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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Over the course of nearly 200 years, people all |
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around the world have come to know the State of Texas as "the Lone |
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Star State," and it is time that this universally recognized |
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nickname receive official recognition; and |
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WHEREAS, The exact origins of this colorful phrase, and the |
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use of a single, white, five-pointed star to represent Texas, are |
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unclear; some accounts trace it to a flag carried by the James Long |
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Expedition in 1819, an early attempt to free Texas from the Spanish |
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empire, while a recent discovery of coins that were minted in what |
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is now San Antonio, showing a five-pointed star on one side and the |
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year 1817 on the other, suggest that the star was already in use as a |
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symbol for the region; and |
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WHEREAS, The first official use of the Lone Star came in 1836, |
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when the Congress of the Republic of Texas adopted a flag with a |
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five-pointed gold star on a background of deep azure, known as the |
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David G. Burnet Flag; three years later, the Texas Congress adopted |
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what is commonly known as the Lone Star Flag, showing a bright white |
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star against deep blue on the left of the flag and two horizontal |
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stripes of white and red on the flag's right; this was made the |
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official flag of the State of Texas in 1933; and |
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WHEREAS, Today, the distinctive five-pointed star and the |
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phrase "the Lone Star State" are instantly recognizable the world |
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over as the primary symbol and nickname for Texas; the term "Lone |
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Star" has been adopted by countless enterprises, from a brand of |
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beer to car dealerships, restaurants, hotels, and barbecue |
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establishments, along with nearly every other sort of business; |
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over the years, at least 10 communities in Texas have been named |
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Lone Star, including towns in Morris, Floyd, Bastrop, Delta, Polk, |
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and other counties; and |
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WHEREAS, Whatever its origins, and whatever its uses, from |
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the serious to the playful, the phrase "the Lone Star State" has |
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achieved universal currency as a sharp and memorable way to evoke |
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the unique legacy of Texas and the indomitable spirit of its people; |
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now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby designate "the Lone Star State" as the official nickname of |
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Texas. |