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State rep introduces bill to stop Texans from using Chilean flag emoji

By Daniel Uria
A man holds up the flag of Texas at the inauguration ceremony of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States in Washington, D.C., on January 20, 2009. A Texas lawmaker authored a resolution to discourage people form using the Chilean flag emoji as a substitute for the Texas state flag.
 Photo by Mark Goldman/UPI
A man holds up the flag of Texas at the inauguration ceremony of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States in Washington, D.C., on January 20, 2009. A Texas lawmaker authored a resolution to discourage people form using the Chilean flag emoji as a substitute for the Texas state flag. Photo by Mark Goldman/UPI | License Photo

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Feb. 21 (UPI) -- A Texas lawmaker hopes to pass legislation to discourage people from using the Chilean flag emoji to represent the Texas flag.

Republican State Representative Tom Oliverson authored House Concurrent Resolution 75 "urging Texans not to use the flag emoji of the Republic of Chile when referring to the Texas flag."

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"All too often, the Chilean flag emoji is used as a substitute for the Lone Star Flag in text messaging and on social media platforms; the Chilean flag proudly represents its country but, despite its similarity to the Texas flag, it does not represent the State of Texas," the resolution states.

Oliverson pointed out that while most major electronic messaging applications include the flag of Chile in their standard flag packages the state flag of Texas is often not available.

He went on to argue that while the two flags share an identical color scheme and a single star, each flag uses those colors and symbols to convey different ideals.

"The colors of the Chilean flag depict sky, snow, and blood spilled while fighting for freedom, but the blue, white, and red of the Lone Star Flag stand for the Texan values of loyalty, purity, and bravery," he said.

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"The single star of the Chilean flag, positioned in a blue canton, has been seen by some as a guide to progress and honor. The independent Lone Star of Texas, situated in a blue left panel, represents all of Texas and stands for our unity as one for God, State, and Country."

Oliverson said it was not his goal to lobby for the creation of a Texas flag emoji, but rather that he hopes to help people understand the difference between the two flags.

"I never thought in a million years it would get the kind of publicity it has gotten," he told KPRC. "But it's accomplished exactly what I set out for it to accomplish."

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