[Winter_Sucks]

[quote=NativeFloridan;16733274]

Originally Posted by jsimms3

The only differences between southern and northern culture are very ostensible, skin-deep, and trivial./QUOTE]
The only differences between southern and northern culture are very ostensible, skin-deep, and trivial.

Southern Americans are an entirely different species when compared to their Northern counterparts. It would be almost impossible to list or fully explain all the differences. The differences are as timeless as they are manifold. You might say it all goes back to our celtic heritage; the rural European heritage of the South and its progenitors clashes with the industrial heritage of Northern immigrants. And like the celts, Southerners have a closer kinship to the land, driven by lifestyle and environment and are less driven by the accumulation of wealth. Tradition, loyalty, the land, God, family, friends and community come before money when it comes to most Southerners. Also, the close relationship with African Americans who were sold to the South by Northern industrialist who could not benefit from their labors contributed greatly to the Southern culture. Southerners have their closest kin in African Americans who developed their culture more predominately in the South than in the North. Most people in the South were raised not to talk down to others, especially those seen as economically or educationally inferior by others. Manners in the South go beyond anything you could learn from Emily Post because they are ingrained in us from an early age and likely run in the blood. Although we aren't perfect most of us strive daily to abide by the Golden Rule and that transcends any economic or racial boundary lines. We mind our own business but we truly love each other and help is usually there before we even ask for it. We are a defeated people who lost more than any other Americans about 150 years ago, had our land and homes invaded, burned and property taken and sons and fathers killed. We went from being the wealthiest region in the world to the poorest and only recently regained our economic stability. Only 6% of the South owned slaves so it goes without saying that slavery was not the only or principle reason for succession. Mixing the South and North is like mixing oil and water and this thread, just as the state of Florida is living proof. The Southern Culture is the birth child of Southerners, a different animal with a different appetite, different likes, dislikes, different loyalties and a different genealogy. The differences go far beyond anything "..skin-deep" or "..trivial".

I've lived in both northern and southern U.S.A and there is not much of a difference between northerners and southerners. I see more of a difference between rural America and urban America and it didn't matter if the contrast was in the north or south.

[miamiman]

Originally Posted by NativeFloridan

You obviously didn't read anything I wrote. I never said African Americans were not Southerners..I said they were just as responsible for forming the Southern culture as Europeans coming to the South. Florida still is the South, always will be no matter how many yankees come down and try to revise our history and culture. Read before you respond and don't tell me what to do...we don't give a damn how you did it up North.

I read everything you wrote. You must fall asleep on your keyboard while typing because obviously you do not read everything YOU write.

You clearly are still stuck in 1860. Florida is not the South anymore. As a Floridian MYSELF I think I know the state. Very few white Floridians believe themselves to be Southerners anymore.

[jsimms3]

Winter-sucks, you and I are saying the same thing (there's more of a diff between urban and rural and educated and non-educated). Please edit your post because you are misquoting me and making it seem like I said that gian paragraph when that wasn't me.

Edit: My bad NativeFloridian apparently does not know how to quote and started the whole misquote that got passed down. Please NativeFloridian, there are few things in life that bother me, but I don't like to have any confusions about what I said or did, and you not knowing how to format a quote (it's real easy) can lead to such confusion.

I can't edit the title...sorry Winter_sucks.

[NativeFloridan]

Originally Posted by miamiman

I read everything you wrote. You must fall asleep on your keyboard while typing because obviously you do not read everything YOU write.

You clearly are still stuck in 1860. Florida is not the South anymore. As a Floridian MYSELF I think I know the state. Very few white Floridians believe themselves to be Southerners anymore.

A. Your not a Floridian B. Your delusional C. Florida is the South D. Your not a Floridian

[southernflfolk]

well if this ain't the best thin' iva ever herd! Lol. Yes, there's still much of the SOUTHERN in the state of Florida and, if you know from top to bottom (Fla native here that's tried all over Florida and also been to many countries..OIF Veteran.. and all but 6 states) that Floridas simple ways and southern born and bred are still here to stay and all over the place from beautiful Suwannee River area to include thousands of gorgeous land still unpopulated, thank God, surrounding it. Then there's the middle section surrounding Yeehaw Junction and, also to the south of there to name a few including little Roseland and Valkaria and, keep on charging south to find thousands more of SOUTHERN folks.There's more EDUCATED folks than ya'll realize.

[NativeFloridan]

Amen Brotha..thanks for the comment

[NativeFloridan]

So glad that the Snow Birds(Michigan, Ontario, NY, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, NJ) are about to fly back up North.....most are rude, loud, egocentric and cheap. I know folks on the Northwest Florida Coast need to fill up those condos during January and February but why don't we start marketing the area to places similar to us Southerners ...for instance Wyoming, Montana, Oklahoma (these people assimilate much better into our native landscape) .I think this years snow storm might encourage a generous amount of those in the Upper South (Tenneseee, North Carolina, Virginia) to come down to North Florida which would be welcomed.

[NativeFloridan]

Originally Posted by jsimms3

IMO, Pensacola would be the most southern and then it gets progressively less West to East, with Jax being the larger city that it is, not being as southern. Destin and Panama City have all those ATLiens moving down, and most of them are not even from ATL. Pensacola is a slow grower. Tally has many students from S FL, and many end up staying for a while. Gainesville, same, but I feel like there is a greater percentage of students from S FL at FSU. Places like Ocala are growing real fast with south Floridians and northerners, and people are moving there for the laid back southern culture, so that should not change as rapidly because that seems to be what people want. Jacksonville has that to a little degree, but since it is a larger city, it is a complete clash of cultures all around. You can find south, north, Hispanic, African American, etc all here, and it seems to be more of a mixture. People in Jax like to try to combine the best elements of them all. The bigger Jax gets the better it is going to be, and it is growing faster than S FL and Tampa as far as percentage growth is concerned. I guess if you like homogenuous cultures like Doral/Sweetwater (almost all Hispanic) or Palm Beach (almost all northern), then Jax is not for you because we have those interspersed with plenty of natives. Everyone gets along.

Pensacola...i'd have to disagree with that one...Highway 90 hits the Deepest South through Defuniak Springs where they still fly the COnfederate Flag on the COurthouse lawn...then into Marianna which mistakes you for some Mississippi Delta town except surrounded with Macon Georgia's Red HIlls...then it picks up again in Madison and Monticello

[NativeFloridan]

If getting a Target in my Old FLorida Town means I have to listen to some yankee...say "Hey Miss Miss....Yeah Im talkin to you.....You got any NFL sweatshirts.....why not...what kinda place is this anyway?" then keep your Target ...and keep your Publix too!

[coastal chic]

Originally Posted by NativeFloridan

So glad that the Snow Birds(Michigan, Ontario, NY, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, NJ) are about to fly back up North.....most are rude, loud, egocentric and cheap. I know folks on the Northwest Florida Coast need to fill up those condos during January and February but why don't we start marketing the area to places similar to us Southerners ...for instance Wyoming, Montana, Oklahoma (these people assimilate much better into our native landscape) .I think this years snow storm might encourage a generous amount of those in the Upper South (Tenneseee, North Carolina, Virginia) to come down to North Florida which would be welcomed.

It is "natives" like you that give natives LIKE ME a bad reputation. If not for the snowbirds, we would have NO economy. You and I, most likely, would not have a job. We would not have as many parks and free recreation. I truly don't understand the bias, prejudice, and outright ignorance coming from the mouth of a "true Southern gentlemen." For the record, as stated before, I am a Florida native and most of my family originates in the mountains of North Carolina so I know the "south" and its traditions and history. I have travelled all over the world. I am educated. There are PARTS of Florida that I would consider southern. But, in general, Florida is a melting pot of people from all over the world so does not have the typical attributes that make other states truly southern.

My definition of a "southerner" is someone who is polite, generous, hospitable....NONE of which you are proving to be.

If you want to say Florida IS southern, THEN ACT LIKE A SOUTHERNER!