Should we kick Texas out of the United States?

Neo-Logic said:

No need to kick Texas out. I like their culture.

Texas is doing what Texas can do through the democratic process. The citizens all have their powers of vote, free speech, and peaceful assembly. If they want it enough one way or the other, they can make it happen.

Click to expand...

Good man!! :foryou: Most Americans aren't aware that Texas has its own constitution that gives us ALWAYS the freedom to secede from the US .. "the people have the right to alter their government in such manner as they might think proper."

And as a Texan who is always keeping up with how the people feel, that we are still here for America as a whole IS based on our love for the people of America as a whole and not because we necessarily want to as individuals (as we would be GREATLY benefitted personally by withdrawing from the United States) ... many of us KNOW quite well that we would be better off w/out the rest of the states ... but when push comes to shove, we want the best for everyone and not only for ourselves. We are a FRIENDLY state and it sucks that so many act as though they are against us when their own lives are largely dependent on our fortune. If our will was against the rest of the People in America, we would have long left to leave the Americans to deal alone w/ all this mess because ... for anyone ACTUALLY educated, you would know that America largely rides on the back of Texas in more ways than only a few.

You cannot alter the truth without loss. Telling half the facts, is as bad as lying half the time.

Cheers

Hey, y'all, come on down to Texas and see this big, beautiful thriving state for yourselves! Better yet, live here awhile. You'll find a fascinatingly diverse state that is very tolerant of many different viewpoints. With nearly 25 million people living here, we can't help but be very diverse.

Our gross state product of 1.09 TRILLION is the second highest in the United States, comparable to the countries of India and Canada, which are ranked 11th and 12th WORLDWIDE. Our state and local taxes are some of the lowest in the nation - in fact, we don't even have a state income tax. We "pay in" more federal taxes than we receive in federal benefits. We are home to more Fortune 500 companies than any other state. We enjoy a very low cost of living outside the major metropolitan areas, and even those areas are inexpensive compared to many other major cities in the US, not to mention the world.

As far as the recent economic plunge goes, our state is known as the "last in, first out." We have weathered the recession splendidly.

As far as education goes, Texas ranks right in the middle of the states - 26th in the nation. This is a bit more impressive when you realize that we have the highest immigration rate in the country, as well as the highest ILLEGAL immigration rate. These children, whose parents usually don't speak English, are pouring into our education system - and catching on quickly. We score slightly above the national average in mathmatics, and slightly below the national average in reading. No surprises there, considering the language issue. The top ten percent of high school graduates are guaranteed automatic admission into any state funded university.

Besides all that important stuff, we love our sports and have some stellar teams who perform far above average year after year - from high school to college to professional.

We have a dynamic and exciting arts environment. Austin is the live music capitol of the world, and boasts more live music venues per capita than Nashville, Memphis, Los Angeles, Las Vegas or New York City.

The food, the foooooood.....some of the best you will ever taste. Between the influences of southern cuisine, Mexican, Tex-Mex (which is definitely NOT simply Mexican), and German - my oh my, the food will make you stand up and holler "Yeeeeehawwwwwwwww!"

Texas is a fantastic place - y'all come on down.


Dallas


San Antonio


Austin

High School education is a sham these days IMO

Click to expand...

It's really not as bad as you would think.

It's bad enough to generalize an entire state, but it's even worse I think to generalize an entire state and then suggest that we kick them out. Every state has it's good an bad apples.

Honestly speaking, if I had to move from California, Texas would be on my top 5 states to move into. I like the food obsessed culture, proud traditions, strong state identity, booming economy (beating California now), hot mamas (from what I hear), and pretty open minded to diversity and other cultures. Oh, and they love their guns, yee haw. Sign me up.

If only it weren't so damn hot all over. Well, when global warming cools down Texas, then may be I'll move.

Will my RF Texan friends give me a tour?

If Texas withdrew from the union, it would in many ways be a loss for both sides.

IF_u_knew said:

that would be *weird* to be specific ... "keep Austin weird" ... you can quickly tell the natural born from those who aren't :beach:

Actually, I used to HATE (yes, HATE) this motto. I live (born and raised) in the Austin area and am actually too liberal for the conservatives and too conservative for the liberals ... which IS weird given that I am not sure where I fit in, GO FIGURE ... the lines are pretty much black and white in this particular area so I am a bit of an "odd ball" (though, the friendliness in Texas is not just a cute cliche and thus, is never an actual issue). I came to appreciate the saying though when I had my son, who I named Austin ... my mother bought him a shirt w/ the saying on it and it has taken a *WHOLE* new meaning and is now quite sentimental to me. :yes:

Click to expand...

Yes! That one! Weird is even SO much better than strange.:rainbow1:

There needs to be SOMEWHERE for a person like me to go.

(I have a piano student named Austin.
When I go to check the city out, I'll have to come back with a tee-shirt for him. )

It's pretty shameful and revolting how conservative fundamentalists constantly try to manipulate children and limit their knowledge and understanding of actual science and history in order to make them more susceptible to indoctrination. Let Texas secede from the union and collapse into a festering 3rd world theocracy.

Neo-Logic - come on down, I'll give you a tour of the east side of Texas (that could take weeks). This place is big.

It can get hot, but where I live (North East Texas) is no hotter than, say, Georgia or Alabama. And the trade off is terrific winters where the average high is in the 50s.

Ah, geographic bigotry... One of the few socially acceptable forms left.

The problem is that the State Board of Education was targeted by social conservatives and largely ignored by the voters. Like just about everywhere else in the country, voter turnout is abysmal, which makes it easier for small but determined and organized groups to have influence out of all proportion to their size. This is especially true for "down-ballot" races (the ones that never get as much coverage as races for Senator or governor).

I agree that what the SoCons did is shameful, but they went about it legally. Maybe it will be a wake-up call. I know I will be paying much closer attention to this part of the ballot, and I will encourage others to as well.

Click to expand...

So not all Texans are going for this? Well, that's good. They should stay as long as a majority disagree with this travesty.

And for all you people bragging about Texas and how great you are and how you live there - no one cares, especially when you start bringing up completely off-topic things (ie, their food and pics of their cities). Why? Because we're talking about changes you haven't experienced yet! How can you possibly say that everything will be ok just because you live in Texas and have seen their educational system before? You haven't seen what their educational system will be like if this bill passes.

IF_u_knew said:

Wow! Do YOU live in Texas to know via first hand knowledge that what you are reading and citing AS TRUTH is actually truth? If not, then I wonder what your interest is in for your lack of support in a state that carries MUCH of the weight for the MANY OTHER slacker states of America.

Click to expand...

I'm sorry; you're right. I was just assuming this news report with quotes was telling the truth about the situation. What was I thinking?

What weight exactly does Texas carry for other states?

Now that the Dixie Chicks left Texas, things are picking up.

angellous_evangellous said:

Now that the Dixie Chicks left Texas, things are picking up.

Click to expand...

What's wrong with the Dixie Chicks? I haven't heard any of their music, but judging by this comment, they couldn't have been that bad:

During a London concert ten days before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, lead vocalist Maines said, "we don't want this war, this violence, and we're ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas" (the Dixie Chicks' home state).[2] The statement offended people who thought it rude and unpatriotic, and the ensuing controversy cost the group half of their concert audience attendance in the United States and led to accusations of the three women being "un-American", as well as hate mail, a death threat, and the public destruction of their albums in protest.[3]

Click to expand...

Dixie Chicks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

IF_u_knew said:

...I wonder what your interest is in for your lack of support in a state that carries MUCH of the weight for the MANY OTHER slacker states of America.

Click to expand...

IF_u_knew said:

for anyone ACTUALLY educated, you would know that America largely rides on the back of Texas in more ways than only a few.

Click to expand...

I don't know where you got the notion Texas carrries the weight of many states besides itself. According to the most recent figures I could find (2005), Texas gets back 97 cents for every tax dollar it sends to Washington. So, it pretty much breaks even when it comes to supporting other states. I can't imagine Texas supporting too "MANY OTHER" states for three cents on the dollar, can you?

TheAmazingLoser said:

What's wrong with the Dixie Chicks? I haven't heard any of their music, but judging by this comment, they couldn't have been that bad:Dixie Chicks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Click to expand...

Willie Nelson and George Strait have the good sense never to use "ashamed" and "Texas" in the same sentence.

Austin, Texas is the live music capital of this nation. I'm not willing to give that up.

this thread is stupid

i took high school history just 6 years ago. if your actually relying on high school history to teach you history.........then your not going to learn history. i suspect thats true about anywhere in the country.