Although “Don’t Mess With Texas” is the slogan for an anti-littering campaign launched by the Texas Department of Transportation, the implications of that phrase reach far beyond roadside cleanliness. Texans are stalwart defenders of their history and culture, perhaps rivaling their patriotism for the United States. As author John Steinbeck put it, “I have said that Texas is a state of mind, but I think it is more than that. It is a mystique closely approximating a religion.” Based on information gained from various readings combined with my own observations, I must agree with Steinbeck. There is a love deeply rooted in the hearts of Texans that surpasses state pride and is characterized by an almost religious devotion. My college roommate,
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In recent years, the details of Davy Crockett’s death have come into question. The feelings that this kind of questioning can invoke are similar to that of someone challenging one’s religious faith. During an interview with Saul Elbien, author and historian T.R. Fehrenbach said “I find that in our culture, people are unwilling to look at the unpalatable facts of what happened. They want to whitewash things”. To suggest, as historians have, that parts of Texas history may be myth rather than fact is to chip away at the identity of each and every Texan. The findings of historians were not well received. For some Texans, to accept that Crockett may have surrendered could be as painful as a Christian hearing that Daniel was actually killed in the lion’s den. The version of history that people like grows to become the foundation of their culture. Facts that alter that version of history threatens to destroy the identity of generations. In these instances, myth is more important than fact. The idea of Davy Crockett surrendering was so offensive that Crisp received hate mail and threats after publishing his work on the subject. Describing one particular threat, he writes, “…a woman who recognized me…turned toward me as I walked past the Alamo. She blurted out, ‘I know who you are- and if I had my Bowie knife I’d gut you right now because hanging would be too good for
In recent years, the details of Davy Crockett’s death have come into question. The feelings that this kind of questioning can invoke are similar to that of someone challenging one’s religious faith. During an interview with Saul Elbien, author and historian T.R. Fehrenbach said “I find that in our culture, people are unwilling to look at the unpalatable facts of what happened. They want to whitewash things”. To suggest, as historians have, that parts of Texas history may be myth rather than fact is to chip away at the identity of each and every Texan. The findings of historians were not well received. For some Texans, to accept that Crockett may have surrendered could be as painful as a Christian hearing that Daniel was actually killed in the lion’s den. The version of history that people like grows to become the foundation of their culture. Facts that alter that version of history threatens to destroy the identity of generations. In these instances, myth is more important than fact. The idea of Davy Crockett surrendering was so offensive that Crisp received hate mail and threats after publishing his work on the subject. Describing one particular threat, he writes, “…a woman who recognized me…turned toward me as I walked past the Alamo. She blurted out, ‘I know who you are- and if I had my Bowie knife I’d gut you right now because hanging would be too good for