Jay’s been bragging on New Hampshire recently, and that’s fine. Lord knows it’s hard to live in Yankeeland and still feel right with God’s creation, so if a couple faux scientists in D.C. publish a study that makes him happy, well that’s a good thing. Anyone who lives in Texas is comfortable enough to let those other states have little moments, while we get to live in Heaven’s living room.
But I do have to admit that New Hampshire (which is clearly an improvement on the Old one) beats out Texas in one area – “Live Free or Die” is an awesome motto. We Texans really lack on that score (“friends” is a has-been sitcom, not a state motto), so we need to come up with one. Just off the top of my head and recalling some good ideas I have heard before, I would start the thinking with a few quotes:
“Texas is a nation in every sense of the word“ – John Steinbeck
“Texas is still a last frontier. It is the part of the United States where the
traditional virtues are still operating.” – John C. B. Richmond
“God made Texas on his day off, for pure entertainment, just to prove that all that diversity could be crammed into one section of earth by a really top hand” – Mary Lasswell
“I done drew the line. Just like the Alamo. You’re either on one side of the
line or the other. I don’t want to ever leave Texas again” – Bum Phillips
“I think Texans have more fun than the rest of the world” – Tommy Tune
“Texas has yet to learn submission to any oppression, come from what source it may.” – Sam Houston
“Give me an army of West Point graduates and I’ll win a battle. Give me a handful of Texas Aggies, and I’ll win the war.” General George S. Patton
“Some folks look at me and see a certain swagger, which in Texas is called “walking.”” – George W. Bush
So, with those thoughts in mind, I’d like to start the discussion with a few suggestions, some you may have heard before and some you might not:
“Hot Weather, Cold Beer, Hot Women”
“God’s Vacation Home”
“God, Guns, and Guts”
“Friendly as Fire Ants”
“Don’t Mess With Texas” (that’s actually the official state slogan now, but I wouldn’t mind putting it on the license plates)
“Bigger and Better”
“What New York Wishes It Could Be”
