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Believe it or not, "hillbilly" originally was the term commonly used for Michigan farmers by Michiganders living in the major metropolitan areas of Detroit and that Eastern region of Michigan! It most typically included folks in Western (lower peninsula) Michigan and the Northern Michigan (upper peninsula).
The misconception held today of the typical(?) "hillbilly" was prescribed by the once-popular television show "The Beverly Hillbillies" (which my family in NE Arkansas detested because it taught too many folks that those not born in the North or the West were inferior in intellect (yes, Jeff Foxworthy, bless his heart, has in many ways perpetuated the myth, but at least he uses the phrase "red neck" and not "hillbilly").
Understand, the South, after the U S Civil War (more commonly known below the Mason-Dixon line as "The War Between the States"), was destitute financially and lacked access to decent treatment by the Northern States for nearly a century afterward...not much really changed until after WWII. Of course some aspects of the Southern mindset still is viewed as backward to many Northerners...but that is only because they don't consider the full spread of consequencs of the loss of the U S Civil War by the South in terms of infrastructure, public education, politics, etc. during what was called "reconstruction" after that war between the states. There was pretty much two or more "lost generations" in the
Southland and it does take time to "catch up." Many Southerners retained their love of family, looked to keep or revive their pre-Civil War heritage, kept their views of christian faith and held no little anger toward the North for the era of "carpetbaggers" and "Northern occupation."
Coming from Southern roots myself, but raised primarily in Western Michigan, I can see that over my 62 years of life so far that as modern society moved to retirement meccas in Florida it also brought with it drugs, more government intervention in ones' day-to-day life, and more secular mindsets (contrary to the "Bible belt" though common to much of the Southland).
I have met rednecks, "closet rednecks (those who still have problems with race, but keep that fact from all but those folks closest to them)", "damn yankees (almost all those folks in the South love Yankees who come South and spend their money, and then go back home...but a "damn Yankee" is one who comes to the South and then stay, or stay far too long!" and quite a few "transplants" that love the big city but detest the smell of farms and the simple lives of most Southern-born Americans still living in the South (both white, black, hispanic, asian, etc., etc.).
At least food for thought, is it not?
regarding the term " hillbilly"---------that term was used by people in Minnesota ( and many other states ) long before that tv show came out.
In our area of Minnesota, it was a label put on people who lived in a nearby hilly,wooded area/community,-------small poor farms----people who supplemented their income by stealing, get in an arguement with one and 20 were out to get you---
That term was applied as far back as the 1920's to that area and still is applied today as the habits of the new generation ( stealing,fighting, etc) hasn't changed much from their great grandparents.
I believe every state has used the word " hillbilly" for about/over a hundred years.
The U.S. Department of Commerce projects that 60% of the country's economic growth will take place in the six states of the Southeast between now and 2025.
Currently, those states have 40% of the country's manufacturing. At the current rate of relocation, it is estimated by economic development that 70% of the country's manufacturing will be in those same six states in the same time period.
Even --if-- Alabama boomed due to manufacturing, it would never resemble Florida
Planned communities and retirees are not the same as a state gaining population due to new manufacturing jobs.
There is nothing wrong with it just as long as you don't enforce it on those who choose to be conservative. I thought liberals were supposed to be tolerant of all beliefs. Why is it only white conservatives that you show such hatred towards?
And I don't like these comments about "close minded conservatives enforcing their way of life on everyone". Okay, how are we the ones enforcing our way of life on people when we are staying put right here in our own territory? Why is it okay for liberals to come down here and try to change us? You are the ones who are close minded. I don't see too many Southerners heading North pounding Bibles in the cities and trying to open up barbeque places while tearing down coffee shops.
I'm not trying to enforce anything on anyone. I suppose I just have a strong opinion on the matter. Also, I don't "hate" anyone.
When it comes to enforcing anything on anyone, there are lots of bible thumpers who will try to convert others who don't believe what they believe so I think maybe both sides are probably just as guilty for trying to change the other. Both sides also help one another by balancing out the system, so in that aspect, it's not a bad thing.
I'm not trying to start an argument. If it came off as that, I apologize as it was not intended.
Economically, I believe Alabama and Mississippi are becoming strong economic engines in the Southeast, as evident by the types of industries moving in...and contrary to popular belief, it is not because of cheap labor. It is because these two states have a workforce that is educated and trainable enough to support the technology that is demanded. These two states do not have to be, nor should they want to be, like Florida. They are making there own way to prosperity, and it is working. Will it take awhile...yes, but they are both going in the right direction. Another indicator that these two states are becoming similar to Florida is there Gulf Coast regions. Both the Alabama and Mississippi Coasts have become magnets in recent years for retiree's and tourists, regardless of there good or bad tax situations; obviously it cant be two bad or you would not see as much of an influx as you do. The influx may not be as large as FL, but people are coming. Not everyone wants to live in FL, and you have thousands of snowbirds that winter on the AL & MS coasts, not just FL or AZ. I believe AL will become more like SC; retain its southern charms but mixed in with alot of yankee transplants, and MS...still lagging a bit behind AL, will follow suit. REMEMBER, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MANY YEARS, FLORIDA IS LOSING POPULATION, AND NOT AS MANY PEOPLE ARE MOVING IN...there is a reason for this. I believe its because people are discoverying other places that are just as nice, but cost far less. And...the beaches are just as nice in AL as FL...How could they not be...there connected at the state line...what does one think, the water turns brown and the white sand stops at the FL line??? Florida best face the facts....there over-rated, over-populated and over-priced. The gig is up, and everyone knows it.
Finally....sorry MiamiRob...you couldnt pay me to live in Florida!
As far as I'm concerned much of the Alabama coast has been ruined already. I'm only 30 years old but I can remember when I was a kid Orange Beach had a nice small town feel to it and it was a very relaxing place to be on vacation, but now there is almost a solid wall of high rise condos blocking the view to the beach and everything is so commercialized . The only nice area left is Dauphin Island and that's only because they have been successful at keeping the developers out.
Economically, I believe Alabama and Mississippi are becoming strong economic engines in the Southeast, as evident by the types of industries moving in...and contrary to popular belief, it is not because of cheap labor. It is because these two states have a workforce that is educated and trainable enough to support the technology that is demanded. These two states do not have to be, nor should they want to be, like Florida. They are making there own way to prosperity, and it is working. Will it take awhile...yes, but they are both going in the right direction. Another indicator that these two states are becoming similar to Florida is there Gulf Coast regions. Both the Alabama and Mississippi Coasts have become magnets in recent years for retiree's and tourists, regardless of there good or bad tax situations; obviously it cant be two bad or you would not see as much of an influx as you do. The influx may not be as large as FL, but people are coming. Not everyone wants to live in FL, and you have thousands of snowbirds that winter on the AL & MS coasts, not just FL or AZ. I believe AL will become more like SC; retain its southern charms but mixed in with alot of yankee transplants, and MS...still lagging a bit behind AL, will follow suit. REMEMBER, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MANY YEARS, FLORIDA IS LOSING POPULATION, AND NOT AS MANY PEOPLE ARE MOVING IN...there is a reason for this. I believe its because people are discoverying other places that are just as nice, but cost far less. And...the beaches are just as nice in AL as FL...How could they not be...there connected at the state line...what does one think, the water turns brown and the white sand stops at the FL line??? Florida best face the facts....there over-rated, over-populated and over-priced. The gig is up, and everyone knows it.
Finally....sorry MiamiRob...you couldnt pay me to live in Florida!
What you are saying is what I have me saying for some time. Both AL and MS will see good economic development partically in the south or coastal plain.
Like Mobile the MS coast have alot of company's already there or coming(CHEVRON, Northrop etc...). I've been keeping up with these developments. Many people think that nothing is going in MS but thats not true at all. South AL and MS are a gold mine for some of these companys.
Alabama is a gold mine for development, but our state and leaders need to promote it as much as possible. I'm afraid of what will happen once Bob Riley leaves office. All of his policy aside, he has done wonders for bringing new jobs and industry to the state, as well as improving public education.
What worries me is how long it's going to take Alabama to recover. While North Alabama, urban Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Auburn, and Montgomery will recover quite quickly, it's the areas that have based their economies on manufacturing that will take a bit longer to recover. Unfortunately, manufacturing is always one of the last industries to recover in down economies.
Out of the more manufacturing based states in the country, Alabama should recover more quickly. Of course, quickly is a relative term... fortunately for us, the state has begun diversifying lately, so it's not as bad is it would have been a decade ago.
Whether or not Alabama succeeds in the coming years after the recession depends on how quickly it recovers itself.
As for if Alabama will become another Florida, it's nearly impossible. Florida has numerous details that make it what it is. It has an enormous tourism base, which makes it extremely vulnerable to budget fluctuations during hard economic times. So, honestly, I don't know why you would want to be like Florida.
As for how the metros are developing, I would actually say that the two states have that in common. Both states have a big four (Birmingham, Mobile, Huntsville, Montgomery) (Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, Orlando). Because of this, the states have created a long string of metro areas and micropolitan areas. Looking at a map of the Alabama metro and micro areas, you'll notice that all of the metros and micros are in one blob, except for one, which is Mobile. Also, of you look at a map of urban areas, you'll notice that the areas around Birmingham, Decatur, Cullman, Huntsville, Gadsden, Anniston, and Tuscaloosa are pretty even as far as population density goes. If you look at it correctly, you'll notice a blob of population density that extends from Birmingham NE.
Looking at the city centers for each metro area, it is obvious that the state is poised for a population explosion if the right conditions were to occur. Because a majority of our population is so concentrated and spaced so evenly, this makes the state increasingly accessible. Of course, when industry is looking to set up shop, they're looking for the location that is the most accessible from the large population centers.
Basically, if a few go some industry growth along certain corridors, you would see a HUGE Florida like boom that would basically pull the urban areas closer together.
Example:
Tuscaloosa and Birmingham are spaced far enough apart that they currently can't rely too much on eachother for jobs and population. However, if you were to have some more industry growth in the Brookwood area, or West Blockton or Vance, enough people would begin to live in those areas. Because of this you would see Tuscaloosa and Birmingham beginning to sprawl towards eachother.
The same thing would happen if Cullman saw an industry boom. Or if Clanton did.
This is what really made Florida the urban sprawlopolis it is today. Basically, we could see an Orlando/Tampa/Dayton type blob occur with Tuscaloosa/Birmingham/Anniston if we had the industry boom to set it off.
The Southern culture is not lost but is being negated somewhat as ideas and concepts outside the Southern USA are becoming more commonly known through technology and by the flight by the elderly from Northern climates to the Southland for economic and other reasons too numerous to go into here.
I do appreciate the responses to my earlier article and hope the dialogue will continue because the Southern folks are often known to be more capable of adapting to "downsizing" and "making do with less or little surplus."
As so many Southern folks I know are already doing, I suggest that more people consider downsizing the size of the homes (and mortgages for those homes) they live in, carpooling with neighbors to and from work and to and from shopping, and finding ways to meet the needs of their own families and communities during this still-deeping period of recession, foreclosures, unemployment and the still-dropping value of the Federal Reserve Notes published to finance the current federal "adventures" in socialism.
It may be of no little interest to readers to learn that currently the value of authentic Confederate currency (circa 1861-1865) are far more valuable these days to a growing number of collectors than are the Federal Reserve Notes! At recent auctions I have personally attended, it is not unusual that the face value on the Confederate currency in good to excellent condition now are purchased at rates from from 10 to 100 times their Confederate face value versus the current Federal Reserve Notes we currently describe as U S Dollars!
we need to be thinking of ways to make our gulf saver and the oil in our gulf makes me sick we all need to make BP acountable for all the clean up and the people its going to hurt by the way they make a living, not the lawyers who in going to cash in and made our oil prices go up. The little bit of the gulf we have .I remember when i was a kid , my dad got all 4 of his kids there all of our kids will never remember what , i got my boy to the gulf and we caught 32 lbs of Red Sapper that a
day i will alway remember.but it will not be there for our kids it we dont work together .Alabama,Florida,Louisiana,Texas,Mississippi.All i want is the gulf not to be like the huricanne katrina ,u saw how slow the gov was on it. Alabama isn;t all rednecks .Rob
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and quite a few "transplants" that love the big city but detest the smell of farms and the simple lives of most Southern-born Americans still living in the South (both white, black, hispanic, asian, etc., etc.).
. The only nice area left is Dauphin Island and that's only because they have been successful at keeping the developers out.
