Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, today, as we continue our journey through the 23rd District, I would like to travel to a small town some 40 miles west of San Antonio. That would be Hondo, Texas. It is about 9.6 square miles of iconic America, and as you pass the city boundary, you are kindly reminded by a sign: ``This is God's country. Please don't drive through it like hell.'' That sign, erected by the local Lions Club in 1930, deters speeders. It has been featured on postcards; it has been the subject of many photos sent home by tourists; and it even made the cover of National Geographic magazine. I remember that sign even as a little kid, long before I-10 was built and when Highway 90, through Hondo, was still the main thoroughfare-- the east-west highway--from L.A. to Florida. Actually, the original sign just read: ``This is God's country. Don't drive through it like hell,'' but as you might imagine, it was a somewhat controversial sign for the 1930s. So, finally, in the 1940s, the word ``please'' was added to soften the tone and to placate those in town who found the sign a bit too harsh. Today, some 84 years after its installation, that sign still serves as a not-so-subtle reminder to slow down and, perhaps, to take a breath from the everyday rush of life and enjoy the little things, like family and friends and God and country.…”