Thanks anyway!
I believe strongly in American Exceptionalism and equally in Texas Exceptionalism. Year after year, we have some of the roughest, wildest weather -- floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, extreme heat and ruthless droughts. I think that's the price we pay for living in a state that's so consistently Conservative and unabashedly pro-God.
It takes a special breed of person to handle our no-nonsense climate. It engenders a rugged individualism and a genuine can-do spirit unlike anywhere else. And our ability to overcome adversity comes from neighbor helping neighbor, not some Socialist program.
I've explained that to folks outside the state before. Texas made Texans tough and resilient, with that 'spit in the eye of the devil' attitude. You gotta have that to survive down here.
The climate and harshness of the land tends to weed out the weakest among the species. When mother nature is throwing her worst at us (such as now), even the comforts of modern controlled environments aren't enough to keep some liberal rejects from abandoning Texas.