"Don't mess with Texas."

[Bunny]

What in the Sam Hell does that mean? Seriously?

Don't mess with Texas? Or... what? What are the repercussions of "messing with Texas"?

[Democat]

1. I think it means "don't litter"

Isn't that right?

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

3. An anti-litter slogan.

A great retort for Texas freepoidal-types who like to use it to sound tough and well-dicked.

Which they usually aren't. ;-)

[Bunny]

7. Okay, I think I get it.

As in, don't make Texas messy by littering? Well, then, why does Bush sound like such a douchebag when he says it?

[MikeG]

13. He sounds like a douchebag saying anything.

[MrsMatt]

43. If it walks like a douchebag

and talks like a douchebag

Well, you know the rest

[thebigidea]

2. they'll let a cokehead run for President, I guess.

[olddem43]

4. It's cowboy bullcrap, like "bring 'em on."

Of course, the idiot is even a fake cowboy.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[thebigidea]

11. maybe you should check the rules before insulting another poster

I'd definetely agree with the "ass-holish" comment

[TryingToWarnYou]

18. Yeah, maybe everyone else can too?

Seriously. It seems to be perfectly ok to insult people from the state of Texas, but let them return the favor and you want to whip out the posting guidelines. Seems a tad hypocritical to me.

[thebigidea]

19. Pretty much, yeah. No personal insults.

Feel free to mock New Jersey, I can't stand it either.

So you consider mocking Texas a personal insult? What, are you a living embodiement of the state or something?

The mascot?

I can't imagine what it must be like to go ballistic whenever someone offends a friggin' state. I never understood humanity's tribalism, I guess.

And over an anti-littering slogan? Geez, are YOU up on the anti-littering slogans of Vermont, New Hampshire, and West Virginia? If not, does that make you a dumbass?

[TryingToWarnYou]

23. Nope...

Im very proud of my state and Ive been to a lot of them...you can keep the others. I dont see the benefit to insulting a state and its people all because Bush claims residency here. Bunnypants is NOT a Texan.

Im not going "ballistic", but I dont care for the insults. You arent from here so there is no real way for you to understand my feelings :-)

[thebigidea]

24. you don't care for insults, so you call people dumbasses over 80s slogans.

"You arent from here so there is no real way for you to understand my feelings :-)"

Oh yeah, I mean the whole thing is just inscrutable. This isn't calculus, ya know.

[TryingToWarnYou]

28. No, its not calculus, but you also have no point of reference...

and until you do, you wont understand. I can explain it to you for days and you still wouldnt get it.

Like I said, I did the same thing the other poster did so lets apply the rules equally.

[thebigidea]

30. You most certainly didn't do the same thing the other poster did.

There were no personal insults directed at an individual poster in his post.

"I can explain it to you for days and you still wouldnt get it."

I'd have a good laugh, though.

What's to get? People getting territorial and defensive about their homeland? Gee, it'll take an anthropological genius to understand that.

[TryingToWarnYou]

34. Insult is an insult is an insult, but if you want to...

pick the flyshit out of the pepper, be my guest. I was a bit harsh.

I doubt you would have a good laugh over an explanation, but if you came here, you might have a great time.

All Im saying is please dont judge the entire state and its citizens on some dumbass that isnt even from here.

[Barret]

49. If the majority of the people in the state

didn't vote the idiot - and various other republican idiots every election - perhaps your statement would hold weight. Considering over 50% voted for the idiot we can assume bush is at least 50% representative of the people of texas.

[TryingToWarnYou]

50. So half the people of Texas voted?

My statement holds weight just fine. It doesnt change the fact that Bush is not from here.

Do you understand the differences between number of citizens vs. those registered to vote?

[Barret]

52. True or false

the people that stayed home could have chosen to vote against him? Let's also not forget he got 59% of the vote compared to Gore 38% in 2000. This from people who more than ANY OTHER STATE should have known what he represented. Yet he still got 59%.

Look - you are in denial. I live in this state as well and if you are trying to tell me it's not full of right wing idiots you might as well tell me the sky is red.

And frankly I don't give a damn if he was born here or not. He still was voted in and that speaks volumes.

[TryingToWarnYou]

56. ..sigh...

He got 59% of the vote from those that voted. You are twisting it to sound like 59% of Texas wanted him. This is why voting is so important and why "My vote doesnt count" is horseshit.

I know Texas is Right Wing Heaven. I said so earlier. As for denial, its not denial to acknowledge the actual way the votes are tallied.

If more Democrats had voted, he wouldnt have won. Its simple math.

Until recently, Ive seen the Dems laying down for everything..voter fraud, stolen elections, scandals etc. Now, with Kerry and Edwards driving, its looking a lot more positive for action on the parts of those that vote. No one else can be blamed for the Bush win except for those that didnt vote.

[Cat Atomic]

32. Bro, I think people from New Jersey know more about

having their state mocked than anyone.

I'm not from Jersey, btw- but I do have a great time making fun of it when I'm in NY.

[TryingToWarnYou]

35. I can agree with that...

Ive heard that a lot.

[ilovenicepeople]

53. would it be insulting to call it

The state stolen from Mexico?:hi:

[TryingToWarnYou]

57. Ahem, NO...

There was no theft...

http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/RR/mzr2.html



:toast:

[NoPasaran]

59. I think that would be California, Arizona, New Mexico, and/or Nevada

We WON our independence fair and square, just like the original Thirteen.

[skygazer]

39. ~blush~

I'm FROM Vermont and I don't know what the anti-littering slogan is. Do we have one?

Anyway, I can understand the poster's point. Just because * lives in Texas doesn't mean everything in Texas, or everyone, is stupid or bad. Don't we have anything better to do than make fun of the state's anti-littering slogan?

[tblue37]

69. Don't forget,

in Texas it's against the law to insult food. Oprah got hauled into court over it, but fortunately she had Dr. Phil helping to pick the jury.

[troublemaker]

5. It means that Texas is the flaming bag of dog crap on America's porch

[elehhhhna]

6. It means he's (*) eff'd it up enuff already.

[malatesta1137]

8. I could NOT

have put it better myself.

[Disturbed]

12. Dumbass has a new campaign slogan.

[Doctor_J]

14. where'd that pic come from?

[mom cat]

15. thems fightin words partner. Thoublemaker eh? You just stepped in

a whole pile of it you little hornswaggling, lily livered, hissing horny toad. You ain't got the good sense the good lord give whens you was born. I ought to wash your mouth out with lie soap and made you listin to dimson's speeches till you hurl up yer toenails. It's that there kinna talk dats gonna lose votes. Back where I come from it made the locals think that some people looked down there noses at the common folk and thought they was better than us.
In other words, if we hope to build an inclusive society, then stereotyping any segment that is also suffering is counter productive. Catch my drift, partner.

[NuttyFluffers]

63. lye soap, btw.

and after visiting texas... it really does feel like mean practical joke on america's porch.

but if you love it, you can keep it. :D

[Paladin]

16. Thanks So Much For Elevating The Dialogue

You know, before you Good Democrats shit-can an entire state, you might keep in mind that there are hundreds of thousands of Texas Democrats, trying to keep things going. It's not easy; from county commissioner all the way up to the resident of the White House, I'm currently "represented" by nothing but right wing jerks. I don't need to be kicked in the teeth by my own side, now do I?

[thebigidea]

17. so a dumb joke on a board equates to being kicked in the teeth?

You might want to invest in those Hockey-type mouth protectors if that's the case.

[TryingToWarnYou]

25. No, you may want to apply the rules equally....

You apparently dont realize the shit we have to listen to here regarding Bush and everyones assumption that his ass is from here. We are definately a "Red" state but some of us are trying like hell to make it a "blue" state, but I think thats all for naught. Of course, we have to try. From gerrymandering all the districts to the Republican side was a good example... we got fucked.

[thebigidea]

26. Oh, give me a break. EVERYBODY here calls him a phony Texan.

I think DU is a bit more aware of his preppy roots that most boards.

[TryingToWarnYou]

29. Um, we arent talking about what we call Bush..we are talking about

insulting the entire State because of Bush. Please try to keep up.

[thebigidea]

31. What?

"You apparently dont realize the shit we have to listen to here regarding Bush and everyones assumption that his ass is from here."

I responded to that.

And I said you were wrong, as most people here do NOT believe he's from Texas and have been pointing out his phony cowboy act since day one.

And with that, I take my leave of this asanine thread. Fuck Texas, fuck New Jersey, and fuck getting worked up over something so inconsequential.

[TryingToWarnYou]

36. Dont go away mad, just go away...

LOL!

Seriously, I wasnt trying to offend you.

[kiahzero]

46. The rules are being applied equally

No personal attacks. Attacking Texas is not a personal attack, unless you ARE Texas. Are you Texas?

[TryingToWarnYou]

51. One insult leads to another and so on....

Dont throw rocks unless you want some pitched back. Its a pretty simple concept.

And yes, I do take it personal because I have a lot of pride for my state. If you dont agree with it, fine. Thats your right, but if you want to pass out insults then dont be surprised or offended if you get some back.

Im just trying to make people realize that even if Bush was from here, which he is NOT, its still not fair to lump the whole state and its citizens in the same pot with the idiot.

[TryingToWarnYou]

20. Well said...

NT

[TryingToWarnYou]

10. IT IS A STATE SPONSORED ANTI-LITTERING CAMPAIGN

and has been for YEARS.

"Messing" with Texas can earn you a huge fine. Subsequently, we have some of the cleanest roads and highways IMO <exception being the interstates...yuck>

[IronLionZion]

21. right

I'm sure Bush and the rednecks who use that term care about the environment.

[TryingToWarnYou]

22. Of course they dont...

but dont assign motives where there arent any. Bush is an idiot to whip out the Dont Mess with Texas comment, but lets not jump on the "all Texans are assholes" bandwagon. Bush is NOT from Texas. He was born and bred on the East Coast. Please dont punish us because he claims residency here right now.

[Deja Q]

27. Probably said by the Mexicans in the war of 1812 before whitey stole

their land, which was the cause of the war in the first place.

[mitchtv]

33. 1812? no we tried to steal Canada that time

1845? i think was TX. but that wasn't enough I for get when the Mexican"Cession" started, but was over by 1853 along with the Gadsten "purchase"

[silverlib]

37. Way back when...

the world was more bipartisan and Texas was a blue state, this was a littering campaign slogan and Willie Nelson sang a song on TV named "Don't Mess With Texas" that was written for the campaign and asked for residents and visitors not to litter.

It worked and the litter on Texas Highways went down significantly.

Now, I have to tell you that I, too, hate this slogan. It's old and has lost it's original meaning because the pResident has ruined this saying just like he ruins everything he touches.

The last time I drove from Louisiana and crossed to the Texas border, I looked at that stupid billboard, the one after "Welcome to Texas" that said "Don't Mess With Texas" and thought "Oh, my God, what must visitors think of that?"

Bush has butchered the saying, the ads no longer run on TV and it is an absolutely ridiculous slogan that has meaning only to Texans that have lived here a very long time. Consequently, Bush probably never knew what it meant.

So, here's from a Native Texan. Please don't litter in Texas, or anywhere else and feel welcome every time you cross into Texas, cause I'm glad you are here.

[Bunny]

41. Thank you for that explanation.

Actually, I think it's kind of catchy in the context of its original meaning. And it sounds like it was effective, too!

Young George really does butcher everything he touches, doesn't he?

Be assured that if I ever get to TX again, I will not litter. I never litter!

[Cat Atomic]

38. Hey- Molly Ivins is from Texas, guys. Alot of good people

have come out of there. I've even met a few. :P I don't think it's quite the Afghamerica it's made out to be. Or Ameristan... whatever- take your pick.

[Cybergata]

54. Not to forget...

one of my favorite Texans, Ann Richards......AND Willie Nelson. There are a lot of nice people from Texas. :hippie:

[Cybergata]

40. Well...

they did invade New Mexico twice. Old time New Mexicans haven't forgotten this BTW. They just might invade any other state that messes with them. ;-)             :hippie:

[Zen Democrat]

42. Wasn't that the "Confederacy" invading New Mexico? Not Texas.

[Cybergata]

47. It was, but it also was a Texas regiment!

New Mexicans at the time were very touchy about Texas. Texas had been claiming all the land to the Rio Grande, which meant Santa Fe, Taos, Albuquerque, and other New Mexican cities. When a regiment of Texans approaches, this thought couldn't be too far from their minds.

There are still people in Texas who claim eastern New Mexico is part of Texas. I rode up a chairlift in the Sangre de Christo Mountains with a Texan gentleman who pointed to Rio Grande, and told me that was the Texas borderline. I'm sure he was just trying to spur me into an argument, but am always amazed when I hear about groups in Texas who are calling for the return of eastern New Mexico to Texas. Texas was even paid $10 million to give up that claim in the Compromise of 1860, so that issue was settled long ago.

It isn't a big deal in today terms, but we in New Mexico just like to tease our bigger sibling to the east of us. :hippie:

[dumpster_baby]

44. Culture is inherited, and we Texans are the result of our history

Fundamentally, the Texan culture is built upon the cultural foundationof the white Americans who moved here 150 years or thereabouts.

These people who pretty much HAD TO move here, often because they were desperately poor in the places where they came from. Other settlers were exploiters, looking to exploit a wide-open situation. In that sense, Texas is a microcosm of America.

Also, some of the early settlers were social misfits, but I think that goes for a lot of migrants.

So many early Texans were losers with a lot of prove; others were exploitative. A strange and noxious brew...You see the result....

[TryingToWarnYou]

55. Oh lord...history time

You should do some research on Texas before you make ignorant (not an insult, kiddies. look it up) comment on its past. You cannot comment on the "cultural foundation" of those that moved here "150 years or thereabouts". First off, those that came here followed in the footsteps of Spain and France who had been here since around 1530 or so. These early explorers and settlers formed the the first original "culture", much of which lives on today.

From The Handbook of Texas:

Anglo-American colonization in Mexican Texasqv took place between 1821 and 1835. Spain had first opened Texas to Anglo-Americans in 1820, less than one year before Mexico achieved its independence. Its traditional policy forbade foreigners in its territory, but Spain was unable to persuade its own citizens to move to remote and sparsely populated Texas. There were only three settlements in the province of Texas in 1820: Nacogdoches, San Antonio de Béxar, and La Bahía del Espíritu Santo (later Goliad), small towns with outlying ranches. The missions near the latter two, once expected to be nucleus communities, had been or were being secularized (i.e., transferred to diocesan from Franciscan administration), while those near Nacogdoches had been closed since the 1770s. Recruiting foreigners to develop the Spanish frontier was not new. As early as the 1790s, Spain invited Anglo-Americans to settle in Upper Louisiana (Missouri) for the same reason. The foreigners were to be Catholic, industrious, and willing to become Spanish citizens in return for generous land grants. Spain expected the new settlers to increase economic development and help deter the aggressive and mobile Plains Indians such as the Comanches and Kiowas. Mexico continued the Spanish colonization plan after its independence in 1821 by granting contracts to empresarios who would settle and supervise selected, qualified immigrants.

Anglo-Americans were attracted to Hispanic Texas because of inexpensive land. Undeveloped land in the United States land offices cost $1.25 an acre for a minimum of 80 acres ($100) payable in specie at the time of purchase. In Texas each head of a family, male or female, could claim a headright of 4,605 acres (one league-4,428 acres of grazing land and one laborqv-177 acres of irrigable farm land) at a cost about four cents an acre ($184) payable in six years, a sum later reduced by state authorities.

Beginning in 1824 when the Mexican Republic adopted its constitution, each immigrant took an oath of loyalty to the new nation and professed to be a Christian. Because the Catholic Churchqv was the established religion, the oath implied that all would become Catholic, although the national and state colonization laws were silent on the matter. Religion was not a critical issue, however, because the church waited until 1831 to send a resident priest, Michael Muldoon,qv into the Anglo-Texan communities. This was inconvenient for those wishing to marry because there was no provision for civil ceremonies, and only priests had authority to perform nuptial rites. Anglo-Texans unwilling or unable to seek a priest in Catholic communities received permission from the authorities to sign a marriage bond, a practice common in the non-Anglican foothills of Virginia and the Carolinas before 1776, promising to formalize their union when a priest arrived.

Two other reasons brought Anglo-American settlers to Texas. Through the 1820s, most believed that the United States would buy eastern Texas from Mexico. Many thought that that portion of Texas had been part of the Louisiana Purchase and that the United States had "given" it away to Spain in exchange for Florida in the 1819 Adams-Onís Treaty,qv which established the Sabine River boundary. The Texas pioneers expected annexation would stimulate immigration and provide buyers for their land. A second attraction was that Mexico and the United States had no reciprocal agreements enabling creditors to collect debts or to return fugitives. Therefore, Texas was a safe haven for the many Mississippi valley farmers who defaulted on their loans when agricultural prices declined at the end of the War of 1812 and bankers demanded immediate payment. Faced with seizure of their property and even debtors' prison in many states, men loaded their families and belongings into wagons and headed for the Sabine River, where creditors could not follow and there was opportunity to start over.

Hardly "loser" quantifiers... if this was today, the Democratic Party would welcome this type of thing.

To read the rest go here: http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/AA/uma1.html

[dumpster_baby]

64. I really should not bother to reply, but I will anyway

Please tell me how many qualifiers I have in my post above. Also, please, what does "foundation" mean (and imply) in my post above?

[TryingToWarnYou]

65. Whats the matter? I produce information to back up my position, you cant.

Run away... run away...

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

45. Texas. The place you can look the furtherest and see the least.

Though I admire Lincoln, I often wonder at the wisdom of preserving the union.

[Tight_rope]

48. I live in Texas & it means "Don't Litter"...but no one listens...Go figure

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

58. As I understand it, this started out as a state anti-litter slogan.

But because people liked the sound of the slogan so much, it's been widely adopted onto all kinds of T-shirts, bumper stickers and other stuff having nothing to do with the original government antilitter campaign.

I think there has been a recent, late, attempt to protect the licensing of the slogan, there was something about this on the local NPR station a while back. Not sure of what the outcome is.

I remember visiting friends in Killeen back before I lived here, and seeing commercials on TV with Lee Ann Rimes singing, and the "Don't Mess with Texas" slogan. I had no idea it had anything to do with pollution. I remember thinking, what the hell kind of state has to pump itself up with its own propaganda commercials?

[UTUSN]

60. It Was a BULLY's *Slogan(* to INTIMIDATE theMedia

and the media WAS intimidated into NOT doing ANY investigative "journalism".

[GOPisEvil]

61. This thread tells me that there are a lot of people who THINK they know TX

when in reality they are talking out of their asses.

[TryingToWarnYou]

66. Agreed... and when you try to tell them something, they act like

asses.

Bottom line (no pun intended) is that Bush is NOT from here, he never was, he never will be.

Simply because he claims Texas as home does not mean that everyone here are automatically evil.

[2bfree]

62. Good grief!

That slogan is over 20 years old and famous Texans used to do ads for. Willie Nelson did them for quite some time. Just a catchy phrase to discourage littering. No big deal at all.

[TryingToWarnYou]

67. Why do you hate America so much? /sarcasm!

LOL

[dumpster_baby]

68. well, I think everyone knows that it refers to littering, but I think...

....that the question posed referred to why Texas would choose such a belligerent snti-littering slogan.

[NoPasaran]

70. Oh, now that's easy

They chose a belligerent anti-littering slogan because it was thought that belligerent rednecks who wouldn't listen to a polite "Please don't litter" message might respond to something with a more "Kick yer ass" tone.

[TryingToWarnYou]

72. Follow this link...

http://www.dontmesswithtexas.org/tv_campaigns.php?category=

[TryingToWarnYou]

71. I dont think its belligerent at all...

It was made for Texas to appeal to Texans. It's the tough attitude that Texas is known for. Have you ever seen any of the commercials? Hard to call Lee Ann Rimes anything but breathtaking...

Here is a link to the site:
http://www.dontmesswithtexas.org/tv_campaigns.php?category=

Yep, real belligerent....