Texas, our Texas
For those of you who don't recognize it, the title of this post comes from the first line of the state song. Today I was walking across campus and noticed that there was something strange about the U.S. and Texas flags next to the library. The difference, although subtle, was enough to make pause to figure out what was wrong with the picture in front of me. I quickly realized that the Texas flag was being flown slightly lower than the U.S. flag. This may not seem strange for people living in other states, but here in Texas the two flags usually fly at the same level.
Contrary to popular belief, the Texas flag is not given preferential treatment due to some legal exception granted to the state of Texas nor is there any law against such a practice for other states. This custom has, however, fueled the view that Texans are prideful people who if forced to choose between their state and their country would choose their state. This really isn't a fair portrayal. Granted we do have a lot of state pride, but Texans are also some of the most patriotic people when it comes to their country. In reality, the premise of that hypothetical situation is unfair to Texans who believe that they should not have to choose between country and state. They are Texans and Americans, and just like their flags, these two things are equal in their eyes.
8 comments:
I saw there were no comments so I thought I would give your blog some affirmation by posting.
I bought into the belief that the Texas flag had some special exemption. Go figure some of the stuff you think you know is false. Which leads me to my next question.
Is it true though that Texas has the right to split itself into up to 5 states as specified in the the treaty which joined it to the Union or was that clause done away with after the civil war. Or... is this clause in the treaty another myth.
Discuss...
Well I know that it was true that that was a clause put into the document to annex Texas. This article at snopes.com explains it well. It doesn't say that it was ever formally done away with. The article says that the provisions were superfluous because of Article IV section 3 of the constitution.
But that just says that if a state were to divide, they have to get approval from congress. This document gave them a preapproval. So I'm not sure I would say the provision was superfluous.
Section 3. New states may be admitted by the Congress into this union; but no new states shall be formed or erected within the jurisdiction of any other state; nor any state be formed by the junction of two or more states, or parts of states, without the consent of the legislatures of the states concerned as well as of the Congress.
I found this article from the the Texas State Library & Archives commission. It says that technically we still could, but that there's no point because the motivation for dividing (Creating more slave states) is no longer present.
Sorry. one more comment. I just found this topic interesting once I started in on the research. I looked up the Texas Flag Code. Sure enough, it says that if the Texas flag and U.S. flag are to be displayed on separate flagstaffs, the two flags should be equal in size on and on flagstaffs of equal height. It does imply that it is permissible to have the U.S. flag fly above the state flag.
Now just when you thought Texans thought they were better than every other state, the code also explicitly states that the Texas flag should not be flown above another state's flag if the two are on display together.
Huh. I wasn't going to comment, but my word verification says wjlbyl which reminds me of one of my favorite Raffi songs: "Willoughby Wallaby Woo, an elephant sat on you, Willoughby Wallaby wee, an elephant sat on me..." Here's a link so you can sing along:
http://music.barnesandnoble.com/search/mediaplayer.asp?ean=011661807723&disc=1&track=10
Let me try that link again:
Willoughby Wallaby Woo
Speaking of flags... I noticed the flags were at half-mast today at the Los Angeles Temple. It was a sombering moment.
Sometimes I really like Wikipedia.
According to specific presidential proclamations, the US flag has been odered to fly at half-staff in these instances: the Oklahoma City bombing, the remembrance of the 9/11 attacks, the death of Pope John Paul II, the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003, the victims of Hurricane Katrina, the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, the deaths of Coretta Scott King and Rosa Parks, and the Virginia Tech massacre.
I thought it was interesting.
Though he was a Navy brat, my dad happens to have been born in Fort Worth. They moved a year later, but he still drives around (Georgia) with a 'Native Texan' bumper sticker on his truck... :^)
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