| What is behind the State Motto of each state in the USA? | |
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| Jun 15, 2008 16:29 | #11   |
 | Here in New Hampshire, with liberal Vermont on our West, liberal Massachusetts on our South ( Massachsetts residents are nicknamed Massholes) Liberal Maine on our East we have some joke slogans too like "If you like N.H., thank a republican" or "New Hampshire: the way Maine is supposed to be." However our real and legal State motto, which is on our cars license plates is the envy of all others. It is simply "Live Free Or Die." Our little State with less than 1.5 million residents has a State legislature of 400. We have 24 State senators and a Governors council of 5 who must approve of any action taken by the Governor before it becomes legal. the Governor is elected for a two year term. |
| Jun 15, 2008 17:01 | #12 |
| Ted Kaczynski was from Chicago. However, when he was caught, he was living in a cabin in Lincoln, Montana which is on the west side of the Continental Divide between Missoula and Helena. There are plenty of crazy people of all flavors in Montana, but that is true of the entire country. The only thing is that because their are so few people in my state each person's quirks stand out clearly. |
| Jun 15, 2008 20:23 | #13 |
| Ok, I can undestand it better, Chicago is home to a lot of American screws, You have the Chicago unabomber, Jeremiah Wright the Barak Obama Pastor and some one that it is like an uncle to Obama. I think he is a crazy f*/#@. And then there is William Ayers an unrepented terrorist from America. Today when I was reading a post I came across a joke: What do Osama bin Laden and Obama have in common? They both have friends who bombed the pentagon. A joke and cute in its own way but full of questions also. William Ayers is an unrepented terrorist in America. Questions are now being raised if he is not more dangerous today than he was back then since he is in education. People are questioning what is Ayers actually teaching the youth? Obama blows this off but the American people are NOT blowing it off. The fact remains that Obama went and met with Ayers as a right of passage to get his political career moving. He also gave speeches with the man, sat on a board with him and Ayers did donate money to his Senate campaign. As much as the media tries to spin it, they have a relationship. It has been reported that Obama has been to his house for dinner as well. The true question remains, if Obama were elected who would he have in his service in the white house? Would he invite Ayers and his terrorist wife Dohrn to dinner in our nation’s capitol? This is a terrifying thing to consider. Think about what Rev. Jeremiah Wright said yesterday: “I am a pastor, Obama is a Politician, he says what he has to say.” This was a response when Wright was asked if he was angry over things Obama had said about him in his Philadelphia speech. The bottom line on this statement is: Obama said it but he doesn’t mean it. Huh? So once again is Obama telling the American people what they want to hear? Personally, I do not want someone in the White House who hangs out with terrorists and anti American radicals. I think I better stay away from Chicago.  |
| Jun 15, 2008 21:49 | #14 |
| So just who are you goung to vote for JC???? Dodger. |
| Jun 15, 2008 22:20 | #15 |
| Thank you all for your help! I have still 23 mottos. Can you help explain them one by one? Michigan: First Line Of DefenseFrom The Canadians Minnesota: 10,000 Lakes... And 10,000,000,000,000 Mosquitoes Mississippi: Come And Feel Better About Your Own State Montana: Land Of The Big Sky, The Unabomber, Right-Wing Crazies, And Very Little Else Missouri: Your Federal Flood ReliefTax Dollars At Work Nebraska: Ask About Our State Motto Contest Nevada: Hookers and Poker! New Hampshire: Go Away And Leave Us Alone New Jersey: You Want A ##$%##! Motto? I Got Yer ##$%##! Motto Right Here! New Mexico: Lizards Make Excellent Pets New York: You Have The Right To Remain Silent, You Have The Right To An Attorney... North Carolina: Tobacco Is A Vegetable North Dakota: We Really Are One Of The 50 States! Ohio: At Least We're Not Michigan Oklahoma: Like The Play, Only No Singing Oregon: SpottedOwl... It's What's For Dinner Pennsylvania: Cook With Coal Rhode Island: We're Not REALLY An Island South Carolina: Remember The CivilWar? We Didn't Actually Surrender South Dakota: Closer Than North Dakota Tennessee: The Educashun State Texas: Si' Hablo Ing'les (Yes, I Speak English) Utah: Our Jesus Is Better Than Your Jesus Vermont: Yep Virginia: Who Says Government Stiffs And Slackjaw Yokels Don't Mix? Washington: Help! We're Overrun By Nerds And Slackers! Wyoming: Where Men Are Men... and the sheepare scared! West Virginia: One Big Happy Family... Really! Wisconsin: Come Cut The Cheese Washington, D.C.: Wanna Be Mayor? |
| Jun 20, 2008 09:30 | #16 |
| These so-called state mottos are really a way that the USA pokes fun at itself. Not all mottos make lots of sense, but to understand them, you need some background. I'll try to address them one by one (in several posts): Michigan: First Line Of DefenseFrom The Canadians [The USA has had close ties with Canada for most all of its existence. But some jokes popped up about Bush's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and some comedians asked "when will he invade Canada?" Michigan is right on the border, but neither the USA or Canada needs defense from the other.] Minnesota: 10,000 Lakes... And 10,000,000,000,000 Mosquitoes [Where you have lakes, you really do have mosquitos! But fortunately Minnesota has very cold winters to drive down the bug population. Part of this motto may be that you can't really say much about Minnesota!] Mississippi: Come And Feel Better About Your Own State [Mississippi is in the deep south and has the reputation for being backward and poor. John Grisham, the writer, is from there, so it's just a cheap shot at Mississippi!] Montana: Land Of The Big Sky, The Unabomber, Right-Wing Crazies, And Very Little Else [Montana has been known to be home to some very right-wing conservative and dangerous wing-nuts. Probably deserves THIS motto!] More to come ... |
| Jun 20, 2008 09:43 | #17 |
| Missouri: Your Federal Flood ReliefTax Dollars At Work [The mid-west gets a lot of flooding and Missouri, with the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, gets lots of flooding and lots of money from Washington. Not all that funny I guess.] Nebraska: Ask About Our State Motto Contest [This one is lame, lol. The real motto is "Equality before the law", but Nebraska (from personal experience) is pretty boring. So maybe a NEW state motto contest would really liven things up?] Nevada: Hookers and Poker! [Nevada is the only state permitting regulated prostituion (hence "hookers") with open gambling (hence "poker"). One could make a similar joke about Montreal, Canada: home of hookers and hockey players! :-)) ] New Hampshire: Go Away And Leave Us Alone [The "live free or die" state has the reputation for being really independent. And they haven't been that happy - so I've read - with the migration of people from Massachessetts.] New Jersey: You Want A ##$%##! Motto? I Got Yer ##$%##! Motto Right Here! [I had read somewhere that New York drivers are aggressive and Boston, MA drivers are obnoxious, but New Jersy drivers are aggressive AND obnoxious!] |
| Jun 20, 2008 09:58 | #18 |
| To digress, here's a list of the REAL USA state mottos, if anyone is interested. Many are in Latin, with English translation provided. Some are not Latin and I tried to catch those. ALSO: to be honest, some of the humorous mottos make more sense to me than the REAL mottos! Alabama: Audemus jura nostra defendere... (We Dare Defend Our Rights) Alaska: North to the Future Arizona: Ditat Deus ... (God enriches) Arkansas: Regnat populus ... (The people rule) California: Eureka...(I have found it) Colorado: Nil sine Numine... (Nothing without Providence) Connecticut: Qui transtulit sustinet... (He who transplanted still sustains) Delaware: Liberty and Independence Florida: In God We Trust Georgia: Wisdom, justice, and moderation Hawaii: Ua mau ke ea o ka aina I ka pono... -- this is Hawaaian and NOT Latin!-- (The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness) Idaho: Esto perpetua (Let it be perpetual) It is forever Illinois: State Sovereignty, National Union Iowa: Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain Indiana: The crossroads of America Kansas: Ad astra per aspera... (To the stars through difficulties) Kentucky: United we stand, divided we fall Louisiana: Union, justice, and confidence Maine: Dirigo...(I direct) Maryland: Fatti maschil parole femine...(Manly deeds...womanly words) Massachusetts: Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem ...(By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty) Michigan: Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam, circumspice ...(If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you) Minnesota: L'Etoile du nord ... -- this is French, not Latin -- (The star of the north) Mississippi: Virtute et armis ...(By valor and arms) Missouri: Salus populi suprema lex esto... (The welfare of the people shall be the supreme law) Montana: Oro y plata...-- this might be Spanish and not Latin, not sure -- Gold and Silver Nebraska: Equality before the law Nevada: All for our country New Hampshire: Live free or die New Jersey: Liberty and Prosperity New Mexico: Crescit eundo...(It grows as it goes) New York: Excelsior North Carolina: Esse quam videri ...(To be, rather than to seem) North Dakota: Liberty and Union Now and Forever, One and Inseparable Ohio: With God, all things are possible Oklahoma: Labor omnia vincit... (Labor conquers all things) Oregon Alis Volat Propiis ... (She Flies With Her Own Wings) Pennsylvania: Virtue, Liberty, and Independence Rhode Island: Hope South Carolina: Prepared in mind and resources /While I breathe, I hope South Dakota: Under God the people rule Tennessee: Agriculture and commerce Texas: Friendship Utah: Industry Vermont: Freedom and unity Virginia: Sic Semper Tyrannis... (Thus Always to Tyrants) Washington: Alki... (Bye and Bye) West Virginia: Montani semper liberi... (Mountaineers are always free) Wisconsin: Forward Wyoming: Equal rights |
| Jun 20, 2008 09:59 | #19 |
| I'll add more attempts at explaining the funny mottos later. :-) |
| Jun 22, 2008 22:30 | #20 |
| Seth, thanks for your detailed explanation. Now, I have a better understanding of the mottos. |
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