Sometimes I forget what the south is like

[Beeks]

~~No one said the whole south was bad.~~

Yes they did. Something along the line of "Everyone is nice to your face--but will stab you in the back...." and lots of other derogatory stuff.

I didn't mean for this thread to become a "slam the south!" fest, but every area has its issues and the truth is that in many areas of the south it's pretty hard to be a religious minority. Yeah, that's derogatory but it's the truth. No place is perfect and there's nothing wrong with discussing it - plus a lot of people have mentioned lots of great places in the south on this thread as well.

[PennySycamore]

clibbyjo,

I was just in Asheville this evening and will be there again tomorrow. It's a great place. Sometimes I just need to go there to feed my head. As for the weather, the elevation keeps it from getting as hot as it would be in Charlotte or down the Blue Ridge Front in Greenville SC. Asheville does get snow in the winter, but unlike most places in the South, they know how to cope with it. The NC Arboretum is close by, the Blue Ridge Parkway is just east of town and the Appalachian Trail is close by as well.

One of Asheville's greatest cultural assets isn't based in Asheville though. It's public radio station WNCW 88.7. WNCW broadcasts from Isothermal Community College in Spindale. The station has a wonderfully diverse playlist.

A few years ago, I attended a parenting conference near Asheville. I was talking to another mom out at the playground about how great Asheville was and she said that the opression in Greenville was palpable. Yeah, I'm from the Greenville area and I totally agree with her. Even Spartanburg, SC doesn't feel that oppresive.

[fundifugee]

For what it's worth, it is not because of the racism that I hated Georgia. I agree there is racism everywhere. I've lived lots of places in North American and Africa and Latin America and I've found it everywhere and can't really say that any place has been worse than the other, racism-wise. What I hate about Georgia is it feels basically soul-less to me. I don't know if it is because the public transport is so non-functional that most people drive everywhere, making hours each day spent in a car, with an accompanying lack of sidewalks or safe places to cycle. The whole of Atlanta and all its bedroom communities, which is more than half of the state, are one big strip mall surrounded by McMansions. With the heat, and the advent of air condition, nobody goes outside or seems to do anything for fun apart from recreational shopping at malls or going to movies (all air-conditioned). They also spend all their free time in the house watching TV; my siblings don't know their neighbours and the only reason my mother does is because she is nosey and is actively doing her bit to try to convert everybody. We had to drive 2 hours in any direction just to go hiking or find any agreeable outdoor activity that wasn't football or softball. The economic disparity is appalling, and the ignorance of the rich who insulate themselves from the widespread suffering just outside their gated communities. And voting there was like pissing in to the wind, no chance of ever electing anybody who wasn't a crazed right-wing idiot.

Much of the physical history was burnt down during the civil war, so forget historic architecture and that. It has some gems like the Carter Center, the MLK center, the Etowah and Rock Eagle Indian Mounds; and some damn good Southern, barbecue, and Mexican food. But quite honestly, it could be wiped from the face of the earth and the world would probably be a better place.

The air is brown when you fly in. Ick.

OK, enough of my hate-on for GA.

[VintageJen1984]

I liked St. Augustine and San Antonio/ Texas Hill Country a lot, but not enough to move now that I know DOUG is in Texas !(Plus I need more green than Texas or the southwest has) Being a secular homeschooler in San Antonio would be more work than I am willing to do at this stage.

Most of Texas is green out the wazoo. Trees, grass, plants, all green. The whole state isn't like say, Amarillo.

I think you could easily be a secular homeschooler in Austin. I live in Texas and it's not a bunch of Doug-followers everywhere. Plenty of liberal people. And Houston is pretty awesome too. It gets a bad rep from non-Houstonian big city residents for not being Austin or Dallas, which is silly, it has tons of it's own awesome things.

[forever ago]

This. I live in the South and have for so long... gosh, 25 years or so? I'm a Yankee at heart and would move back North in a flash if I could. Anyway, we live in a small town and have been here for 7+ years and have NO friends. None. My girls have been in the same activities for up to 5 years. You're just not cool unless you go to "charch" with them or know their brother's uncle's cousin. Whatever.

Granted, when I was 7, I was kind of a weird kid and maybe a bit shy, but I never had trouble making and keeping friends... up until I moved to Bumfucksville, NC. I've lived here for 12 years and friends have come and gone. Yeah, some of it's just growing up, but it got ridiculous in my senior year of high school. On top of losing all of my friends to graduation and moving away, changes within the school made me feel like a freshman all over again- though in freshman year I at least had very close friends.

The only things to do around here are sports. Anything else and you either go to Virginia or go to school. And the schools, while not being all that bad, still don't offer much. I felt shunted, being a writer and a history geek.

I felt even more shunted once I left Christianity, since there's not much of a community for atheists here. :(

[amie]

..........

[Deleted02]

Native North Carolinian here. My family lived in Cary for 5 years and then we moved to a rural area to be closer to my grandma.

Although I love to live in the country there is a huge difference between this and the city. The people are nice yes but only if you share their same beliefs. The previous posters are right. The more rural you go, the more hate you seem to run into. Where we live now there is a baptist church on every corner. The most religious people are also the most hate filled. Luckily my parents are open minded and raised me and my brother to care about others regardless of their differences.

I've noticed a lot of hate for people from up north too. I happen to love them because they're not two-faced like some of the natives. They are also some of the nicest people I've ever met.

[forever ago]

~~No one said the whole south was bad.~~

Yes they did. Something along the line of "Everyone is nice to your face--but will stab you in the back...." and lots of other derogatory stuff.

There's a reason the South has that reputation...

I'm pretty sure I specified my general part of NC. Not all of the South is terrible, which many posters have also pointed out. Do you think if it was really that horrible, Yankees would still move there? There's excellent food and culture (beyond the fundyism and racism) and not everyone is a horrible person.

[FlorenceHamilton]

I have spent nearly two years in south Carolina. The people are very nice. I am here because I am providing a service that they need. They know I am Jewish. they can handle that. This area has some Jewish history that dates back to colonial days. And yes, it is the "fawning" type of approval they give for my background. I would never tell them that I am atheist in my beliefs.

I never talk about my politics. Never. It would make my living here even more isolating than it already is.

The tension between black people and white people is still palpable. Both side are very nice to one another, but the deference observed in the interaction is obvious. I have observed only 3 interracial couples. They were all from another place originally.

Every aspect of life here is laced with Jesus. Everything. My place of work has tracts and Bibles amid the magazines in the waiting areas, the exam rooms and business offices. Our sister office blatently ministers the "word".

There is a Freethinker society in the nearest town. I have not driven the thirty miles to attend a meeting because I am afraid people here will find out. I could probably find a happy place to live in Charleston, but this is not where I am needed.

It is beautiful here. The summers are very hot. The vegetation is lush. The birds are amazing. There is a winter, but it is short and mild. For about a month, we get temperatures in the freezing range. We see a dusting of snow about one time in the cold season.

That said, I have done my job here. It has been a great experience. And I am moving to Southeast Florida. It is not as pretty, It is more expensive. There is more random crime. The people are pushy and stereotypical in their own way. However...I will not need to go to work in the snow.

And...

I fit.

I miss the color, the noise, the scents and sounds and smells of cultural diversity. I miss a good bagel. I miss a samosa (anywhere). I miss cuban sandwiches. I miss a diversity of accents. I miss being able to celebrate the warmth and joy of sharing a multitude of ideas and traditions all day every day.

Every place has faults. It depends on what works for you.

[forever ago]

My mom grew up in a southern state, moved to a northern state as a young adult and lived there for 30 years, and recently moved back South. She nearly choked on the swig of Coke she'd just taken the first time one of the women in her new Sunday School class casually used the N word while chitchatting. Yes, there are racists everywhere, but let's be honest, certain southern states have the reputation they do for a reason.

Even I would have choked on my Coke and I've lived in the South for 12 years. Here it's a disgusting swearword NEVER to be said in church. I'm not even Christian and that kind of hate in a church of all places turns my stomach.

[Alecto]

I just wanted to address something I found interesting on the Northerner hate in some parts of the South.

I've lived in several southern states, and I find that the place that is the most accepting of those from up North has got to be the Mississippi River Delta. Now, I have a fairly good theory on that. Over the last 50 or 60 years, a lot of folks, both black and white, moved "Up North" to places like Detroit and Chicago for work. As the economy has ebbed and flowed, people have moved back to the delta, therefore for a long time, even in the tiny town I lived in, it was not unusual to have a kid or three who transferred in from Chicago or Detroit. It was not unusual to have family there, travel there, ect. In other places in the south that didn't experience this kind of mass migration for jobs, there are likely towns where the number of people from out of the south that moved to the town is slim, and therefore ignorance reigns.

That being said, I've found in Arkansas, we're much more hostile to Texans and fans of whomever beat the Razorbacks for something important last year. The Texas hate dates back to a certain football game in 1969. In fact, five years after the fact, my aunt and uncle's car that had Texas plates was vandalized with sentiments based on that game.

[slh12280]

I have only been to the south once, South Carolina. I noticed that there were a lot of churches and people pray before things. I was shocked that some people there called the civil war "the war of northern aggression." They even had shirts with that saying. It felt like once they found out you were from the north they gave you an attitude.

[clibbyjo]

Alecto, I have found a house in Eureka Springs(well, I guess outside as its 7 acres) Old farmhouse, just my style http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhom ... source=web

Seriously, I am going to look around where the transfer places are because there seem to be a lot of old houses down there with LAND which is what I need.

[Kitchen Princess]

Here's your quote:

Everyone in the South is nice... until you get to know them. Then they turn into gossipy, uptight, backstabbing assholes.

Not a thing about NC.

[forever ago]

Here's your quote:

Not a thing about NC.

Jesus Christ, fine, I over -generalized. Happy now?

[slickcat79]

Native North Carolinian here. My family lived in Cary for 5 years and then we moved to a rural area to be closer to my grandma.

Although I love to live in the country there is a huge difference between this and the city. The people are nice yes but only if you share their same beliefs. The previous posters are right. The more rural you go, the more hate you seem to run into. Where we live now there is a baptist church on every corner. The most religious people are also the most hate filled. Luckily my parents are open minded and raised me and my brother to care about others regardless of their differences.

I've noticed a lot of hate for people from up north too. I happen to love them because they're not two-faced like some of the natives. They are also some of the nicest people I've ever met.

Ha, not surprised the Collection Area for Relocated Yankees is really different from the rural areas :)

There is a lot of yankee-hate. I had a co-worker who left for another company, partly because he felt like our boss (who's from NY) was "importing yankees" and they were going to be "taking over". I would consider something like that a joke, but he was totally serious. Never mind the crap said yankee co-workers have to put up with for doing things like eating vegetarian and wearing buddhist prayer beads.

[GenerationCedarchip]

Even I would have choked on my Coke and I've lived in the South for 12 years. Here it's a disgusting swearword NEVER to be said in church. I'm not even Christian and that kind of hate in a church of all places turns my stomach.

Yikes! I witnessed plenty of subtly veiled racism when I was in Richmond and Charleston (and my rural Alabama cousins have similar stories), but nothing that blatant. And in the fundie circles I know, that sort of thing would get you a big lecture on what a horrible, sinful person you are to use language like that about one of God's children. Of course, if you're a woman, you'd also get a lecture for speaking up in church without your husband... :shock:

[bbfreethinker]

Alecto, I have found a house in Eureka Springs(well, I guess outside as its 7 acres) Old farmhouse, just my style http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhom ... source=web

Seriously, I am going to look around where the transfer places are because there seem to be a lot of old houses down there with LAND which is what I need.

Clibbyjo, that house is adorable (I have a weird fascination for houses of all kinds).

[forever ago]

Ha, not surprised the Collection Area for Relocated Yankees is really different from the rural areas :)

There is a lot of yankee-hate. I had a co-worker who left for another company, partly because he felt like our boss (who's from NY) was "importing yankees" and they were going to be "taking over". I would consider something like that a joke, but he was totally serious. Never mind the crap said yankee co-workers have to put up with for doing things like eating vegetarian and wearing buddhist prayer beads.

When I first moved to NC there was plenty of Yankee-hate. My county only had about 10,000 people and the majority were natives. It's still around, but not quite so strong. I can admit I'm from Ohio without somebody bitching me out over a war that was fought like 150 years ago... now, but 12 years ago I couldn't. Just what responsibility is a 7-year-old who moved from a more liberal city, and lived in bloody ENGLAND before that, and born in 19fucking92 supposed to take for it?! :doh:

The reason it's changed here is because a) my town is a bedroom community for Hampton Roads, VA b)Hampton Roads is overrun by Yankees, so unless you're in the rural bits of Suffolk/Chesapeake/Virginia Beach you're unlikely to see rebel flags, and c) my county's population has doubled since I've lived here thanks to much more liberal(ish... Hampton Roads is a bit contradictory, but I'll explain later) Virginians rushing in looking for cheaper lands and lower taxes. So while technically it's just Southerners moving further south, it's very hard to call Hampton Roads Southern.

[forever ago]

Yikes! I witnessed plenty of subtly veiled racism when I was in Richmond and Charleston (and my rural Alabama cousins have similar stories), but nothing that blatant. And in the fundie circles I know, that sort of thing would get you a big lecture on what a horrible, sinful person you are to use language like that about one of God's children. Of course, if you're a woman, you'd also get a lecture for speaking up in church without your husband... :shock:

Yeah, I've seen subtly and not-so-subtly veiled racism, and the N-word is generally only acceptable if you're joking and there are no black people around. I usually hate the sexist edicts in the Bible, but this is one time where I wish those women would have actually followed the Bible where it said that women were to be silent in church.

Or you know, love their neighbors as they love themselves, and I'm sure they don't seriously call themselves racial epithets. After all, you only have to accept Jesus into your heart, not actually follow His teachings. :roll:

[Shirley MacLaine]

Most of Texas is green out the wazoo. Trees, grass, plants, all green. The whole state isn't like say, Amarillo.

I think you could easily be a secular homeschooler in Austin. I live in Texas and it's not a bunch of Doug-followers everywhere. Plenty of liberal people. And Houston is pretty awesome too. It gets a bad rep from non-Houstonian big city residents for not being Austin or Dallas, which is silly, it has tons of it's own awesome things.

Definitely - I grew up near Houston, smack dab in the middle of the piney woods. Which is green as fuck, but maybe not the right place if you're not into raking up pine needles (which I am not, haha). There are a lot of great people and places in Texas (but Houston is my favorite city). Any town with a bigger university probably has a sizable pocket of coolness. Even fucking... I dunno, Abilene.

[whit1213]

That being said, I've found in Arkansas, we're much more hostile to Texans and fans of whomever beat the Razorbacks for something important last year.

Haha! As an Arkansan living in NE Louisiana (Monroe), it was a glorious day to rub it in my neighbors faces, who are LSU fans, when Arkansas beat them. Actually there are quite a bit of Hog fans here.

[Alecto]

Haha! As an Arkansan living in NE Louisiana (Monroe), it was a glorious day to rub it in my neighbors faces, who are LSU fans, when Arkansas beat them. Actually there are quite a bit of Hog fans here.

Not surprised. I graduated from Tech in Ruston, and a good chunk of the students at Tech are from Arkansas.

[Nora509]

This thread is really disgusting to me. No one should have the right to say "all black people are like this..." or all jews are like that..." kind of like how you shouldn't say "everyone from the south...." Just because someone is from the south doesn't mean they are racist, uneducated or back-stabbing. Generalizing or stereotyping based on the location you choose to live is just as bad as generalizing or stereotyping based on race or religion. Everyone deserves to be judged based on thier character - not the color of their skin or their religion or where they live on this planet. But I live in Georgia so I'm a racist idiot - don't mind me.

[Guest Anonymous]

This thread is really disgusting to me. No one should have the right to say "all black people are like this..." or all jews are like that..." kind of like how you shouldn't say "everyone from the south...." Just because someone is from the south doesn't mean they are racist, uneducated or back-stabbing. Generalizing or stereotyping based on the location you choose to live is just as bad as generalizing or stereotyping based on race or religion. Everyone deserves to be judged based on thier character - not the color of their skin or their religion or where they live on this planet. But I live in Georgia so I'm a racist idiot - don't mind me.

If you squeeze those pearls any tighter you're going to have nothing left but a handful of powder. I've lived in GA my whole life. This thread started out talking about how conservative the Southern U.S. tends to be. I'm pretty sure everyone here knows that not all of us Southerners are anti-choice KKK members, but GA is an overwhelmingly conservative state. We have racism issues, too. That's not to say that the North and the West Coast don't have their own problems because I'm sure that they do. But they call this place the Bible Belt for a reason, and the reputation GA has for tolerating racism is fact based, too.

I hate racism. I think it's wrong so I try to change myself. I don't stand around and listen to racist crap without challenging it. But I don't deny that the problem exists because it makes me uncomfortable. I don't feel like anyone is attacking or accusing me - when you howl, you're hit. If the shoe doesn't fit you then don't cram your foot in there and then holler that you don't want to wear it.

As far as the bolded, you're welcome to your opinion but I totally disagree with it. Stating that people from New York like to eat bagels or Midwesterners are rude is in no way equivalent to saying that Jewish people have horns.