A Texas House representative from Cypress has introduced a resolution urging Texans to quit using the Chilean flag emoji as a stand-in for the Lone Star. 
 
 HCR 75, filed Thursday, urges "Texans not to use the flag emoji of the Republic of Chile when referring to the Texas flag." ||||| A Confederate flag flies outside the South Carolina State House in a 2012 photo. (REUTERS/Chris Keane/files) 
 
 The shooting of nine black Charleston churchgoers by a young man allegedly inspired by white supremacist ideology has reignited a controversy over the proper place of the Confederate flag in contemporary society. Photos have surfaced showing the suspect, 21-year-old Dylann Roof, brandishing the flag. It adorned the license plates on his car. And due to an odd quirk of South Carolina law, the Confederate flag on the statehouse ground -- seen above, in the form of the Confederate Battle Flag -- flew at full mast this week even as the state and U.S. flag were lowered. 
 
 1 of 64 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × The Confederate flag on display, from 1938 to today View Photos Public moments featuring the Confederate flag. Caption Public moments featuring the Confederate flag. July 7, 2015 Jalaludin Abdul-Hamid, center, talks to a Confederate flag supporter outside the South Carolina statehouse in Columbia. Sean Rayford/Getty Images Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue. 
 
 Defenders of the flag say it's a symbol of Southern heritage. Detractors maintain that hatred and racism are an inextricable part of that heritage. With all the focus on South Carolina, it's easy to forget that Confederate symbolism still adorns many official state flags in the South. Some states, like Georgia and Mississippi, have seen fierce political battles over explicit Confederate imagery in their flags. In other states, the references are subtler. 
 
 As of the 2010 Census, these state were home to about 60 million Americans -- including 12 million African-Americans, meaning roughly one third of the nation's black population lives under a state flag that evokes, at least in the eyes of many, the Confederacy. Take a look below. 
 
 Alabama 
 
 
 
 The red cross of the Alabama flag, adopted in 1895, was designed to evoke the battle flag of the Alabama infantry in the Civil War. That's according to a written account of the flag's history given by the attorney general of Alabama in 1987. 
 
 Arkansas 
 
 The Arkansas state flag was officially adopted in 1913, according to the Arkansas Secretary of State. There were initially three blue stars "representing that Arkansas belonged to three countries (France, Spain, and the United States) before attaining statehood." The secretary of state noted "1803 was the year of the Louisiana Purchase when the land that is now Arkansas was acquired by the United States; and Arkansas was the third state created from the purchase by the United States, after Louisiana and Missouri." 
 
 But 10 years later, trouble brewed when legislators realized that "there was no indication on the flag the Arkansas had been a member of the Confederate States of America from 1861 to 1865." So a fourth star was added, above the word Arkansas. 
 
 "The lone star above the word is to commemorate Arkansas’s membership in the Confederacy," wrote the Secretary of State. 
 
 Florida 
 
 Florida's flag is similar to Alabama's, consisting of a state seal over a red cross. The cross was added to the flag a few years after Alabama adopted its flag, at the suggestion of Governor Francis P. Fleming. Fleming had enlisted in the Confederate army in his youth, and some historians see his choice of the cross as an attempt to memorialize the confederacy. 
 
 Georgia 
 
 Georgia's flag has a long and complicated history. The Confederate battle flag was incorporated in to the state flag's design in 1956, a symbol of the state's opposition to racial integration, according to a report by the state Senate in 2000. The design was changed by the legislature in 2001, over the stiff opposition of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and other groups. 
 
 In 2002, Sonny Perdue was elected Governor of Georgia, partly by promising voters a referendum on the new flag. In the end, the legislature changed it to a new design: it consists of the first national flag of the Confederacy (the "Stars and Bars") with the addition of the Georgia seal. 
 
 Mississippi 
 
 Mississippi remains the only state incorporating the Confederate battle flag into its state flag design. It was adopted in 1894. 
 
 In 2001, a voter referendum was held to determine whether to keep the existing flag, or to adopt a new flag design removing Confederate elements. Voters opted to keep the existing flag by nearly a two-to-one margin. 
 
 North Carolina 
 
 The current North Carolina state flag was adopted in 1885. It closely resembles the flag adopted in 1861, shortly after North Carolina seceded from the Union. The first date on the flag, May 20, 1775, is the date of the so-called Mecklenburg Declaration, a purported statement of independence from Great Britain that happened in North Carolina, although the exact nature of the declaration is disputed. 
 
 But during the Civil War, Southern secessionist leaders evoked the Mecklenburg Declaration as a parallel to the South's declaration of independence from the North. Addressing a crowd in Charlotte, N.C., Jefferson Davis is reported to have said "people of this section were the first to defy British authority and declare themselves free." 
 
 In the original flag, the second date was May 20th, 1861 -- the date of North Carolina's withdrawal from the Union. In 1885, that date was changed April 12, 1776 -- the date of the Halifax resolves, when North Carolina officially called for independence from Great Britain. 
 
 Tennessee 
 
 The Tennessee Legislature adopted the current flag in 1905. In a 2013 article, vexillologist Steven A Knowlton argues that "the Tennessee flag has pragmatic unity with the Confederate flag: both share the element of white stars inside a fimbriated blue charge, and the element of that blue charge on a red field." He also notes a resemblance between the flag's vertical bars and the vertical bar of the third national flag of the Confederacy. 
 
 But he concludes that one interesting aspect of the Tennessee flag is plausible deniability: "it is reasonable to say a logo is only expressing Tennessee pride, even if deeper symbolic recognition does link it to Confederate imagery." ||||| OVER the past few months, the Brexit vote has inspired passionate global debate. 
 
 From politicians across the globe to high-profile celebrities and internet trolls, everybody has something to say about whether or not Britain should remain in the European Union. 
 
 But on the other side of the world, one surprising movement has expressed a strong interest in the Brexit vote. 
 
 This growing group is on a mission for independence, and says it’s not going to stop until its right to that is recognised and enforced. 
 
 No, we’re not talking about Britain, or anywhere else in Europe. Head straight across the Atlantic Ocean — until you reach southern America. 
 
 IS ‘TEXIT’ THE NEW ‘BREXIT’? 
 
 Welcome to the Texas Nationalist Movement. Its motto is “Texas First, Texas Forever”, and its ultimate goal is self-government. 
 
 Basically, its members want to politically, culturally and economically separate themselves from the rest of America. Recently, they’ve even called the movement ‘Texit’, in honour of the EU referendum. 
 
 The group is building a support network, hoping to get enough numbers to eventually make this dream a reality. They claim to have more than 260,000 members, which would make it the largest single group pushing for the Texas independence. The state’s population is about 27 million. 
 
 To put that into perspective, the movement’s social media following, at just more than 208,000 Facebook followers, is actually more than Texas’ Democratic and Republican parties’ followings combined. 
 
 But it’s not all just Texans who are backing the movement. Some Russians — including Vladimir Putin — have great support for the campaign, hoping it may lead to the breakup of the United States. 
 
 The group says it has collected and delivered thousands of petitions calling for the Texas Legislature to pass a bill giving a referendum, which requires federal approval to be launched. 
 
 SO TEXAS IS TAKING AFTER BRITAIN? 
 
 Not exactly. Historically, resenting the federal government is as Texan as white cowboy hats and rodeo shows. 
 
 While Brexit has thrust the concept of secession back into the global spotlight, Texas’ attempts to leave the US union date back to the mid-1800s. 
 
 Quick history recap: Texas declared its independence from Mexico in 1836, existing as an independent sovereign country before officially joining the US Union about a decade later. 
 
 In 2003, a state law was even enacted forcing students to pledge daily allegiance to the United States flag and Texas flag. 
 
 But some Texas nationalist groups claim the state never ceded its sovereignty when it joined the US, describing this as a big historical lie. 
 
 Speaking to news.com.au, Daniel Miller, the president of the Texas Nationalist Movement, said its core aims are very similar to Brexit. He’s even seen some of the same slogans popping up in the ‘Leave’ campaign, which the Texas National Movement has been using for more than a decade. 
 
 “Those similarities draw attention to the larger issue of self-government and, more specifically, to the TNM’s efforts to make Texas independence a reality,” he said. 
 
 Mr Miller says the core reason for the movement is a firm belief that the best people to govern Texas are the people of Texas, as opposed to the Washington-based federal government. 
 
 “At this moment, we don’t enjoy that right,” he said. “The vast majority of the laws, rules and regulations that affect the people of Texas are created by the political class or unelected bureaucrats in Washington.” 
 
 He said Washington DC was making a lot of decisions on behalf of the state, without having their support in doing so. 
 
 He wouldn’t actually specify what those rules and regulations were, saying the point was rather that Texans deserve “the opportunity and the resources” to have the freedom to solve problems. 
 
 In terms of government, they reject the notion of “right” and “left”. Regardless of whether the Democratic or Republican Party wins the next election, he believes Washington has too much power over his state. 
 
 “I am 100 per cent certain of how it will affect us because it’s already happening,” he said. “Regardless of the outcome, the people of Texas recognise the situation for what it is and are coming to us in numbers like never before. 
 
 “Right now, no matter what the people of Texas decide, the federal government gets the final say. 
 
 “And, as it stands now, Texas sends between $300-$400 billion per year to Washington bureaucrats, of which Texas never sees between $150-$200 billion again. With the proper resources we could tackle all of the issues and challenges that we face according to our priorities and as the final arbiters of all political and economic matters. 
 
 “The federal government is already in nearly $20 trillion of debt not to mention the $100 trillion of unfunded liabilities that are on the horizon. Again, it’s yet another reason for Texas to leave a union that has been unable to balance its chequebook for 60 years.” 
 
 Earlier this week, Mr Miller told The Guardian he’s tracking every step of the Brexit movement, hoping the recognition it has received will inspire discussion of a similar magnitude in Texas. 
 
 “There are a lot of people asking, if Brexit, why not Texit?” he said. 
 
 He believes the situation between the two is practically identical, saying one only needs to replace the “EU with the “US”, “Brussels” with “Washington”, and to throw in a Texan drawl. 
 
 When he spoke to news.com.au about the Brexit comparison, Mr Miller maintained the core arguments are very similar. 
 
 “The Brexit debate has had a similar effect to the Scottish referendum in 2014,” he said. “The Brexit debate has been notable due to the similarities of the arguments on both sides to the arguments happening here over Texas independence. The core arguments are very similar. 
 
 “Even down to seeing some of the slogans that we’ve been using for over a decade being echoed in the ‘Leave’ campaign. Those similarities draw attention to the larger issue of self-government and, more specifically, to the TNM’s efforts to make Texas independence a reality.” 
 
 CAN TEXAS REALLY JUST LEAVE THE US? 
 
 Under the US constitution, no state can voluntarily leave the Union and go its own way without federal approval. That law has been in place for more than 145 years. 
 
 Over the past decade, tens of thousands of Texans have signed petitions asking that the state be separated from the country, to no avail. 
 
 But even though it’s in the constitution, Mr Miller rejects the idea that Texas needs permission to leave the US union. 
 
 “This is a myth,” he said. “Texas does not need permission from the federal government to conduct a referendum and exit the union. The United States Constitution is silent on the matter which, through the 10th Amendment, reserves that power to the people of Texas.” 
 
 He says the fight now is about getting the people of Texas to vote on the issue, and rallying enough prior support to win the vote. 
 
 In 2009, Texas’ then-Governor Rick Perry sparked controversy by addressing the idea of seceding. At a rally, he said: “If Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, you know, who knows what might come out of that.” 
 
 His comments received considerable attention, but he later backtracked, claiming it was a humorous remark, rather than a literal call to action on secession. 
 
 Shortly after, Rasmussen Reports issued a poll, which found that one in three Texans believed they had the right to secede from the US. But only 18 per cent said they would actually vote in favour of that. There were 75 per cent opposed. 
 
 But Mr Miller remains optimistic that it’s definitely going to happen. “No matter the outcome of the British referendum, or any other independence referendum for that matter, Texans in large numbers are seeing that it is indeed possible for large countries to have an adult conversation on self-government and have their voices heard.” 
 
 He insists the same will happen in his state. 
 
 “It’s not a matter of ‘if’, but a matter of ‘when’.”
– The Chilean flag is annoyingly similar to Texas' state flag, but that doesn't mean Lone Star Staters should appropriate Chile's flag emoji when they feel like expressing Texas pride. That's the gist of what one state lawmaker is trying to push through via Texas House Concurrent Resolution 75, which takes it upon itself to "urge" residents not to use the Chilean icon online as a substitute for the non-existent Texas flag emoji, the Houston Chronicle reports. In what the Dallas Morning News says belongs under the "yes, it's a real bill" umbrella, Cypress' conservative Rep. Tom Oliverson filed the resolution, noting, "Just as our flag could never fully embody the country of Chile, neither can the Chilean flag inspire feelings of pride and passion in the heart of a true Texan." He points out that although both flags feature a similar red, white, and blue layout capped by that lone star, which often causes emoji-users to confuse Chile's flag for Texas' flag, Chile's colors are meant to symbolize "sky, snow, and blood spilled while fighting for freedom," while Texas' hues are meant to represent "loyalty, purity, and bravery." He also notes that the blue in his state's flag extends all the way down to the bottom, while Chile's is cut off into a square about halfway down (he even wants to get the #TheBlueGoesAllTheWayDown hashtag to pick up steam). That said, Oliverson concedes this bill isn't "the most pressing issue" the Legislature has on its plate at the moment, per the Morning News. (The White House rejected a Texas secession petition a few years back.)