Why Such Animosity Towards Southerners?

Originally posted by alonzo730
I live in New York state, have lived here most of my life. I lived in Florida for a year. I had to put up with a lot of ribbing about being a New Yorker. What I don't like about southerners is they go on and on about states rights. So when New York state decides to prosecute a woman who took a gun to the 9/11 memorial, the south is up in arms about it. What a bunch of hypocrites.

Maybe we go on about states rights because thats the way it should be? Maybe local government should always be stronger than a Federal one. Maybe we know better than most that gun laws are there for the protection of the citizen against a tyrannical Federal government? Most of us an skin a buck or fish or live for what we can. Can you say the same?

Originally posted by ghostsoldier
As an Australian with an eye for America (courtesy of cultural imperialism, YAY!!

) - my outsiders opinion is that the animosity towards "Southerners" stem from it's (generally speaking) archaic social conservatism, ie a failure to get with the times.

It's more about there pride for their heritage.
Why else would they fight to keep the confederate flag flying,when it represented slavery.

They have bumper stickers saying that by the way.

And I have heard Australia doesn't fall far from that either .

I can't remember the exact word,something to do with people coming over from England with a cheap ticket and staying.

Originally posted by DAVID64
The word "hillbilly" is also thrown out as an insult. I was born in the hills of Eastern KY, Hazard to be exact, and I am and always will be proud to wear the tag "hillbilly". We can thank the media for the stupid, backward reputation. When all they show is Bubba after the tornado, people get the wrong impression. I've lived in Central IL for about 13 years now and still get strange looks because of my southern drawl.

edit on 22-1-2012 by DAVID64 because: add

How do you still have a southern drawl after 13 years away from the south? Maybe thats your problem. . .lose the accent.

I lost my "midwest" accent after one year living here in Seattle. I gained a southern accent after living in the south for only a year. I then lost it only a year after moving to Michigan.

But I guess everyone is different. . .

This thread really struck a nerve with me. . . I'm sorry in advance if I sound harsh. It just brought back a lot of awful memories.

Originally posted by spyder550
I live in Georgia - in the rich area - I too have lived all over the US - I have never lived in a more bigoted place that absolutely celebrates ignorance.

edit on 22-1-2012 by spyder550 because: (no reason given)

I live in Alabama. My parents currently reside in one of the, if not the, wealthiest area of Alabama. I finished up high school in a very highly educated, wealthy high school just outside of Birmingham.

Personally, I don't experience ignorance on that scale at all. Are some people ignorant? Yes. But, as a whole, I would say that the south is becoming of the more sought-after and respected regions in the country. Our education systems are on the rise. Companies are moving here in droves. And socially, I find it to be just as equal-as a whole- as the most "progressive" areas of the country.

Perhaps I just have a skewed perspective.

reply to post by amongus

Because I go back home about once a month, most of my family is still there. And I like my accent. Ladies love country boys.

Originally posted by DarkKnight76
Lived in Little Rock, born and raised in the Philadelphia area, and I can say when I was there it was like going back in time. I did door to door sales all throughout the state and it was depressing and appealing to see the way some people lived, all their possessions stacked in their car port and their car on the front lawn on cinder blocks, \

I had a friend in GA that had chickens living in their house with them. However, the scene you describe can also be seen in Detroit. I lived and worked there for 15 years, so it's not just the south that has those types of homes.

As much as I want to rip the south. . . the same scene can be seen here in Seattle.

Originally posted by DAVID64
reply to post by amongus

 

Because I go back home about once a month, most of my family is still there. And I like my accent. Ladies love country boys.

Well played sir. And that explains it.

Newt Gingrich got 45% of the votes in South Carolina......enough said!
2nd line

Originally posted by kdog1982

Originally posted by ghostsoldier
As an Australian with an eye for America (courtesy of cultural imperialism, YAY!!

) - my outsiders opinion is that the animosity towards "Southerners" stem from it's (generally speaking) archaic social conservatism, ie a failure to get with the times.

It's more about there pride for their heritage.
Why else would they fight to keep the confederate flag flying,when it represented slavery.

They have bumper stickers saying that by the way.

And I have heard Australia doesn't fall far from that either .

I can't remember the exact word,something to do with people coming over from England with a cheap ticket and staying.

Maybe to someone totally ignorant of the American civil war and the reasons the South seceded in the first place would equate the Confederate flag to slavery. To me, it means my forefathers were standing up to a Federal government that was going too far in its dealings with the "slave" states. Its much nicer for the history books to say that the Northerners were freeing the slaves. Sounds alot better than the Government was putting down a rebellion of a bunch of inbreds that wanted to govern themselves. After all, the north needed no black slaves, they had plenty of immigrants that were willing to be "wage slaves". Different slavery, same fundamentals.

Originally posted by DAVID64
reply to post by amongus

 

Because I go back home about once a month, most of my family is still there. And I like my accent. Ladies love country boys.

I agree with the accent part.
When I moved to Iowa when I was 13 years old,the girls loved me,but the guys really hated me.
And that southern attitude and story telling can either carry you far with the ladies later on in life,or pose a problem.

Originally posted by kdog1982

Originally posted by DAVID64
reply to post by amongus

 

Because I go back home about once a month, most of my family is still there. And I like my accent. Ladies love country boys.

I agree with the accent part.
When I moved to Iowa when I was 13 years old,the girls loved me,but the guys really hated me.
And that southern attitude and story telling can either carry you far with the ladies later on in life,or pose a problem.

I actually lived in Burlington, Iowa for two years before I moved to Virginia and Georgia. . . what a coincidence. lol.

I had no problem in Iowa. I actually have family living in Mt Pleasant. BUT I was in elementary school at the time.

reply to post by isthisreallife


I lived in Georgia (Conyers) for a few years when I worked for Ma Bell. The southern boys in my neighborhood LOVED to talk trash and call me Yankee. This perplexed me, as I was born and raised in a state that didn't even exist at the time of the civil war.

Anyway -- I finally shut them down by calling them Yankee's. The way I read it, Georgia was one of the original 13 colonies. Old King George used to call anyone from one of the colonies a "Yank," so it it seemed to fit. Of course, the Georgia boys didn't much care for my labeling of them based on King George. A couple even threatened to beat me up for saying it.

I didn't worry much. They were all so little, I couldn't imagine any of them doing much damage.



((I'm jerking your chain a little OP. Love the south, and loved my time there!))

reply to post by amongus

Small world.

Some of my best friends where from Burlington.
I went to college in Cedar Rapids.

Partied in Burlington many moons ago.
And Iowa City also.

Originally posted by isthisreallife

Originally posted by spyder550
I live in Georgia - in the rich area - I too have lived all over the US - I have never lived in a more bigoted place that absolutely celebrates ignorance.

edit on 22-1-2012 by spyder550 because: (no reason given)

I live in Alabama. My parents currently reside in one of the, if not the, wealthiest area of Alabama. I finished up high school in a very highly educated, wealthy high school just outside of Birmingham.

Personally, I don't experience ignorance on that scale at all. Are some people ignorant? Yes. But, as a whole, I would say that the south is becoming of the more sought-after and respected regions in the country. Our education systems are on the rise. Companies are moving here in droves. And socially, I find it to be just as equal-as a whole- as the most "progressive" areas of the country.

Perhaps I just have a skewed perspective.

You do. I live in Auburn and this is suppose to be a college town with all sorts of variety, and the ignorance is like a plague. It's starting to change with my generation. But anyone over the age of 35 is dumb as #.

Wow reading this thread has brought back a lot of memories. I was born and raised in KC, the parents moved to the suburbs when I was 5 so I wouldn't be bussed to a "Black" school. Nice schools in the burbs, was a junior in High School before I encountered a black person. Graduated and got married, moved to an integrated neighborhood, was all we could afford. Joined the military at 22, sent to New Hampshire, wow whole different way of life up there. Was there for two weeks before I realized they actually were speaking english. I left New England, spent 16 years in Colorado, loved it when I first moved there, no prejudice to speak of, everyone was taken at face value. I found it a pleasant place to live, and had true friend of all races and ethnicity's. Now wait, here comes the kicker, I moved to Florida for 6 years, damn middle of the state, no strip bars, no sex toy stores, worked for a very good man, who I am sure had a white sheet and hood hanging in his closet. Do I believe Southerners to be uneducated and ignorant, no I don't, do I believe them to be bigots, oh yeah, racism is alive and well in the south, at least the part I lived in.

Glad to be back in Missouri

PS Living in the house I grew up in, where my mom thinks it is actually the hood, because, god forbid, black people live up the street..

Originally posted by kdog1982

Originally posted by ghostsoldier
As an Australian with an eye for America (courtesy of cultural imperialism, YAY!!

) - my outsiders opinion is that the animosity towards "Southerners" stem from it's (generally speaking) archaic social conservatism, ie a failure to get with the times.

It's more about there pride for their heritage.
Why else would they fight to keep the confederate flag flying,when it represented slavery.

They have bumper stickers saying that by the way.

And I have heard Australia doesn't fall far from that either .

I can't remember the exact word,something to do with people coming over from England with a cheap ticket and staying.

HaHa touche'

Australia has it's share of rednecks too.

I think the word you're looking for is: Convicts.

After the pacific war the derogotory portrayal of Asians was finally shunned.









After the European war German engineers were brought into American culture.









Hell even after the British burned down Washington D.C. we made nice with them again, and even give the Brits important roles in our movies.








Timestop 1:00 - 1:24

Entering Alabama
Hubcap coated building
"Dirt for Sale" sign

But not the south. Not the quote civil unquote war. Nope.
Derogatory stereotypes of the south seem to have no expiration date.
Yanks don't want to hear anything out of us except how quickly we can thank them for taking all our resources and labor.


David Grouchy







Myself I've just decided to roll with it.



I'm from Louisiana, and proud of it.