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Whatever, dude. I chose to attend Mississippi, you're right. However I didn't know I'd be hit over the head with the bible every day of the four years I was here. No one said I was "hurt so much" but I found it rather overwhelming to see a church on every corner and to be asked "what church do you go to?" in nearly every conversation. Non-Xtians are not welcome here, and that's a fact. Once people find out you're not one of the flock they do their best to convert you. There's nothing wrong with "walking the walk" but give me a break, "I'm not interested" means "I'm not interested" and some Xtians need to learn that.
Sixteen years ago I attended a university in a small (not tiny) southern city, about the same-size as Starkville. During that whole time, the only people who asked me to go to church or about church were those in the BSU (Baptist Student Union) and Campus Outreach. No one from the city asked me to attend church. No one asked me what church I attended. I sought out like-minded Christians on the university. Many people from Campus Outreach did reach out. After all, that is what Jesus commands. However, no one was "hit over the head with the Bible".
Do you really think that every person knows that you've said "no" to other people? Do you really think that they're trying to cause you harm? In their view, their trying to awaken you to the realities of Christ and your eternity.
I wouldn't go out of my way to bash either, but honestly what does either have to offer? Neither state offers a lifestyle that would be attractive to me. Usually the pros to these states are always listed as, "great scenery, slow pace of life, hospitality (a lie), and space". I could find those anywhere so they really aren't pros when stacked next to places that have more to offer.
Name something that most places have that Alabama or Mississippi doesn't, in terms of daily living.
Sixteen years ago I attended a university in a small (not tiny) southern city, about the same-size as Starkville. During that whole time, the only people who asked me to go to church or about church were those in the BSU (Baptist Student Union) and Campus Outreach. No one from the city asked me to attend church. No one asked me what church I attended. I sought out like-minded Christians on the university. Many people from Campus Outreach did reach out. After all, that is what Jesus commands. However, no one was "hit over the head with the Bible".
Do you really think that every person knows that you've said "no" to other people? Do you really think that they're trying to cause you harm? In their view, their trying to awaken you to the realities of Christ and your eternity.
I grew up in a southern city and was never asked about church really, even in the suburbs. I can't speak for MS and AL though, I can see how it can be that way in really small cities that have nothing to do but church on Sunday and Wednesday.
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Originally Posted by Stars&StripesForever
Name something that most places have that Alabama or Mississippi doesn't, in terms of daily living.
Could go on for days...
Professional sports, diverse job opportunity, diversity in many categories, opportunity for young people, urban living, public transportation, nightlife, liberals, etc..
I grew up in a southern city and was never asked about church really, even in the suburbs. I can't speak for MS and AL though, I can see how it can be that way in really small cities that have nothing to do but church on Sunday and Wednesday.
Could go on for days...
Professional sports, diverse job opportunity, diversity in many categories, opportunity for young people, urban living, public transportation, nightlife, liberals, etc..
Professional Sports: Found in Alabama & Mississippi, granted its minor league professional sports. That said, a lot of states do not have major league teams, so why single out Alabama and Mississippi?
diverse job opportunity: Alabama is known for NASA, medicine (UAB), steel-mills (granted most are gone), forestry, agriculture, fishing, and almost anything else you can find. Sure, the opportunities may not be as numerous as you'd find in a city like Atlanta or Houston, but they're there.
Opportunity for young people: Hand in hand with job opportunities.
Urban-Living: You can find such in the Birmingham area. Sure, it's not what one would find in NYC or Chicago, but very few places in the U.S. offer such.
Public Transportation: All larger-sized cities have bus service.
Nightlife: Can be found anywhere. Mississippi is known for their casinos in Biloxi, Gulfport, and Tunica. Plenty of fun to be had in southside Birmingham, or the gulf coast area.
Liberals: They're there. They're called black people.
Professional Sports: Found in Alabama & Mississippi, granted its minor league professional sports. That said, a lot of states do not have major league teams, so why single out Alabama and Mississippi?
diverse job opportunity: Alabama is known for NASA, medicine (UAB), steel-mills (granted most are gone), forestry, agriculture, fishing, and almost anything else you can find. Sure, the opportunities may not be as numerous as you'd find in a city like Atlanta or Houston, but they're there.
Opportunity for young people: Hand in hand with job opportunities.
Urban-Living: You can find such in the Birmingham area. Sure, it's not what one would find in NYC or Chicago, but very few places in the U.S. offer such.
Public Transportation: All larger-sized cities have bus service.
Nightlife: Can be found anywhere. Mississippi is known for their casinos in Biloxi, Gulfport, and Tunica. Plenty of fun to be had in southside Birmingham, or the gulf coast area.
Liberals: They're there. They're called black people.
Professional Sports: Minor league is not near the same, no one knows them nationally and barely even in the state. Most population bases have a major league sport nearby or in town.
diverse job opportunity: Alabama is not known for NASA, Houston is. One school doesn't grant a feasible medical market for the whole state or numerous cities. Those last few are unskilled, unprofessional jobs and aren't well respected, not a positive thing. Nothing against AL though.
Opportunity for young people: ^
Urban-Living: Again Birmingham is one city that offers that, and on a small scale at that. Nowhere in Mississippi.
Public Transportation: Bus service is not what I mean. You still need a car in all cities.
Nightlife: True, some good things in Gulf Shores and Biloxi. Casinos are the only things in MS though, no major concert tours, comedy shows, no variety, long distance tourism, etc.
Liberals: Oh some good old labeling huh. So I must be liberal too? Blacks vote democratic but are mostly conservative. Hence why MS is a red state.
Professional Sports: Found in Alabama & Mississippi, granted its minor league professional sports. That said, a lot of states do not have major league teams, so why single out Alabama and Mississippi?
diverse job opportunity: Alabama is known for NASA, medicine (UAB), steel-mills (granted most are gone), forestry, agriculture, fishing, and almost anything else you can find. Sure, the opportunities may not be as numerous as you'd find in a city like Atlanta or Houston, but they're there.
Opportunity for young people: Hand in hand with job opportunities.
Urban-Living: You can find such in the Birmingham area. Sure, it's not what one would find in NYC or Chicago, but very few places in the U.S. offer such.
Public Transportation: All larger-sized cities have bus service.
Nightlife: Can be found anywhere. Mississippi is known for their casinos in Biloxi, Gulfport, and Tunica. Plenty of fun to be had in southside Birmingham, or the gulf coast area.
Liberals: They're there. They're called black people.
I wouldn't go out of my way to bash either, but honestly what does either have to offer? Neither state offers a lifestyle that would be attractive to me. Usually the pros to these states are always listed as, "great scenery, slow pace of life, hospitality (a lie), and space". I could find those anywhere so they really aren't pros when stacked next to places that have more to offer.
All and all Alabama and Mississippi aren't the shining beacons on the hill, but they sure aren't Hell on Earth. Mississippi I've seen has a local flavor that got into my blood I guess, I liked the state ALOT. However, the lack of growth and big economies in the state would be the only thing keeping me away from moving there. Other than that, if I had "great scenery, slow pace of life, and hospitaltiy" in Mississippi with the guarantee of a good job in a growing economy, I'm as good as sold!
However, I wouldn't call the Southern Hospitality there a "lie" IMO, it sure didn't feel like a lie when I was there.
Professional Sports: Minor league is not near the same, no one knows them nationally and barely even in the state. Most population bases have a major league sport nearby or in town.
Let's see.
States without major league teams:
Virginia
South Carolina
Alabama
Mississippi
Kentucky
Maine
New Hampshire
Vermont
Connecticut
Rhode Island
Arkansas
West Virginia
Delaware
North Dakota
South Dakota
Nebraska
Montana
Wyoming
Idaho
New Mexico
Nevada
Alaska
Hawaii
That's 23 states, nearly half of all U.S. states. Thus, Mississippi and Alabama are not in rare company.
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diverse job opportunity: Alabama is not known for NASA, Houston is. One school doesn't grant a feasible medical market for the whole state or numerous cities. Those last few are unskilled, unprofessional jobs and aren't well respected, not a positive thing. Nothing against AL though.
Of course Houston is known for NASA, but so is Cape Canaveral and Huntsville. Sure, Houston is the big boy, but it's not look the other two locations have nothing to do with NASA.
UAB is one of the top schools in the southeast for medicine. Most states don't have anything of that caliber, and even then, they don't have much more in number. Yes, Texas has a lot, particularly with Houston. However, Texas is an outlier, by an large.
There's nothing wrong with forestry and agriculture. Loggers get paid a good salary. Farmers can make a respectable wage.
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Urban-Living: Again Birmingham is one city that offers that, and on a small scale at that. Nowhere in Mississippi.
About the same as most places, I'd say.
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Public Transportation: Bus service is not what I mean. You still need a car in all cities.
If you live in the city of Birmingham or Montgomery or Jackson, you could potentially take public transportation and not use a car. If you don't consider buses, then you might as well use other cities and claim that they are also auto-dependent.
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Nightlife: True, some good things in Gulf Shores and Biloxi. Casinos are the only things in MS though, no major concert tours, comedy shows, no variety, long distance tourism, etc.
Wrong.
Comedy and entertainment shows can be found in Tunica and Philadelphia, MS at the casinos and surrounding areas.
Birmingham and Jackson are common stops on concert tours.
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Liberals: Oh some good old labeling huh. So I must be liberal too? Blacks vote democratic but are mostly conservative. Hence why MS is a red state.
Many people on this site equate being Democrat with being "liberal", and most of the people in these states who vote Democrat are black people, by about a 3-1 margin, so by that reasoning, most of the people in these states who are liberal are black people.
To me, Starkville is one of the better towns in MS (if you have to be in the state), yet it is still a hard place to be if you don't have a car. There's just no public transportation to speak of, which I think is weird, considering the university.
Also, if you are not used to being in the Bible Belt, it can definitely feel stifling and a little ridiculous at times. I felt out of place due to all the churches and [what I felt was] an overly righteous tone, but I grew up with it, so I became pretty accomplished at ignoring it. Now don't get your panties in a wad- that's just the feeling I got from it. I totally get that other people feel comfort from it. We're just different people.
As far as "opportunities for young people", it is kinda laughable.. I mean, I can't imagine living there unless still in college or married with a family. Very few opportunities exist (in my opinion) compared to where I live now. Maybe it just depends on the kind of person you are and the kind of opportunities you're looking for. I didn't find them there, but have found them in excess in my current city.
Outside of the events related to the college, there isn't very much to do. MS State was my saving grace.. if I'd been born & raised in another town without MSU, I probably would've gone crazy long before I had the resources to leave. I'm a huge SEC sports fan, so that helped, but if you're not, well that severely narrows down your activity choices
Urban living & nightlife? Haha, not even gonna get into that one.
MS is just one of those places. Either it's for you, or it's not. It was not for me, & I could list the reasons, but that would just **** people off & make them call me a liberal. (Or "black", I guess).
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