I'd like to clear something up about Texas.

[americanyouth]

I recently posted an article on a medical marijuana patient in West Texas being acquitted on possesion charges. One of the responses was this:

"It is amazing really for two reasons...Texans voting to allow the consumption of marijuana for any reason, but also that Texans would support a gay man's needs at all. I would be less suprised if it was a woman..."

Okay, so is the rest of the country honestly under the impression that, because our "elected" officials (good ol' boy shirtless oil whores) lean drastically to the right on many occasions, probably for personal financial or politically obligatory reasons, the common people of this state really hate pot, gays, and women? Come on, people. "Ye Who Are West Coast Progressive" should be the first ones to see that notion for close-minded bullshit.

The case under discussion involves common Texans - my father the carpenter, my mother the teacher, my brother the Marine - being called up for jury duty, considering a possesion of marijuana case, and acquitting the defendant. That fairly well sums it up.

I have lived in multiple areas of this state. A small town in southeast Texas. The capital city in central Texas. And presently, a coastal town in deep, south Texas. I have known, very well, many individuals from all parts, nooks, and crannies of this vast territory. As in the majority of the rest of the country, we have mixed cultures with mixed ideas and a colorful, patriotic brotherhood with each other. I know my people. My people say to me that they have no issue with marijuana or it's users. They say to me that tollerance for gays is more than present, unless one tries to grab the wrong cock. Gender and race issues - in our back yards, having beers with friends - are no more than in the rest of the country.

We just have our own way of doing things. You Californians should understand only being lucky enough to be attached to this great nation by fate as we do. We could have both been another Australia. The point is, the further we divide our alliances, the weaker we are. So shake a Texan's hand and stop being an asshole.

[Zynx]

1. Texas is a great state. Don't let anybody tell you any differently.

Damn fine people down there. I've been in Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Galveston, and Corpus Christi. I have never been mistreated by anyone there.

[tularetom]

2. I thought texans were tough

Don't play the vicitm.

I like a lot a things about Texas - the food, the music, and yeah even my cousins in godforsaken west texas.

[Arctic Dave]

3. Most Texans I've met are pretty cool.

But don't make Alaska mad or we will split ourself in half and make you the third largest state.:P

[americanyouth]

5. lol

[Beausoleil]

41. I've lived in both Alaska and Texas

Love both states. Texans and Alaskans are a lot alike.

At least if Alaska splits, you'll get one more Rep, LOL.

[leeroysphitz]

4. Don't be confused. Texas (and other states) aren't a bunch of racist homophobe yahoos.

It's just the people they vote for and elect year after year. That's all.

[americanyouth]

6. Money votes, pal, and there's alot of it here...

Me and my friends are broke as shit, but we can still only vote for who they give us to choose from. And you know that kind of thing is even more predominant at the state level than at the federal level. I can guarantee, the "fuck Bush" factor is a strong one, here, as it is pretty much everywhere else right now.

[readmoreoften]

11. Wow, Lloyd Doggett is a racist homophobe? And Sheila Jackson Lee is a racist?

And the sheriff of Dallas is latina and openly lesbian. Right. And Massachusetts is fiscally conservative. Hey they had Romney.

Just because a system is corrupt doesn't mean the people are.

[leeroysphitz]

16. Actually I was thinking more along the lines of... (wait for it, wait for it)

Houston District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal ETC... You REALLY don't want to go there with me. You really don't.

[readmoreoften]

35. And both Alito and Scalia are from Trenton, New Jersey. You're point?

So no other city in no other state in America has a fascist asshole as a DA? I grew up with Sam Alito's mother as my school principal. They voted to rename a street after the guy in the area. Are New Jersey folks racist? Actually, some are. They have one of the worst concentrations of white power skinheads in America.

You really wanna go THERE?

[ColbertWatcher]

17. As a West Coaster...

...we fight against the image some of our elected officials give us.

Reagan and Nixon, for instance.

[seabeyond]

19. oh ya.... right. those two dont even touch calif as far as imply all of the state

is like the two. it is more those two are the anomaly of all of calif. even arnie. lol.

the funny, i am a calif in texas. so i get to see it a couple ways.

[ColbertWatcher]

20. Yes, but technically...

...they are from California.

So, even land of the heart of Darkness, San Francisco cannot be proud of everything.

[seabeyond]

21. still missing the point. you are having to force these two to be considered calif

it does not rub off on all of calif.... jerry brown does... lol lol. that is why you guys have to fight the "wacko" calif. the texans go after all the yankees, but me.... i get to coast cause being a calif i am one of those, .... pot smokie flower girl, a little weird but harmless. auras ect...

but with the post on pot he is saying that is how texans are. it isnt so surprising. maybe people ought to think twice before believing that is who all a state is.

like maybe all of calif wouldnt want to be thought of as letting rapists off with out patient treatment and no punishment cause they are so bleeding heart

[ColbertWatcher]

24. I concede.

I am just saying that despite the work of good Californians, we aren't perfect.

[seabeyond]

25. no we arent. you are right. lol. perfectly imperfect along with everyone else. n/t

[Ishoutandscream2]

7. We have some real bigots here when it comes to Texas

and I guarantee you, if they show up, it will be to say something bigoted. Great post, and our Texas haters need to stop being assholes.

:applause: :applause: :applause:

[Crabby Appleton]

43. I lived in Dallas for 10 years, I liked it there

except for the traffic.

[slackmaster]

44. I would have a problem with not being allowed to buy beer on Sundays

Other than that, the cusine and culture are not radically different from Southern California.

[readmoreoften]

51. Dallas is one of the gayest cities in America. Austin has an enormous lesbian population.

That's why I moved here from the NE. People back east don't believe me until I tell them. Then I invite them to Austin and they all move here.

[seabeyond]

8. ok, i will come clean. living in texas. and though i like razzing ALL texans ALL the time

you are right

hey.... what is this with EVERY guy, i have yet to meet ONE guy that did not clarify when stating they dont have issues with gays have to throw in as long as they dont
mess with
touch
grab my cock

not a single male, not one, can simply say, hey... i dont have issues with gays.

ALL, that means, every single one has to clarify they have no issues with gays as long as one doesnt.....

why?

i ask you, lol

actually just had this conversation with brother tonight. he doesn't have issue with gays either (which i knew) as long as they dont touch me. rollin eyes.

but... yes, probably all i know here in the state of texas would have been empathetic to pot helping and not have issue

sheeeit, i have been stoned enough and not had a single person say anything to me. they like me too much and though some dont like pot, didn't bother them, cause i did nothing to cause problems.

(i stopped that too. too good, i am now)

texans aren't all bad

[readmoreoften]

9. Yeah. LOL. I don't have issues with men unless they try to touch me either.

But then again, I'm female.

[CRF450]

13. Thats how guys are. I too admit to this.

If a gay man touches me in a suggestive way, their will be problems. Otherwise I have no problems with them. I have a cousin who's openly gay, and he's pretty cool to hang out with.

Its a manhood issue, thats what it is.

[seabeyond]

14. see SEE..... lol lol

the thing. the gays are NOT going around touching yawl. i have been around lots of lesbians and they arent touching me and i dont have to clarify as long as they dont touch, cause they arent.

no gay guy is touching you. about a given if gay or hetero is touching when it isnt wanted, there are issues. you dont even get what i am saying

i am saying there isnt the need to put that clarification in. does your cousin come over and touch touch touch you. no.......

tis funny. and so damn consistent

[CRF450]

22. It does happen when a gay man touches the wrong dude, in the wrong way

But that rarely ever happens, so I'm not worried about it. Sheeit, my cousin is one of those people that you dont get the impression that he's gay, but he is.

[seabeyond]

23. But that rarely ever happens,,, right

so the question is, ... if it almost never happens, and you arent worried, why the clarification from every male.

you really dont get it do you. lol

am i the only one that sees this

you know, wouldnt be the first time i see a funny and no one else does.

[tavalon]

29. Exactly!

Unauthorized touching is always inappropriate, no matter what the sexual orientation is. The caveat says more about the person speaking it than of those they are supposedly talking about.

[seabeyond]

30. my husband has two gays brothers. he is so not a homophobic and STILL

i have heard him say it. every male. every one of them. so to say it is about the person saying it, of course, but every fuckin male.... lol. really, listen and see if even the most progressive male doesnt. on young turks the dude was talking ans said hey, no problem with gays, as long as they dont....

[tavalon]

28. Yeah, I wonder how many realize that saying that isn't much different

from saying that they have no issues with blacks as long they don't marry whites or move into our neighborhoods. :eyes: It's still okay to be prejudiced against gays and not be called a bigot?

[seabeyond]

31. it seems and feels more to me like, i dont have issue with gays, but i am not one. lol

well duh. and no one is going to say you are just cause you dont hate them. relax. dont need to put the confirmation of heterosexuality in.

[readmoreoften]

10. Parts of Texas are way more liberal than parts of the North East and California.

I'd bet money that Dallas is gayer per capita than NYC (and I don't mean closeted) and has one of the largest trans populations in America. Austin is, basically Northern California (and almost literally so, since 30% of all real estate sales are from California now.) Small towns in the central and south Texas areas are largely Mexican and have a strong Democratic sensibility.

If Democrats were pro-gun and strongly pro-small business while being virulently anti-corporate and made a big deal about eminent domain, it wouldn't be that difficult to win Texas. The stereotype of people here borders on the absurd.

[Jack_DeLeon]

18. I agree...

just leave our guns alone, and dont keep trying to force government regulation on individuals and the Democratic Party could win this state easily.

[Booster]

12. I'm originally from Texas, and I'll tell you like I tell all my Texas

friends - you really need to get out and see the other states. Texas if fine but whatever you have other states have it bigger and better. I always tell them the highest point in Houston is 54 feet and that takes the wind out of their sails.

[seabeyond]

15. do you know how many texans i have met proud they have never left the state

lordy. lol lol. it is hard to get a texan to move out. i married one and now i will probably be buried here

[Booster]

33. Don't do that to yourself - it's even hotter underground in Texas.

If Texans would leave the state and check out the other beautiful states then maybe they would realize they really don't have that much to brag about.

[americanyouth]

27. Hey, to each his own...

As a matter of fact, the more of you people there are that bombard California, Florida, and ??New friggin' Jersey (explain that one), the more room there is for my own little empire. We actually kind of like the fact that Californians come out here in droves with raging hard ons for low cost of housing, figure out they aren't worth dick, monetarily speaking, here like they are where they belong, and decide to run back with their tails between their legs because they...ahem...aren't happy with the state itself. As a matter of fact, I'm one of the Lord knows how many Texans working on a slew of new jokes about Californians not being able to take care of themselves outside the comforts of Disneyland. lol.

Hey, only razzing y'all.

[Booster]

32. Speaking from experience, the Californians are high tailing it

back to California because your humidity could gag a maggot. LOL We also have none of them damn mosquitos you people are so proud of. We have zero humidity here and that suits me just fine. We also have more cattle than Texas; check it out on the internet(s). And you people trying to surf is just plain funny. Now, I hope you know I'm just messin' with ya, but, really, get out and see other states. They all have something to offer.

[readmoreoften]

36. I moved from NYC to Austin and lived in the NE all my life. My old boss just moved here from NYC.

And, like I said, 30% of all home sales in Austin, Texas are from California. The majority of people moving here are coming from NY and CA. My parents are moving from Jersey later this year. Another friend moved from NYC to Austin in November. Statistically, people are leaving CA and NY and moving to smaller cities like Charlotte, Austin, and San Antonio. I've also had four friends move from NYC to Dallas this year.

It's mass exodus. No one can afford it on the coasts anymore. Europeans are buying NY, NY and CA are buying up Texas. I've been all over the US and to seventeen different countries. I chose to buy a home here.

[Booster]

40. Austin would be the only city in Texas that I would consider

moving back to, but that has more to do with Austin being much more liberal than other cities in Texas and the weather in Austin is a bit kinder than the rest of the state. I know it's silly, but I credit Sandra Bullock for turning Austin around - I said it was silly, but I know a lot of California based entertainment companies have relocated to Austin. Some people I used to work with moved there and they were welcomed and treated like kings because of what they were bringing to the city. Also, a couple of the money magazines I get are touting Austin as one of the best places to live because of the economy so that helps too. I would live in Austin, but not any place else in Texas - tried a lot of it and didn't like it.

[readmoreoften]

49. That sounds like what Californians would say. It's the native talent here that developed Austin.

Directors like Linklater, Rodriguez and, more recently Tarantino are responsible for the flourishing film world here, not Sandra Bullock. I've never heard of her doing anything much with the area other than buying a house. Linklater and Rodriguez are native sons here. The city has been destination point for creative people for the past two decades. If anything, the Californians are coming in and gentrifying what the people here have already built.

The 637 acre film city that's being built on the east side is going to make this city insane. I'm sure that's part of the explanation for the move.

[Beausoleil]

42. San Antonio is not a "smaller" city.

Population-wise it just moved ahead of Dallas as the second-largest in Texas (not Metro area). San Antonio is now the 7th largest city in the US.

But, you're right. People come here and find out how much house you can get for the money. If they can stand the summers, they stay.

[girl gone mad]

39. Not fast enough, in my book.

Wish they would take their condo towers and chain stores with them.

[readmoreoften]

48. No. Please. Those aren't welcome here, thanks.

And yes they do seem to be bringing them and its pissing us off.

[tavalon]

26. I'm from Texas

There are some really good people there but there are a lot of bigoted, mysogynistic redneck types as well. Probably in about the same ratio as you'll see them throughout the south. Texans are more likely to speak their minds loudly and therefore show their asinine point of view more often. Yeah, I'm afraid that Texas acquired its reputation for backwardness fairly honestly.

[Skittles]

34. I've lived in Texas for decades

and I know plenty of Texans who hate pot, gays and women

[readmoreoften]

37. I know plenty of people from New Jersey who have southern crosses on their cars.

My friends and I from back east have a quote: "if you're not from a major urban area in the US, you live in the deep South." I grew up with the Klan burning crosses on my lawn and swastikas spray-painted everywhere. I grew up in Jersey. Eastern PA isn't much different in many places.

[Skittles]

38. I'm a GI brat who has lived in many, many places

I have never seen so much ignorance as I have seen in Texas. Ignorance is everywhere but it flourishes down here.

[readmoreoften]

50. Well I'm not talking about military bases. I'm talking about the free world, thanks.

I guess you've never lived in the Philadephia/NJ area then. I'll take Texas. I can walk down the street with my girlfriend in central Texas without fear of getting gay-bashed. I can't do that in the Northeast and I grew up there. I'll say it again: Scalia and Alito both come from Trenton, New Jersey.

[Winterblues]

45. If Texas doesn't want America to think of them as extreme right wing

then they should stop electing extreme right wingers to represent them..It would seem the majority is extreme right wing or they wouldn't have all their representation being extreme right wing...You are judged by the face you give the public...sad but true..

[PetraPooh]

46. THAT WAS ME, and I'm and ex-Texan. I know from previous experience the

realities of Texas. I doubt much has changed since I've left, but hey I could be wrong.

[semillama]

47. I'm itching to visit Texas

Specifically the Great Texas Birding Trail!

http://www.bigthicketdirectory.com/birdwatching.html