso
 * San Angelo
 * Del Rio
 * Austin
 * San Antonio
 * Laredo
 * McAllen/Brownsville

Scouts will be instructed to examine the ruined cities for salvageable material as well as their potential for future resettlement. Parties will also be instructed to look for other survivor communities in the area, and offer on behalf of West Texas whatever aid they may need. Not knowing for sure what's out there (partly because of the government's long-time policy of isolationism), armed Texas Rangers and Army personnel will accompany scouting parties for defensive purposes only.

National government
The President is elected for one term, lasting four years, and can serve a maximum of two terms. Representatives can serve unlimited terms of two years each, Senators unlimited terms of six years each.

West Texas has a plural executive branch system limiting the power of the President. Except for the Secretary of State, voters elect executive officers independently making candidates directly answerable to the public, not the President. Executive branch positions consist of the President, Vice President, and the Secretaries of State, Defense, Commerce, Energy, Labor, Public Accounts, the Interior, Agriculture, Transportation, Education, and the Attorney General. The bicameral Texas Legislature consists of the House of Representatives, with 100 members (with districts set up throughout the nation according to population), and a Senate, with 50 members (one for each administrative district). The Speaker of the House leads the House, and the Vice President, the Senate. The Legislature meets in regular session anually, but the President can call for special sessions as often as desired. West Texas has two courts of last resort: the Supreme Court, for civil cases, and the Court of Criminal Appeals. Except for some municipal benches, partisan elections select judges at all levels of the judiciary; the President fills vacancies by appointment. The death penalty was not included in the constitution, as it was thought that there had been enough death in the aftermath of Doomsday.

Administrative divisions
Midland is divided into Midland proper, and the Republic Capital District, consisting of the State Capitol Building, the President's Residence, the Supreme Court Building, Army Headquarters and various government agencies.

Other divisions are:


 * Andrews
 * Artesia
 * Balmorhea
 * Barstow
 * Big Lake
 * Big Spring
 * Coyahosa
 * Crane
 * Denver City
 * Eldorado
 * Eunice
 * Carlsbad
 * Coahoma
 * Colorado City
 * Fort Davis
 * Fort Stockton
 * Gardendale
 * Goldsmith
 * Hobbs
 * Hope
 * Imperial
 * Kermit
 * Lake Arthur
 * Lamesa
 * Lindsay
 * Loving
 * Lovington
 * McCarney
 * Monahans
 * O'Donnell
 * Odessa
 * Ozona
 * Pecos
 * Rankin
 * Roscoe
 * Rotan
 * Seagraves
 * Seminole
 * Snyder
 * Sonora
 * Stanton
 * Sterling City
 * Toyah
 * West Odessa
 * Westbrook
 * Wickett
 * Wink
 * Valentine
 * Van Horn

Politics
West Texas politics are dominated by the regional successors to the U.S. Democratic and Republican Parties. Republican candidates have won each of the Republic's six presidential elections. The members tend to reflect the region's social conservatism and religious views; where the parties tend to differ are in regards to government's responsibility to help citizens, and on the long-contested issues of isolationism.

The more conservative Republicans dominated national politics for years, and were the driving force behind isolationism. Leaders time and again insisted the country was doing fine on its own, and that not only could West Texas prosper by itself, but that its people could care for themselves without government assistance. The most conservative Republicans also pushed to impose censorship on the media and on popular music, but were consistently opposed by the Democrats and more moderate Republicans. The conservatives opposed the "youth movement" against isolationism; the moderates - who had grown in number to where they became a majority of the party by 2009 - saw the wisdom of opening up the country and reaching out to whomever was out there.

The Democrats opposed isolationism, although for many years more conservative Democrats were more likely to go along with the Republicans on the issue. Democrats also have long spoken in favor of government responsibility to hold business in check, and to assist people when necessary, always pointing back to the early years when the cities banded together to help their people survive. The party opposed censorship measures proposed by conservative Republicans, as well as bills sponsored by conservatives that would have had the effect of marginalizing the Catholic church and making the West Texas Baptist Convention the de facto state church.

Conaway, the incumbent President, is running for a second term and is the Republican Party's candidate. The Democrats chose Harry Teague, a ranking minority senator from Hobbs.

Economy
West Texas's economy is dominated by ranching and the petroleum industry. It has benefited from the government's decision to continue the low taxation policies of the old state of Texas, as well as its abundance of oil and natural gas.

The petroleum industry has taken advantage of the Permian Basin oil fields having not been hit on Doomsday and government policies mandating public and private sector oil conservation. As a result, the industry considers West Texas to be in a great position to be one of the leading oil exporters in the western hemisphere over the next 10 years.

Energy companies hope to benefit from windmill technology, using it to create power it can sell to West Texans and to neighboring nations.

Midland and Odessa's economies have also benefitted from the cultural, sports and music scenes present in the two cities.

Law enforcement
Volunteers consisting of area Texas Rangers, state patrolmen, police officers and interested civilians, were initially activated as the state's de facto police force.

Officials soon established an Army, with mandatory service for all males 18 and over for at least two years and reserve status until age 35. Each city and town established its own police force, led by a sheriff.

The Texas Ranger Division of the Department of Public Safety is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction that has a presence in every city and town. Over the years, the Rangers have investigated crimes ranging from murder to political corruption. They have acted as riot police and as detectives, protected the President, tracked down fugitives, and functioned as a paramilitary force for the republic.

The Army headquarters are located in Midland, with its main base is in Fort Stockton, and auxiliary bases in Fort Davis, Hobbs, Big Spring, Sonora and Van Horn.

Midland and Odessa are the only towns in which the police primarily use automobiles, and even then, many officers either patrol their beats on foot or by bicycle or horseback. In the smaller towns, police make extensive use not just of automobiles, but horseback to get around.

Foreign relations
West Texas allowed for civilian contact with "friendly outsiders" even during its long-standing policy of official isolation, a policy credited with helping prevent relations with Dinetah from going badly.

Conaway, on October 16, appointed ambassadors to Dinetah, Deseret and the NAU proper, and is expected to appoint ambassadors to Superior; Canada; Vermont; the Municipal States of the Pacific; and the ANZC in the next few weeks. Pursuit of membership in the League of Nations is anticipated at some point, but observers expect West Texas to first tackle "the Mexico question."

In fact, during Conaway's brief discussion with Vermont President Jim Douglas, Douglas volunteered his country as a neutral site if needed or desired for talks between West Texas and Mexico.

A group of older U.S. military veterans, some of whom served in the West Texas army in the '80s and '90s, learned of the existence of the Committee to Restore the United States of America and that George H.W. Bush, the vice president on Doomsday, was alive and well and living in Australia. On their own initiative, without consulting Conaway nor any other government official or agency, the veterans asked NAU officials during their visit to contact Bush and the CRUSA, and ask them to visit West Texas. The NAU will deliver the request only at the insistence of the West Texas government.

Music
Texans have long pioneered musical innovation in such genres as country, the blues, tejano music, punk rock and mariachi. West Texan musicians are considered to have capably carried on those musical traditions.

Realizing that the music scenes of Austin and Nashville disappeared with the destruction of those cities, area musicians realized they would have to step up and continue to create new music, inspired by the artists who had passed away before and during Doomsday; they also understood their music could play a key role in lifting people's morale during the difficult times everyone faced in the early years of West Texas. Musicians played, for free, at every public venue they could find, especially in the refugee shelters. Even today, people can still hear live music at various places throughout the area, not just in bars and halls and concert venues, but also in many public areas during the week and on weekends, including parks, restaurants and farmers' markets.

Six types of music scenes developed over the years as the Republic stabilized: traditional country, outlaw country, southern rock, tejano and southern Gospel.


 * Traditional artists draw from the big-band/swing style popularized by Texan Bob Wills; the crooning, 'countrypolitan' style popular in Nashville in the 1960s and early 1970s; and the instrumental style of Chet Atkins.
 * Outlaw country artists are heavily influenced by musical legends Waylon Jennings, Wilie Nelson, Billy Joe Shaver and Kris Kristofferson - artists who themselves were influenced by traditional country artists and rock artists of the '60s and '70s.
 * Southern rock acts look to Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Marshall Tucker Band, and to a lesser extent hard rock groups like Van Halen, for inspiration.
 * Tejano music, popularized by artists who came to west Texas from south Texas or Mexico, has gained a sizeable audience over the years.
 * Texas blues, a style influenced by Texans Johnny Winter, the Fabulous Thunderbirds and Stevie Ray Vaughan, has a smaller, but loyal and enthuiastic, following.
 * Southern gospel continues to be the most favored form of sacred music among many Protestants.

Other types of music that have gained an audience include classical music; banda; huapanga; ranchero; norteno; "romantic" (a combination of Mexican romantica and American adult contemporary ballards) and African-American soul music also have gained influence and popularity over the years.

Arts
Classical music has made a comeback in recent years, to small but affluent support bases in Midland and Odessa. The Midland-Odessa Symphony & Chorale has tried to increase the profile and popularity of classical music by playing concerts in high schools and open parks around the Republic.

The Midland Community Theatre, which hosted sessions of the House of Representatives and Senate for a number of years, as well as the official state welcome for visitors from Dinetah and the North American Union, has long put on musical, comedy and dramatic productions and continues to do so on a weekly basis. Those performances are extremely popular, drawing visitors from around the Republic.

The Permian Playhouse is Odessa's counterpart to the MCT. Odessa also is the home of the Globe of the Great Southwest, a replica of William Shakespeare's Globe Theatre (and in light of Doomsday, one of the few institutions designated as a national landmark).

Museums in the area include the Heritage Museum in Big Spring and the Museum of the Southwest Permian Basin Petroleum Museum, American Airpower Heritage Museum and Midland County Historical Museum in Midland. Odessa's University of West Texas campus is home to the Presidential Museum and Leadership Library, dedicated primarily to the office of the President of the United States of America; there are also wings dedicated to the presidents of the 19th-century Republic of Texas and the Republic of West Texas.

National landmarks
The following have been designated national landmarks by the West Texas Department of the Interior:


 * The White-Pool House in Midland
 * The Globe of the Great Southwest in Odessa
 * The Old Fort Davis National Historic Site, located one mile east of the Fort Davis military base
 * The Carlsbad Irrigation District and Carlsbad Caverns National Park in Carlsbad
 * Highway 290 from Ozona to Lancaster Hill (for its view of the Pecos River Valley)
 * Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park, south of Fort Stockton and Fort Davis
 * The Paisano Pete roadrunner sculpture at the entrance to the city of Fort Stockton
 * The Doomsday Memorial and National Memorial Cemetery, outside Fort Stockton.
 * The Midland Community Theatre, which served as the meeting hall for the Legislature in the early years of the Republic.

Doomsday memorial
The estimated 320,000 who are officially said to have died by "war-related causes" and who died in the Mexican/Anglo skirmishes of the early years are buried in the West Texas Cemetery northwest of Fort Stockton. At the entrance to the cemetery is a memorial with the names of the people who died, as well as the Texas and New Mexico areas destroyed on Doomsday. It took five years to build the memorial, which opened to the public on July 4, 1995, the tenth anniversary of the founding of the Republic.

Sports
Football, baseball and soccer are very popular, and considered to be very important for cultural morale.

High school football is especially held in high regard; the annual regular-season games between Midland Lee, Midland High and Odessa Permian high schools, as well as the Republic championship game (which no school other than those three has played in since high school football resumed in 1989) is said to draw the interest of the entire region. Also held in high regard are soccer matches between the three schools, which draw crowds as large as those for the football games. Initially Anglos and African-Americans gravated towards football and baseball, while Hispanic refugees gravated towards soccer, and baseball. Now, all three groups tend to enjoy all of the main sports; young mothers especially preferred their children to play soccer, as they saw it to be a "safer" sport than football.

The West Texas Interscholastic League is the sanctioning body of high school sports in the republic. All schools play in one division for all sports except for football, which is broken down into Division I (11-man) and Division II (8- and 6-man). Division I schools, besides Lee, Permian and Midland High, are Odessa High, Fort Stockton, Carlsbad, Hobbs, Big Spring, Sonora, Monahans and Pecos.

An six-team semi-professional football league with teams named after the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Oilers and NCAA Division 1-A universiies from Texas has played games in Midland and Odessa on Saturdays for the past several years. One of the more notable players is quarterback Colt McCoy, a former Hobbs High star who plays for the Longhorns.

Religion
Pre-Doomsday, Texas was known as the "buckle" of the Bible belt.

Post-Doomsday, Christianity remains a highly influential faith in West Texas. In the 2008 government census, sixty-two percent of residents professed to be Protestant and 25 percent Roman Catholic. Six percent declined to state a preference. Four percent professed to be atheistic or agnostic, two percent Jewish, 0.7 Buddhist and 0.3 "other".

Among Protestants, the majority profess themselves to be West Texas Baptists, a denomination considered in the Republic to be the successor to the Southern Baptist Convention. Methodism, Lutheranism, "independent Bible" churches, Pentecostalism and Episcopalism are also represented.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of West Texas is headquartered in Midland, and headed by Archbishop Manuel Ramirez, a refugee from former Coahuila.

The Republic's small Jewish community is centered in Odessa.

Communications
There are nine radio stations (three government-operated, including 550 AM and 99.1 FM). Television channel 3, also government-owned, operates as West Texas Television and broadcasts on a limited schedule. All stations easily reach every city, town and village in the Republic, and 550 AM was recently upgraded to 50,000 watts and 99.1 FM to 100,000 watts.

AM 


 * 550 West Texas Public Radio news, sports, discussion
 * 1070 West Texas Talk 1070

FM


 * 88.7 West Texas Baptist Seminary
 * 91.3 West Texas Public Radio classical, jazz
 * 96.1 Country Classic 96
 * 97.9 US Gold 98
 * 99.1 West Texas Public Radio regional country, rock, hispanic
 * 102.7 Lone Star Radio (country, rock, adult contemporary)
 * 107.9 Ranchera 108

TV Channels 3 broadcasts from 6 p.m. to midnight each night, except for Saturdays (8 a.m.-midnight) and Sundays (noon-11 p.m.), carrying news and information, old movies, cartoons, old 1970s and 1980s syndicated programming, as well as live sports and political speeches.

Ham radios exist in every town and city and are used mainly by government, military and law enforcement agencies to communicate with one another. There is also an extensive civilian network, which for years operated under government regulation; when the policy of isolation ended, the civilian operators were basically free to operate as they liked. They have also began communicating with fellow operators throughout North America.

Telephone service is heavily used by civilians and government alike. West Texas Bell, the government telephone service, is working to establish service into Dinetah and the North American Union.

In the early days post-Doomsday, officials put scouts on horseback and had them travel from town to town, village to village, doing everything from delivering mail to sending official communications between towns. The Pony Express was formally reconstituted and still exists today as a courier service for both civilian and government use. The military has its own version, as do selected government agencies.

Newspapers publish once a week, except for the "Midland Reporter-Telegram" and the "Odessa American", which operate on alternating days and publish a joint edition on Sundays.

Education
In the republic's early years post-Doomsday, priority was given to survival, and formal education was left to families. Only after it was clear that West Texas would survive as an entity was thought given to reconstituting the educational system. This was done first with elementary schools, then middle and high schools.

The University of West Texas was opened in 1993, consisting of the former University of Texas of the Permian Basin and Texas Tech School of Medicine branch in Odessa. It is the region's only university, and offers programs in such areas as medicine, journalism, sciences and leadership studies.

West Texas Baptist Seminary in Odessa was formed in 1996 after government officials declined pastors' request for a seminary department at the university.

Midland College also reopened in 1993, and serves as a training ground for the school system's teachers. Its agricultural program has become very important to the entire region.