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Based on a post about Bar-B-Que, and a few other threads on here, I wanted to pass along my my thoughts, regarding the Great State of Texas, where I was born and raised. I know there are several "transplants" here now, and some of them may not know the reasons we "natives" are so passionate about the greatest State in the union.

The title comes from a Texas singer/songwriter, by the name of Gary P. Nunn. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvu4nKdLWX8

Texas is more than the sum of it's parts. As Joe817 demonstrates everyday with his This Day In Texas History thread, Texas is so diverse that it can't really be described in a few words, phrases, or mottoes. Texas has evolved, even faster than the United States, and has a history, that dates at least as far back as the USA. If you want to talk about a true "melting pot" You can't find one more representative of the term than Texas.

Texas has led the nation, in independent thinking, self reliance, and technology. The first word spoken from the moon was "Houston".

Texas was made up up from people who came from somewhere else. Even the "Native Americans" didn't come to Texas as their first stop.

The French, Spanish, English, Germans, Irish, and Americans all saw Texas as one of the great, and possibly the last, land of opportunity.

The historical figures, who have claimed Texas as their home, are too numerous to count. The achievements, of those from Texas, would fill a set of encyclopedias.

Texas has not always been the best place to live, it has a sad record of racial, sexual, and ethnic inequality. I don't deny nor defend any of that.
But Texas has a wonderful legacy, of "making things right" And striving to continue to do so.

As for our State Government, there have been a many "Hits" and Misses'. Not too many years ago, the people decided that a woman named Ann Richards would be a good choice, despite my letters, phone calls, etc.. She was voted in as Governor, mainly because the Republican candidate, decided to have too many beers, and tell a joke while on a cattle round up with reporters present. http://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/26/us/te ... furor.html

And while Ann Richards went on hunting trips, and claimed to support the Second Amendment, she vetoed, the bill to allow concealed carry of handguns. Despite the push from a woman, who had witnessed both of her parents being killed by a madman in a Killeen, Texas Luby's
http://www.upi.com/Archives/1993/04/27/ ... 585008237/

Fortunately, Texas regained it's intelligence, and began getting rid of those who, truly did not represent our way of thinking.

Now we live in what I call "The Golden Age" of Texas politics, we have once again, voted in people who represent our independent way of thinking and actually have a Governor who, not only says the right things, but will actually use social media, to let everyone know where he stands on the issue of gun control. http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2016/01/ ... come-take/

I know this is a long post, and I am not nearly as eloquent as others on the forum, I want to ask everyone to to at least take a look around the rest of the country, and see, if there is another place you would rather live. If not, then please do everything you can with your, e-mails, votes, and service to those here in this great State, to make sure that we don't allow the left leaning thought processes to permeate our Hallowed Capitol again.

We are the second largest State in land area, we are the largest State in population, that has a simple process for the carry of handguns, all of these things are at stake. I don't want to be a place that is just like (name the state). I want Texas to continue to lead the way, and show everyone what true freedom means.
For those of you who weren't fortunate enough to have been born here, we welcome you with open arms. That has been the way we have been from the beginning, If you came here to try to take away our hard fought freedoms, you will find a very chilly reception.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, I will step down from my soap box now.

Wow! Just WOW! Well done Jusme!!! You did a far better job of expressing your feelings about Texas that I could have done!



Edit to add: I just watched your music video of Gary. More than once I got chills down my spine. Busted out with Texas Pride.

He's my favorite Texas music singer/composer. He did a little number when he was with Jerry Jeff Walker's Band entitled London Homesick Blues, my all time favorite Texas music song.

I'm a native Texan also.

I spent 22 years in the USAF, during which time I was in several states and 4 foreign countries, including living in Germany for 6 years (I was there when the wall came down.) and Athens Greece for 2½ years.

After retiring, I came back to my roots and took a job that had me travelling all over the country and to Puerto Rico a couple of times. There might be 5 states I haven't been to.

I built a house less than 2 miles from where my father was born & is now buried and about 4 miles from my parent's farm, where my mother still lives.

If that doesn't explain how I feel about Texas, you haven't been paying attention.

I full time in an RV and, as a result, spend more time out of Texas than in it. I am reminded daily when I am elsewhere that Texas is a great state!! I really have not found a state I like better.

Joe

<///>< Born and raised in Houston Texas. The immediate area of Houston Ave. and Washington Ave. I often walked a block away to the main downtown Police station in their basement cafeteria for hamburgers. Went to St Josephs Church as a kid. <///><

joe817 wrote:Wow! Just WOW! Well done Jusme!!! You did a far better job of expressing your feelings about Texas that I could have done!



Edit to add: I just watched your music video of Gary. More than once I got chills down my spine. Busted out with Texas Pride.

He's my favorite Texas music singer/composer. He did a little number when he was with Jerry Jeff Walker's Band entitled London Homesick Blues, my all time favorite Texas music song.

That is the main reason I joined in the boycott of the Dixie Chick's. I could not care less, about their opinion on the war, but when they went to England, and said they were ashamed to be from Texas, I could no longer support them. If it weren't for the people of Texas, they would still be performing on the street in the Ft. Worth stockyards, like they were when I first heard them in 1986.

Texas singer/songwriters have a huge following in England like Kris Kristofferson, Waylon,Willie, Jerry Jeff Walker, his son Django Walker, Gary P. Nunn, and hundreds of others, so when they disrespected Texas, they lost any support from me.

A few other things, we will have friendly rivalries about which Texas college we favor, or which city has the best of..... whatever, but we all prayed for Dallas, when their police officers were attacked, we all prayed for victims of flooding, tornadoes, or any other disasters that affected fellow Texans. Those things won't change, we will always rally around our own, and even those beyond our borders, in times of trouble.
In fact I'll bet that Texas has more representatives at any natural disasters than any other State. I know that there are more Katrina refugees in Texas,than anywhere else.

Not a native, but happy to be living here. I have lived in seven states & visited almost all the others (still trying to get to Alaska).
Texas is right there. There is alot to like here. I had trouble getting used to the humidity of NY/NE combined with the heat
of Vegas & the Cal high desert but, being close to the grandkids has a way of making it downright pleasant.
My adopted home state of Texas is a very nice place to live indeed.
Polite people, pleasant scenery & history abound. What's not to like. It is a good place.

Jusme wrote:A few other things, we will have friendly rivalries about which Texas college we favor, or which city has the best of..... whatever, but we all prayed for Dallas, when their police officers were attacked, we all prayed for victims of flooding, tornadoes, or any other disasters that affected fellow Texans. Those things won't change, we will always rally around our own, and even those beyond our borders, in times of trouble.
In fact I'll bet that Texas has more representatives at any natural disasters than any other State. I know that there are more Katrina refugees in Texas,than anywhere else.

Born and raised 4th generation Texan here. We are also among the first to offer assistance not only within our own borders but elsewhere around the country. Look at the Texans that assisted on 9/11, Katrina, And other disasters

pushpullpete wrote:Not a native, but happy to be living here. I have lived in seven states & visited almost all the others (still trying to get to Alaska).
Texas is right there. There is alot to like here. I had trouble getting used to the humidity of NY/NE combined with the heat
of Vegas & the Cal high desert but, being close to the grandkids has a way of making it downright pleasant.
My adopted home state of Texas is a very nice place to live indeed.
Polite people, pleasant scenery & history abound. What's not to like. It is a good place.

What's not to like? I really, really don't like the heat and humidity of east Texas' long drawn out summers. Other than that, we be cool with our adopted home.

Oldgringo wrote:

pushpullpete wrote:Not a native, but happy to be living here. I have lived in seven states & visited almost all the others (still trying to get to Alaska).
Texas is right there. There is alot to like here. I had trouble getting used to the humidity of NY/NE combined with the heat
of Vegas & the Cal high desert but, being close to the grandkids has a way of making it downright pleasant.
My adopted home state of Texas is a very nice place to live indeed.
Polite people, pleasant scenery & history abound. What's not to like. It is a good place.

What's not to like? I really, really don't like the heat and humidity of east Texas' long drawn out summers. Other than that, we be cool with our adopted home.

hahaha but, that is why A/C was invented !!

Pawpaw,

Sounds like our paths may have crossed before. Spent 28 years in the USAF and came home to Texas (actually the USAF was kind enough to send me home for my last 8 years of active duty). I too was in Germany (at Ramstein) when the wall came down. Had been TDY in Berlin the week before. Also spent a fair amount of time TDY to Athens in 3 week stints. Also see that you are in Hunt County. My mom's family was from Greenville and relatives had small farms in the Hunt county area.

Part of my family has been here since 1865 (escaping the devastation caused by some guy named Grant) and the other part since at least 1870 so not here pre-statehood, but enough to have deep roots. Like Pawpaw, lived in several states, spent time working in many more and lived in or spent time in the USAF in too many foreign countries to count. truly there is no where else for me, but Texas

Jusme wrote:Based on a post about Bar-B-Que, and a few other threads on here, I wanted to pass along my my thoughts, regarding the Great State of Texas, where I was born and raised. I know there are several "transplants" here now, and some of them may not know the reasons we "natives" are so passionate about the greatest State in the union.

The title comes from a Texas singer/songwriter, by the name of Gary P. Nunn. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvu4nKdLWX8

Texas is more than the sum of it's parts. As Joe817 demonstrates everyday with his This Day In Texas History thread, Texas is so diverse that it can't really be described in a few words, phrases, or mottoes. Texas has evolved, even faster than the United States, and has a history, that dates at least as far back as the USA. If you want to talk about a true "melting pot" You can't find one more representative of the term than Texas.

Texas has led the nation, in independent thinking, self reliance, and technology. The first word spoken from the moon was "Houston".

Texas was made up up from people who came from somewhere else. Even the "Native Americans" didn't come to Texas as their first stop.

The French, Spanish, English, Germans, Irish, and Americans all saw Texas as one of the great, and possibly the last, land of opportunity.

The historical figures, who have claimed Texas as their home, are too numerous to count. The achievements, of those from Texas, would fill a set of encyclopedias.

Texas has not always been the best place to live, it has a sad record of racial, sexual, and ethnic inequality. I don't deny nor defend any of that.
But Texas has a wonderful legacy, of "making things right" And striving to continue to do so.

As for our State Government, there have been a many "Hits" and Misses'. Not too many years ago, the people decided that a woman named Ann Richards would be a good choice, despite my letters, phone calls, etc.. She was voted in as Governor, mainly because the Republican candidate, decided to have too many beers, and tell a joke while on a cattle round up with reporters present. http://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/26/us/te ... furor.html

And while Ann Richards went on hunting trips, and claimed to support the Second Amendment, she vetoed, the bill to allow concealed carry of handguns. Despite the push from a woman, who had witnessed both of her parents being killed by a madman in a Killeen, Texas Luby's
http://www.upi.com/Archives/1993/04/27/ ... 585008237/

Fortunately, Texas regained it's intelligence, and began getting rid of those who, truly did not represent our way of thinking.

Now we live in what I call "The Golden Age" of Texas politics, we have once again, voted in people who represent our independent way of thinking and actually have a Governor who, not only says the right things, but will actually use social media, to let everyone know where he stands on the issue of gun control. http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2016/01/ ... come-take/

I know this is a long post, and I am not nearly as eloquent as others on the forum, I want to ask everyone to to at least take a look around the rest of the country, and see, if there is another place you would rather live. If not, then please do everything you can with your, e-mails, votes, and service to those here in this great State, to make sure that we don't allow the left leaning thought processes to permeate our Hallowed Capitol again.

We are the second largest State in land area, we are the largest State in population, that has a simple process for the carry of handguns, all of these things are at stake. I don't want to be a place that is just like (name the state). I want Texas to continue to lead the way, and show everyone what true freedom means.
For those of you who weren't fortunate enough to have been born here, we welcome you with open arms. That has been the way we have been from the beginning, If you came here to try to take away our hard fought freedoms, you will find a very chilly reception.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, I will step down from my soap box now.

GREAT post! As a geography nut, I have to point out that Texas is the 2nd largest state in terms of population (behind California).

I'm a California native, and will not be moving back there any time soon - there are too many limitations on liberties. I love where I live, and I love the people and the state of Texas. I just wish we had nicer beaches & waves to surf on!

I was born in Morocco, but have lived most of my life in the U.S. Most of that time, I lived in California. I once lived in NYC for about 3 years, and I lived here in Texas during my college years (Gig 'em Aggies!). I moved here permanently in 2006. My wife and I had been talking for several years about retiring to Texas when the time came in order to make our retirement dollars stretch further, because I had always fondly remembered my time living here back in the '70s. So when the opportunity arose in 2006 to move along with my job, we didn't hesitate.

We love it here. We loved the immediate acceptance from native Texans. We loved that, socially and politically, we fit in better here than either of us did back in the state we grew up in. Back there, if the fact that I attend a church came up in a conversation, people would look at me like my hair was on fire. Here, they simply ask, "oh, which church do you attend?" like it is a normal thing.....which it is. We love how green it is here. We love how clean it is here, and free of graffiti and garbage everywhere. We love the greater respect for the liberties of the individual here. There just isn't a whole lot to not like about Texas.

I first came to Texas in 1981. Fell in love with it immediately and planned to spend the rest of my life here. But life got in the way, got married and work took us to California and then 22 years in exile in Upstate New York (Finger Lakes region). After finally finding our way back, we will never ever leave again. Texas is the one place that still reminds me of how America used to be...I love the "can do" spirit, the patriotism, the pride, the values and the people.

We go up to the Finger Lakes to visit and I will be attending my 40 year engineering school reunion at Rensselaer next month. Recently I had a headhunter call me and try to convince me to look at an awesome, "dream job", but it was in Saratoga Springs (NY). I told him that I would be labeled a "terrorist" as soon as I crossed the border, given the firearms collection that I have acquired here since our return.



I will NOT die north of the Red River!!!!!