[charolastra00]

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

Maybe we should dress someone up in camo pants and a rebel flag t-shirt and send them to a restaurant in a tolerant state like Massachusetts. They'd probably burn him at the stake.

You've never been to Western Mass, have you?

[southernnaturelover]

Originally Posted by charolastra00

You've never been to Western Mass, have you?

You're right, I was mostly referring to the liberal Boston area.

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

Maybe we should dress someone up in camo pants and a rebel flag t-shirt and send them to a restaurant in a tolerant state like Massachusetts. They'd probably burn him at the stake.

Yes, but that's only because thier views are *correct*. It's amazing how many people demand tolerance for alternative views but only if they agree with their own.

[Bluefly]

i wonder what the reaction would have been if the town wasn't named "Arab". I can imagine the good people of that town have had plenty of time to think about and come to terms with their inadvertent namesake relationship to the Middle East in a way that most small towns haven't.

Glad to see things went well, though.

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

Maybe we should dress someone up in camo pants and a rebel flag t-shirt and send them to a restaurant in a tolerant state like Massachusetts. They'd probably burn him at the stake.

Nah... even here in San Francisco we often see people dressed like that, and they're never being burned at the stake. When you live in a large, diverse city, it doesn't matter what you look like - we've undoubtedly seen it before, and won't even bat an eyelash. Liberal or conservative, that probably goes for any big city. And for the record, my family is from the Boston area, and I doubt they would care about camo pants & a rebel-flag shirt either.

Btw, sorry to bust in on your forum, but the thread title caught my attention - very interesting experiment and outcome! I think further study would be needed, perhaps with a more well thought-out plan... still pretty interesting, though.

[SammieS]

I don't see what is upsetting everyone? I saw the original report on CNN and it didn't seem biased to me. The report explained that this is a sociological experiment and was not only done in Arab, AL, but in other areas of the US as well. I am sure that one experiment was reported on because it was supposedly a Muslim going to a town in Alabama called Arab. I didn't feel the actual report was biased. I did view the IReport video that was posted here. This IReport was done by the people doing the experiment and just posted on CNN. It wasn't done by CNN reporters. Anyway, whether it was done by CNN reporters or the people running the project, it does show their prejudices and also prejudices that many people that don't live in Alabama have about Alabama. But, in the end, the IReporters do acknowledge they were wrong and that Arab isn't prejudiced, etc.
I thought the story proved that Arab and Alabama is accommodating to all and not as some non-Alabamians may perceive us.

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by SammieS

I don't see what is upsetting everyone? I saw the original report on CNN and it didn't seem biased to me. The report explained that this is a sociological experiment and was not only done in Arab, AL, but in other areas of the US as well. I am sure that one experiment was reported on because it was supposedly a Muslim going to a town in Alabama called Arab. I didn't feel the actual report was biased. I did view the IReport video that was posted here. This IReport was done by the people doing the experiment and just posted on CNN. It wasn't done by CNN reporters. Anyway, whether it was done by CNN reporters or the people running the project, it does show their prejudices and also prejudices that many people that don't live in Alabama have about Alabama. But, in the end, the IReporters do acknowledge they were wrong and that Arab isn't prejudiced, etc.
I thought the story proved that Arab and Alabama is accommodating to all and not as some non-Alabamians may perceive us.

That's nice. But I don't think you realize that the entire premise behind the report was insulting, namely that the good people of Arab are virulent bigots, so much so that a woman in Muslim garb could not wander into a restaurant without mayhem breaking out immediately.

After all, what did the woman say at the beginning? "I hope no one gets violent." As in, "I hope these inbred subhumans don't live up to our expectations."

Then, at the end, the professor goes on some windy, condescending oration that basically said, "Wow, the people of Arab didn't erupt into violent outrage when confronted with somebody different from them. Gosh, we were treated politely and like actual human beings. Who would have thought it of these people?" Even with the most generous possible interpretation, it's a backhanded compliment if ever I've heard one.

[HillScoggin]

Lets take a skoal dipping white boy with camo pants a john deere hat and a t shirt that says "Southern by the Grace of God" on it and drop him into the predominantly black "hoods" and let him go to eateries etc and then say something like

"those blacks astounded us by not robbing and beating the white boy as we expected"

the liberal scream would be heard clear across the nation.

and people wonder why southerners treat northerners etc with suspicion and contempt

[Alatex]

The Atlanta media, whether it is CNN or the Journal-Constitution, delights in painting Alabama as the epitome of "rural Southern backwardness," as the foil for their "progressive, diverse, beloved Atlanta."
It has been this way for years.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Alatex

The Atlanta media, whether it is CNN or the Journal-Constitution, delights in painting Alabama as the epitome of "rural Southern backwardness," as the foil for their "progressive, diverse, beloved Atlanta."
It has been this way for years.

Any examples?