[icequeen2008]

I had a great aunt who did at age 94. She lived in Arkansas all her life. When she would come to visit in Minnesota she would get so excited talking about her great state. She didnt have great living conditions because she never spent a penney. But she was happy. I have never been to arkansas but I figure if my aunt lived their that long it couldnt be too bad.

[bchris02]

Originally Posted by cgeuss1621

I moved here from new york and have lived here for the past five and a half years, unfortunately. So I think I at least have some basis when I make my complaints. For starters, the road crews take FOREVER, even on the smallest of projects. Its taken them almost 4 years to complete a 1 mile stretch of road.
And the way people drive I'm surprised they get anywhere in a decent amount of time. It seems like they're always trying to race you on the highway. Sure, it seems nice at first that people are more "laid back" than us Northeasterners, but once you've been here a while it just becomes a nuisance. There were actually times when I've been 15-20 minutes late because people, for no reason at all, other than to most likely just irritate, choose to drive 10-15 miles an hour below the speed limit, and if you try to go around them, they just speed up!


and sherrenee- I think i can classify people as "racist redneck hillbillies," because i set foot in this state 5 years, goin on 6 now, and have regreted every minute of it.

To quote chicago60614-"There were guns everywhere, Confederate flags everywhere, and people were hard core baptist and kinda judgmental about "northerners" and pretty racist. I was surprised."

And I have to agree. People here refer to northerners as "yankees" but a yankee that stays is called a "damn yankee" How's that for "southern hospitality?" what a facade...

Now, there are some redeeming qualties about AR that can attest to, one of them being the enormous amount of outdoor activities there are-seemingly endless-camping, hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, kayaking... and the list goes on...
Also, the cost of living is a LOT cheaper than where I'm from. But of course, therein lies another problem-AR entices you down with their cheap cost of living and all the "wonderful discounts" at your local wal-mart, then makes you **** poor broke so even if you wanted to move out if this hell hole, you'd have no funds to do so.
Also, their stand on gays. I myself am anti-gay. I think it attacks everything the family institution stands for. And I know it may sound racist, but remember the bible doesn't condemn people for being black-1 Corinthians 6:9-it condemns gays.

Where did you live in Arkansas? Fort Smith?

I think the rest of the country will always look down on Arkansas. Some of it is warranted but much of it is stereotype that will never die. The one good thing is when out of staters visit, at least in Little Rock or NWA, they always leave with a very good impression because their expectations are so low. Fort Smith or Harrison might leave them with a different taste in their mouths.

There is also an inferiority complex, at least in Little Rock. In my opinion Little Rock could change its national perception that is currently so overwhelmingly negative if there was more civic pride. More civic pride would lead to a better city and a higher quality of life. It will take time, but it can be done. Take OKC for example - in 10 years they turned that place around from being percieved as a dump (like Little Rock is percieved now) to a true 2nd tier city getting an NBA team. Little Rock would need quite a bit more population to get professional sports, but there is no reason Little Rock should be percieved as the hell-hole its percieved as (nationally). The attitude in Little Rock and in OKC are like night and day.

[nmnita]

The OKC turn around is a perfect example of what can happen anywhere if the future is handled correctly...

For all those with negative opinions of ARK, I will give them a positive opinion:

Racist, get real, what state does not have some racism? Along with that racism you have really caring, kind people who know right from wrong. some are plain country folk, some progressive city people, many from other parts of the country.

Yankee, or dam yankee, in some cases this isn't meant as an insult, just a term..Stop being so sensitive and don't try to change people into your way of thinking. If you choose to live somewhere, appreciate the people and thier customs...It is up to you to adjust, not them..

Slow road progress, how many places have you lived? This is the road maintainance people at work, or not at work might be a better way of putting it. This doesn't only happen in AR. Have you watched progress or lack of in TX, NM< CA, etc...??? Of course you haven't...I have a hard time believing it has taken 4 years to complete a 1 mile stretch of road unless there were underlining problems we don't know about.

BTW, for all of you who think we are a bunch of hillbillies, backyards, running around barefoot and in rags, marrying our cousins, why don't you leave?? We will give you a going away party with our moonshine and we will not miss you much..

Nita

[sherrenee]

Originally Posted by cgeuss1621

I moved here from new york and have lived here for the past five and a half years, unfortunately. So I think I at least have some basis when I make my complaints. For starters, the road crews take FOREVER, even on the smallest of projects. Its taken them almost 4 years to complete a 1 mile stretch of road.
And the way people drive I'm surprised they get anywhere in a decent amount of time. It seems like they're always trying to race you on the highway. Sure, it seems nice at first that people are more "laid back" than us Northeasterners, but once you've been here a while it just becomes a nuisance. There were actually times when I've been 15-20 minutes late because people, for no reason at all, other than to most likely just irritate, choose to drive 10-15 miles an hour below the speed limit, and if you try to go around them, they just speed up!


and sherrenee- I think i can classify people as "racist redneck hillbillies," because i set foot in this state 5 years, goin on 6 now, and have regreted every minute of it.

To quote chicago60614-"There were guns everywhere, Confederate flags everywhere, and people were hard core baptist and kinda judgmental about "northerners" and pretty racist. I was surprised."

And I have to agree. People here refer to northerners as "yankees" but a yankee that stays is called a "damn yankee" How's that for "southern hospitality?" what a facade...

Now, there are some redeeming qualties about AR that can attest to, one of them being the enormous amount of outdoor activities there are-seemingly endless-camping, hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, kayaking... and the list goes on...
Also, the cost of living is a LOT cheaper than where I'm from. But of course, therein lies another problem-AR entices you down with their cheap cost of living and all the "wonderful discounts" at your local wal-mart, then makes you **** poor broke so even if you wanted to move out if this hell hole, you'd have no funds to do so.
Also, their stand on gays. I myself am anti-gay. I think it attacks everything the family institution stands for. And I know it may sound racist, but remember the bible doesn't condemn people for being black-1 Corinthians 6:9-it condemns gays.

"Raciest redneck hillbillies" is a pretty broad stereotype for a lot of people. I'm not trying to be rude but maybe the problem isn't with the people of Arkansas (or any other state in the US for that matter) maybe the problem lies in you?
Another question for you is if you hate it here so much why are you still here?

[grmasterb]

Originally Posted by nmnita

Yankee, or dam yankee, in some cases this isn't meant as an insult, just a term..

When I lived in Arkansas, on more than one occasion I would hear this same logic employed when the n-word was used.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by grmasterb

When I lived in Arkansas, on more than one occasion I would hear this same logic employed when the n-word was used.

and do you think only in AR they use the N word? I have heard it in Texas, Calif, NM, Va, Fl and everywhere else we have lived or visted. the most racist place we have ever lived was the Dallas area and it wasn't whites, but blacks. Does this mean blacks in Dallas are all racists or uneducated? Of course not, it means some have little respect for any other color. Many of these same people I am referring to worked for a company that re-located from NYC. Racism exists period and will for many years to come, not just in AR.

Last summer I needed pickling cukes to can my pickles for the winter and I searched everywhere within a 50 mile radious. Finally I found a farmer who did have enough for me to do my canning. It was early July, hotter than hell and humid. This guy picked them during the noon-day sun so I would have them that afternoon as they need to be freshly picked. He was a young man, small farm, did not have another job and was trying to eak out a living for his wife, 2 darling kids and himself. I don't know if he hated people from other parts of the country, if he was a hillbilly or anything else, I do know he worked hard for what he had. This is what I see in Arkansas, good people, hard workers, proud of their state and their country. You can't say this about everywhere, that is for sure. For those who don't see this, open your eyes..

Nita

[Capt. Dan]

As I have said many times before--More so in Arkansas than any other place you may move to or visit--you will be treated as you treat others. Its really that simple. People from Arkansas tend to take people at thier word. Therefore, if you treat them like you dont care for them or thier ways, they will extend to you the same courtesy. If you move to Arkansas and become involved in local charities/fundraisers and the like or show in other ways that you really care about the community and its people, you will be welcomed and treated as homegrown. I guess that makes Arkansas absolutely NORMAL! Actually, part of me feels that if you cant get along with the typical person from Arkansas you probably have a problem getting along with others no matter where you are. GO HOGS!!!!!!!!!!!!

[grmasterb]

Originally Posted by nmnita

and do you think only in AR they use the N word?

Where did I say that? I was simply challenging your logic that "yankee" is only a term and, therefore, no offense should be taken. Do you think that African-Americans could ever view the n-word as just a "term"? Fact is, when northerners like myself come down south and we hear it, we know it's either meant to be derogatory or to ridicule. You may not see this living in NWA, where apparently many outsiders have relocated. In other parts of the state, however -- particularly in the Jonesboro area in which I resided -- some have views of the people and culture north of the Mason-Dixon that borders on paranoid and delusional. Mostly it's just uninformed.

Certainly there are some up here with misguided views of Arkansas. I graduated from high school and college in Arkansas, and I feel that my education stacks well against the Indiana, Purdue and Notre Dame grads I rub shoulders with daily. I've had some express shock at the intelligence I portray given that I was educated in Arkansas (maybe I'm just a good actor?). I've heard jokes about outhouses, lack of teeth, marrying cousins, no shoes, etc. It's all nonsense.

Yes, it's wrong for folks to move to Arkansas and try to make the locals feel inferior. But that's a two-way street. Care to guess how many times I heard that I, as a Roman Catholic, was going to burn in hell?

[DC at the Ridge]

Originally Posted by grmasterb

Where did I say that? I was simply challenging your logic that "yankee" is only a term and, therefore, no offense should be taken. Do you think that African-Americans could ever view the n-word as just a "term"? Fact is, when northerners like myself come down south and we hear it, we know it's either meant to be derogatory or to ridicule. You may not see this living in NWA, where apparently many outsiders have relocated. In other parts of the state, however -- particularly in the Jonesboro area in which I resided -- some have views of the people and culture north of the Mason-Dixon that borders on paranoid and delusional. Mostly it's just uninformed.

Certainly there are some up here with misguided views of Arkansas. I graduated from high school and college in Arkansas, and I feel that my education stacks well against the Indiana, Purdue and Notre Dame grads I rub shoulders with daily. I've had some express shock at the intelligence I portray given that I was educated in Arkansas (maybe I'm just a good actor?). I've heard jokes about outhouses, lack of teeth, marrying cousins, no shoes, etc. It's all nonsense.

Yes, it's wrong for folks to move to Arkansas and try to make the locals feel inferior. But that's a two-way street. Care to guess how many times I heard that I, as a Roman Catholic, was going to burn in hell?

When my family first moved to Arkansas, I remember being shocked when someone invited me to their church and I heard the pastor say that Catholics and Jews would all burn in Hell. I remember being amazed at how people felt about the Civil War, how vital those events and issues still were to people in the South when those same events and issues were irrelevant to people in the North. I've also had people who insisted I went to some private school because I didn't talk or think the way they thought someone educated in an Arkansas public school would talk or think. These are individuals, though. It's not the state, it's not even the majority of people who live in the state. Everyone, every single human being on this planet, has prejudices and preconceptions and misperceptions. I don't hold it against the state that there are many, many Baptists here, and that some Baptist churches teach things I don't agree with. When I've been confronted with these misperceptions, I refuse to let it make me think less of the people who hold these ideas, instead, it's an opportunity. It's an opportunity for me to re-evaluate my own opinions and values, to invest a little of myself in introspection. And it's an opportunity for me to find out more about the people I disagree with, why they feel the way they do, what it is that they really think. As egregious as it sounds for a pastor to announce that Catholics are going to Hell, there's a background to his statement. If I hope to convince him otherwise, I can't just tell him he's wrong. I need to understand where he's coming from, what he really believes.

If we all believed the same thing, it would be a pretty boring world, a pretty pointless existence. The different opinions, beliefs, viewpoints, these are our opportunities to revel in humanity. To argue and to hone your arguments, sharpen your mind, to really get real. Arkansas, with all its flaws, is filled with people who love to communicate, who express themselves with style and individuality. I think there are wonderful things about every locale on this planet, things that make a place special and unique, things that people incorporate into themselves. Arkansas is no exception.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by grmasterb

Where did I say that? I was simply challenging your logic that "yankee" is only a term and, therefore, no offense should be taken. Do you think that African-Americans could ever view the n-word as just a "term"? Fact is, when northerners like myself come down south and we hear it, we know it's either meant to be derogatory or to ridicule. You may not see this living in NWA, where apparently many outsiders have relocated. In other parts of the state, however -- particularly in the Jonesboro area in which I resided -- some have views of the people and culture north of the Mason-Dixon that borders on paranoid and delusional. Mostly it's just uninformed.

Certainly there are some up here with misguided views of Arkansas. I graduated from high school and college in Arkansas, and I feel that my education stacks well against the Indiana, Purdue and Notre Dame grads I rub shoulders with daily. I've had some express shock at the intelligence I portray given that I was educated in Arkansas (maybe I'm just a good actor?). I've heard jokes about outhouses, lack of teeth, marrying cousins, no shoes, etc. It's all nonsense.

Yes, it's wrong for folks to move to Arkansas and try to make the locals feel inferior. But that's a two-way street. Care to guess how many times I heard that I, as a Roman Catholic, was going to burn in hell?

And I can tell you the opposite story: our granddaughter graduated from U of Ar last spring, married a guy who is as close to a plain ole country boy as one could be. His family (not him) are So Baptist form word go, they don't drink, think the best drink in the world is sweet tea, live in the country outside of Fayetteville and think the proper way to eat Thanksgiving dinner is on paper plates. They are not uneducated, dumb or poor, but they are country as country can be. I mention this because our granddaughter happens to be part Jewish and had a Jewish last name. How do they feel about her? They absolutely love her and she them. Of course there are things that drive our granddaughter nuts and probably things she does that drive them nuts, but the still totall accept her.

The Burn in Hell, yes, this is the feeling many have if you are not fundamentalist, my other granddaughter was told this by her now mother in law. We are Episcopalians, so is she. But she doesn't live in AR, nor do her in-laws, they live in Colorado. This cuts all ways. To think it is only or mostly in AR is nuts...

Nita