Texas: What’s right and wrong
As you pass through life, there are things every day that cause crazy incredible stress and grate on your nerves continually. Sometimes they make you mad; sometimes give you the chills, like a finger nail on a chalk board. Sometimes your mind goes to the place where you think about “whatever” all day, and it drives you totally insane....maybe a song playing over and over and won’t go away; worse, you sing it all day long!
Sometimes at night it won’t let you sleep. For me it’s waking up at 4 a.m. with a “Suzanne’s Corner” potential column going around in my head!
Sometimes it’s a person or a friend that you think about continually and the thought won’t go away until you finally call them or maybe just hear their voice.
But for one of my friends that latest frustration and stress causer is when he is in the car traveling in East Texas on Hwy. 59, heading toward Atlanta, and passes a house with a Texas flag flying upside down. “What are they thinking?” Obviously, this has been on his mind for some time as he has mentioned it to me on several occasions. However, not being able to tolerate passing the upside-down flag one more time, he finally asked me to write about proper etiquette as it concerns our flags.
This is a lesson which will remind us of protocol, history or maybe just re-school us with right and wrong.
Texas, through the centuries, has been under six different flags as we were under six different rules and rulers. As early as 1519 we began under the rule of Spain. France was the second rule which began in 1685 and Texas was taken over by Mexico in 1861.
One of our first flags was designed and sewn by Sarah Dodson in the fall of 1835. It was described as three vertical stripes; blue on the left, white in the center and red to the right, with the white star in the left blue stripe.
The Republic of Texas began in 1836 when Sam Houston was the president of Texas and approved the first national flag of the republic on December 10, 1836.
This flag was known as the David G. Burnet flag and was substantially different as it was a totally azure blue background with a single gold star in the middle with one point upwards.
Texas in the Confederacy took over next and in January, 1839 our current state flag of Texas was adopted by the Republic of Texas congress on the 25th of January 1839. At the time, it was the national flag of the “country, Texas” and was thought to be the design of a senator, William H. Warton.
That flag still flies today and is described as: “three stripes, one blue vertical stripe with a long white star in the middle of it and two horizontal stripes, one white on the TOP and one red on the BOTTOM. White is ALWAYS over red and the star has a single point upwards.
Our motto, The Lone
Star State comes from the design of the flag. The Star summons unity in the fight for independence against Mexico. The colors of the flag were inspired by the U.S. flag which is “Old Glory Blue” for loyalty; “Old Glory Red” for bravery and white for purity.
In October 2015, at the Capital in Austin, Texas, the Texas flag was inadvertently raised upside down. The Capital phones were inundated with calls noting the mistake and it was promptly remedied. I guess anybody can make a mistake, however, the patriots, historians and general population will call you on it every time as it’s the pride within each of us Texans.
On a flag, there is no label saying “this side up” but flying it upside down is a total lack of respect. Maybe you don’t know, maybe you haven’t studied, maybe you aren’t a Texan, or maybe it’s a stupid mistake. But when it’s upside down, it denotes a signal of “distress”; just as it is to fly the United States flag upside down. That was the sign which began during war when there was a tremendous problem, distress or suffering was occurring within a compound or location. The flag could be seen from a long way off and was used as a signal.
An interesting Texas statue; Title II, Subtitle A, Chapter 3100 specifies restrictions for displaying the Lone Star Texas flag. “It cannot be used for decor. Never touch the ground or anything below the flag. It should not be used as a curtain, bed spread or to cover an ugly ceiling” and it is the only flag permitted to fly at the same height as the United States flag.
Our Lone Star flag is recognized not only in Texas but across the nation and in many parts of the World. Although I’m old school and don’t wear our flags as clothing in shirts, coats, shorts or anything, many do.
From bumper stickers to bathing suits to Christmas ornaments and tattoos, the Texas State flag is seen in a multitude of places and is more easily recognized than any other state flag.
As we celebrate this week with Texas Independence Day on March 2nd , please let us remember to respect our Lone Star Texas flag and the brave men who fought in the battles of Gonzales, Goliad, Conception, Battle of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto. And, what’s right? ...Fly it with pride...White over Red... always!
Thanks to Kraig for his concern, help and input.