Texas: Republic of Xenophobia

One of Texas's finest citizens writes about what it means to be a native - or non-native - of the Lone Star State. My oldest son, for example, claims to be a native Texan. I tell him thats not a true statement. For a brief period of time we lived in Louisiana and he was born there. Although we moved back to Texas when he was three weeks old, hes not a native Texan. I call him a "coon ass". Hes 42 now, so for all but three weeks of his life he has lived in Texas. He gits riled when I say hes a "coon ass". The most important identifying characteristic of a native Texan is the desire to be one. Get you a bumper sticker that proclaims yor love of Texas, tell another yankee to go home and we'll let you be a native. The whole kit 'n kaboodle...