Multiculturalism, tolerance, open-mindedness and Georgia (Atlanta: fit in, HOA, neighborhood)

[Peru]

This is my first new thread here, but I'd like to mention something to maybe help some people.

I've read a few threads where open minded multicultural, educated, liberals are concerned about settling in with conservative redneck people next door, and it pained me to see little connection and lots of misunderstanding, after all, we are all Americans, right?

Well, I'm thinking that when you expect the worst from people, that's about what you get. What would it hurt, if we learned from other cultures? You know, the liberal person stops assuming that all his ways are the only ways, and trys a little deer stew, and the conservative southern gentleperson, in heroic southern style, trys some green tea and listens to a Neil Young record long enough to make friends and invite him to go 4-wheeling, which they do most everywhere, I hear.

If you are new to a place, it's much harder to convert the town to your way of thinking, so why not find out what fun is actually to be had, instead of saying, "this place blows"?

Anyway, I'd love to see your ideas on how new Georgians could fit in with Old Georgians, and How Old Georgians can be hospitable without having to convert to Marxism.

Just kidding there, my Northern brothah! It's all in good fun, right?

[worldaway]

Sounds to me like you are certianly on the right track. This is after all, ONE country. Not little seperate states (or even cities or counties like some people seem to think). Americans should be Americans, no matter where they are. The Civil War ended in the 1800s.

[atlantagreg30127]

I believe the greater question is how to get Americans in general to be more civil to each other, and respect their neighbors in general. Not about region-to-region differences between neighbors.

If my neighbors next door are playing music so loud I can hear it through my walls at night, I don't care if it's Rap or Bluegrass - it's too loud. If someone has a dog that's barking in their back yard at 3am, I don't care if it's a Poodle or Pit Bull. And if you're leaving trash in your front yard, I could care less if you're a Republican or Democrat or whether you were born in the South or migrated from the North or West Coast.

I don't think a lot of tension between neighbors, or someone being unhappy in a new neighborhood or town has to do with who you're from, who you voted for, or what church you go to - it has more to do with inconsiderate acts towards one another, and that's a more important thing to address - how to be considerate toward others.

[cityrover]

It does not bother/concern me who lives next door, but it does affect me and it becomes my business when they spread out to outside their property. Some people love to live on the street basically and take over the whole area and push their way of life on everybody.

That is the real problem in this area, not political views per say or anything else. I honestly dont care if you have 400 children, keep them inside and keep their toys and crap off the road... Its what it comes to in 90% of "i cannot stand my neighbor" cases in Atlanta.....

[Peru]

So your answer to "how can we make friends?" is "Get off my lawn!" That's priceless, I love the internet.

But seriously, How would you show your new neighbor that you aren't a xenophobic, uneducated, closed-minded prude that could squeeze five nickels into a quarter because of their off-putting tight-assedness?
How would you prove that you really weren't like that?

See what I did there?

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by cityrover

It does not bother/concern me who lives next door, but it does affect me and it becomes my business when they spread out to outside their property. Some people love to live on the street basically and take over the whole area and push their way of life on everybody.

That is the real problem in this area, not political views per say or anything else. I honestly dont care if you have 400 children, keep them inside and keep their toys and crap off the road... Its what it comes to in 90% of "i cannot stand my neighbor" cases in Atlanta.....

The above is one of the many reasons why I choose to live in a community with an HOA.

Things like noise the county might take care of if the county has a noise ordinance, but the other behaviors are not illegal and will likely not be addressed by any level of government.

An HOA can help to address issues like the above.

One doesn't have to live in a fancy neighborhood to benefit from an HOA, either. Not always, anyway.