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| Editorial - Texans unpatriotic? | | |
Sponsor |  TS-guy | Apr 24, 9:48pm | Texans are unpatriotic to the USA, as they place the status of Texas above the USA.
After a recent 10 day trip to Texas, this finally occurred to me that Texans are Texans first and Americans second. I've lived in Galveston and Houston in the 80's, but the placement of Texas above the United States by residents of Texas has now reached rabid proportions.
This epiphany occurred during a seven day Royal Caribbean cruise departing Galveston. The ship was full of Texans of course, just as a Cruise ship leaving NY would be full of north-easterners. What was different was how the Texans treated the cruise as an extension of Texas. For instance, I was playing blackjack and a person from Florida was sitting next to me. This Texan at the other side of the table asked the person "what brings you to Texas?", to which the Floridian responded" I'm on an international cruise ship in the middle of international waters, not in Texas". Also, near the end of the cruise, the cruise company made the entire wait-staff sing 'deep in the heart of texas' and also a USA patriotic song, all while a huge Texas flag was unfurled from the balcony, before an equally large American flag was unfurled. The waiters also had to march around the dining room carrying Texas and USA flags. Note that every single waiter was not from the USA, as is typical on modern cruise ships. The response of the passengers from Texas was unbelievable. Many jumped from their seats to snap photos. nearly all stood. One gentleman even stood on a chair at the (empty) Captains dining table to get a better photo. Picture a boat-ful of Texans holding their hands over their hearts during the 'deep in the heart of texas', with the US song secondary. The whole thing was totally amazing. If a person dropped in from a alien world, they would have thought Texas was an independent country.
Other examples: as related by a relative on a high school basketball team in San Antonio, a recent Texas law makes school children repeat the following pledge before sports games, the Texas pledge: "Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one and indivisible."
Additionally, I had several Texans tell me that only Texas was allowed to fly their flag at the same height as the US flag, even though Snopes says this is not true snopes.com/history/american/texasflag.asp [snopes.com/history/american/texasflag.asp]
Texans also were quick to point out to me that the top of the Texas state capital in Austin is 7 feet higher the the nations capital. I suppose that includes that Austin is quite a bit higher than the swamp D.C. is built on.
The end result for me is a strong belief that Texans are not good citizens of the United States, but they are good citizens of Texas, as they hold Texas in a higher regard than the USA. |
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Sponsor | | ntltrmllgnc | Apr 24, 10:12pm | America is not a monarchy, a commune, nor an empire (in its design, it is in practice unfortunately). The United States does not EXIST without individuals.
Love for one's state prevents fascism on a continental scale. Love for country begins with my neighbor not the other way around.
When my neighbor is in dire straits and the "nationalists" yap about how this nation is number one when it is losing its soul, I don't trust them one bit.
People are real. Countries are imaginary concepts that keep us from killing each other.
I'm not a fan of flag worship, state or national, but I'll take the state over national.
BEWARE OF NATIONAL FURY AND CHEST POUNDING.
Let me explain why: Recently some political crank said of health care, "A national problem deserves a national solution."
First of all when some spokesrobot responds to a reasonable question with a slogan, all bets are off, the guy is either clueless or lying through his teeth.
But let's examine this national/national context.
Presumably national in national problem means the same as national in national solution. Well let's find out is this is true...
A problem is defined by where it occurs. A solution is defined by where it begins.
Now a national problem is a problem the nation is facing. The nation meaning its citizens. So could we also call it a citizen hardship, millions of citizens suffering? Let's call it a citizen hardship. This begs the question: is a national solution a citizen solution? Doesn't seem so solid does it?
Where does a national solution begin? The citizens? No. Good old WASHINGTON, DC.
So does a citizen hardship deserve a one size fits all bureaucratic DC solution?
I fear for this country just because of its fantasies. It gave up its dreams for imaginary progress. |
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Sponsor | | trevho | Apr 24, 10:25pm | | Well we here in Texas have a saying. I am from Texas what country are you from. Yes there is a Texas pledge and yes we are the only state that can leave the union when we wish we are an independant republic |
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Sponsor | | TS-guy | Apr 25, 11:53am | 2) Those are good points. The Constitution clearly is state based, but with limits, as the Articles of Confederation before that was too loose. So where is the line between the states and the Union? There is no written criteria more specific than the constitution except what the Supreme Court decides. So to my chagrin the national government was OK to cut off funds to states that didn't raise their drinking age, clean up their highways, etc. There are plenty of other examples where the national government uses funding or supreme court rulings to force compliance, such as state abortion law. But on issues like human and environmental rights, it was (is) only the feds that could (can) ensure a national policy, despite states rights. Also, only the national government could clear the way for the national railroad and freeway systems, even though those initiatives trampled upon the rights of any citizen in their way.
3)don't forget California, Vermont, and Hawaii were also separate countries before joining the Union.
also, from tsl.state.tx.us/exhibits/annexation/part5/question11.html [tsl.state.tx.us/exhibits/annexation/part5/question11.html]
"The Presidential Proclamation declaring peace between the United States and Texas after the Civil War, dated August 20, 1866, states very clearly in the following passage that no state had the right to leave the Union (emphasis added in all capitals):
And whereas,
the President of the United States, by further proclamation issued on the second day of April, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, did promulgate and declare, that there no longer existed any armed resistance of misguided citizens, or others, to the authority of the United States in any, or in all the States before mentioned, excepting only the State of Texas, and did further promulgate and declare that the laws could be sustained and enforced in the several States before mentioned, except Texas, by the proper civil authorities, State, or Federal, and that the people of the said States, except Texas, are well and loyally disposed, and have conformed or will conform in their legislation to the condition of affairs growing out of the amendment to the Constitution of the United States, prohibiting slavery within the limits and jurisdiction of the United States;
And did further declare in the same proclamation THAT IT IS THE MANIFEST DETERMINATION OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THAT NO STATE, OF ITS OWN WILL, HAS A RIGHT OR POWER TO GO OUT OF OR SEPARATE ITSELF FROM, OR BE SEPARATED FROM THE AMERICAN UNION; and that, therefore, each State ought to remain and constitute an integral part of the United States;
On March 30, 1870, Congress passed the Act to admit the State of Texas to Representation in the Congress of the United States. Likewise, this act contains no language that would allow Texas to unilaterally withdraw from the United States."
3) It is one thing to be proud of one's region of the Union, it's another to place one's region above it. IMHO that's what caused the Civil War.
It seemed to me on my recent trip to Texas that the attitudes of Texans towards the United States are more in line with the people of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico than with the other states to which I've been (with the possible exception of native Hawaiians).
BTW- I'm not bashing Texans - I just noticed this particular set of attitudes towards the United States there. |
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Sponsor | | TS-guy | May 7, 7:44pm | | point confirmed. it wasn't just me. thanks. |
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| | | InadvertentlyMe | May 7, 8:04pm | 6 - Some people are asses. I can say that I would be totally flummoxed and appalled at the behavior you've described. And I've been here for well over 20 years.
West Texas is awash in new money due to the higher cost of oil. Is it possible that what you saw was an offshoot of some West Texans with money to burn? |
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Sponsor | | TS-guy | May 7, 8:19pm | | That thought had occurred to me, and probably is a contributing issue. It seems that with the 'independent Texas' subtext in the State, many people go over the top. BTW, in a similar vein I found this on Hawaiian independence hawaii-nation.org [hawaii-nation.org] |
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| Editorial - Texans unpatriotic? | | |
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