Having been born and raised in the great state of Maryland, I held the same common misconception I’m sure many other non-Texan natives do… That “Don’t Mess with Texas” is a slogan that means something to the effect of “We are bigger & better than all of you other puny states!”  That’s why I was fascinated to find out that not only is it not a machoism at all, but that it is a slogan originally meant to send a much more positive message… Don’t litter.

Maybe many of you already knew that this anti-litter campaign is credited with reducing highway littering in Texas by 72% between 1986-1990.  For those of you blind like me, now you know.

Now, as a Texan myself, I finally know what it means to say “Don’t Mess with Texas”!