Artsy, liberal neighborhood in/near Greenville? (Easley: fit in, transplants, city hall)

[hollimarie]

Originally Posted by Art123

That doesn't sound very respectful.

I agree, and it's so disheartening. Though I don't share most of the core beliefs of conservatism, I respect all beliefs, as long as the beliefs are not based on intolerance and hatred. I find myself open to various opinions, and yet have come across, time and time again, sarcasm and hostility from conservatives. Not that the above-mentioned message was sarcastic or hostile.....Perhaps it was meant in a joking manner. I just wonder why some people are not able to realize that not ALL "liberals" are the same. There are some of us who are secure enough in our beilefs that we are receptive and respectful of diverse beliefs. My husband, in a few important ways, is much more conservative than I am. I am not threatened in the least though, and nor is he. We agree to disagree on a few topics, and c'est la vie.

Life is so short.
I just lost an uncle at the age of 51 a few days ago. One day here, the next day gone. We need to value each other and stick together, irregardless of beliefs. Life is difficult enough as it is without finding things to disagree on. Let's look for the common grounds.

[Sonrise]

Oh, good Lord, not the dreaded "P" word again. UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just got back into town and this is the first time I've read this thread, actually I haven't read it I just read the op and already want to puke:eek

[Sonrise]

Art,
Your op reeks of arrogant, liberal, elitist condescension. Thank you for continuing to dispel the myth that is liberal tolerance.

[Art123]

Originally Posted by Sonrise

Art,
Your op reeks of arrogant, liberal, elitist condescension. Thank you for continuing to dispel the myth that is liberal tolerance.

Yes, there are a lot of things us Liberals will no longer tolerate (the list is a long one).
Unfortunately, we must ALL tolerate forum trolls.
Thanks everyone for your positive input. Can't wait to see Greenville this weekend! You'll know us if you see us. We'll be the ones wearing tye-dye shirts, smoking pot, handing out condoms to your children while we talk down to you in loud, simple English. Just kidding! Thanks again.

[gentlearts]

Hey, Art 123
Good to see you CAN have a sense of humor.

[hollimarie]

Originally Posted by Art123

Yes, there are a lot of things us Liberals will no longer tolerate (the list is a long one).
Unfortunately, we must ALL tolerate forum trolls.
Thanks everyone for your positive input. Can't wait to see Greenville this weekend! You'll know us if you see us. We'll be the ones wearing tye-dye shirts, smoking pot, handing out condoms to your children while we talk down to you in loud, simple English. Just kidding! Thanks again.

Art:

Love it!! I couldn't help but picture the hippy teacher from Beavis and Butthead--the one with the long hair, tye-dyes, sandals and mellllooow voice. I keep seeing that episode in my mind when the bus flies off the cliff or something, and he flies out the window. The song he was singing is playing in the background: "touch a mountain, feel a mountain" or something like that.

Nice way to handle a sensitive situation. To get by in life you really need to have a good sense of humor. Kill 'em with kindness!

[cartman]

Originally Posted by Sonrise

Art,
Your op reeks of arrogant, liberal, elitist condescension. Thank you for continuing to dispel the myth that is liberal tolerance.

Sonrise

Why are you so hostile and judgmental? Does everyone have to have the same values as you and agree with you or they are arrogant, elitist and make you want to puke? You may not realize it but YOU are the one that comes across that way. The very behavior you are condemning, you are exhibiting. Why do you have to be so militant because someone uses a word like progressive? Yes, it's true that some progressives are arrogant, but you pigeonhole everyone into the same mold. Guess what, some conservatives are arrogant too! Just because someone posts that they are conservative, I don't take that to be insulting or take it personally or automatically label them as arrogant or judgemental. Some conservatives are quite tolerant to others' differing views. Don't you think it just depends on the individual?

I find your responses to the most innocent and well-intentioned posts to be full of viciousness and derision. I can just see the sneer on your face as you are writing your posts. Do you feel it's a personal attack on you and your values because someone has different values? Do you feel they are evil and harmful? I would suggest that someone can have different values than you and still be a good human. People can be different than you without being the spawn of the devil.

[Sonrise]

Cartman, this is the op:



My Buddhist girlfriend and my agnostic self are considering a move to the Greenville area because of a job opportunity there. We are Progressives who are extremely dismayed with the hypocrisy of the neo-conservative regime currently in power in Washington DC. Will we find any others like ourselves? Childless, creative, unmarried couples who don't believe in a Christian god? We love our dogs and are looking to either live near downtown, or perhaps the Paris Mt. area. We also would like to be near any trails and/or parks to walk the dogs. We are not fond of strict HOA's, or communities where every third house is exactly the same. Any suggestions? Are we insane to consider moving to the home of Bob Jones University? Will we be chastised as "sinners" and paraded through the streets on Sunday as "heathens?" We basically keep to ourselves but want to be able to make a few good friends/neighbors that we can relate to.






With all due respect you'd have to be a complete moron not to know that Greenville is the belt buckle of the bible belt and is proud of its conservative christian heritage. I'm pretty confidant that Art isn't a moron. If he had spent even 5 minutes reading this forum before he posted, which I'm sure he did, he would've found out that the very things he holds in contempt are the things that most of us who post here embrace and are the very reasons we choose to live here.


Let me turn the tables for a sec. and see how you like it, m'kay? If I had gone to the San Francisco or Vermont forum and written something along the lines of this:

"Hi, my wife and I, who are both born again christians are thinking about moving to The Peoples Republic of San Francisco because of a job opportunity. We are traditionalists who believe in God, family and country in that order and are disgusted by the secular fundamentalist neo-libs who don't believe in evil, think the New York Times should replace the US Constitution and would elect a Michael Moore/Bill Maher ticket if given the opportunity. Are we insane to consider a move to the home of so many flamboyant homosexuals? Will we be labeled as "right wing fascists" and paraded through Haight-Ashbury as "bible thumping, backwards thinking, Fox News watching neanderthals"?

Cart,
This of course would border on the absurd and be completely offensive to the people of SF, Vermont or any other left leaning locale. Arts post elicited the same response from me and I'd wager that he knew exactly what he was doing. I never sneer and almost always have a smile/laugh on my face but I will almost always call out bad behavior when I hear it, read it or see it. Probably has something to do with my archaic notion of right and wrong. How unprogressive of me. The fact that almost no one called Art out for his disrespect actually disproves his portrayal of the people here.

Art, I'm not a troll. I've been posting here for over a year. You're welcome to live anywhere you choose, that's the great thing about America, but it wouldn't be wise to start off any new endeavor by insulting and/or looking down on people with whom you disagree. if I were to meet you, I'd shake your hand and give you the benefit of the doubt. I as well as most people here don't care if you're a liberal as long as you're civil and respectful of the opinions of others. Your op was anything but that.

[cartman]

Sonrise,

I do see what you mean. The op had its own labels in it. And your example of tableturning was a good one. I'm sure you would call me a liberal or progressive or whatever, but I didn't take what you wrote about liberals personally and get insulted by it or think you were being contemptuous. Au contraire, I had to laugh at it!

But don't you think there really ARE some people who would probably call you right wing fascists and bible thumping, backwards thinking, Fox News watching neanderthals, just as in art's op, there probably really are some people who would call him a heathen and chastise him as a sinner? I mean, extreme behavior is not confined to one side or the other.

But you know what, just because it didn't bother me doesn't mean you should feel the same way I do. If you were offended by it, then your feelings should be respected. But consider this:

I remember your first post about moving there, and you were a little worried about what you were getting into. Here is a part of what you wrote back then.

"Here's our problem, the area we bought in is a little more rural than we initially wanted and allthough a KFC buffet is close by (all you can eat chicken, original or extra crispy. God bless the franchisor who came up with that idea ), downtown G'ville is a good 1/2 hour away as Wade Hampton Blvd is the only way to get there. Hopefully they'll build a freeway linking highways 14, 101, 253, 290, 276 and 25 with downtown. Don't get me wrong the area is beautiful and we literally can see the BlueRidge Mts off of our deck but when we're in the area I feel like I'm getting stared at simply because I may have a little gel in my hair. During our visit in Jan. I was stuck behind a pickup truck with two guys who looked as if the term hygiene was simply a form of greeting, ("Hi, Gene, how ya doin'?") Their bumpersticker had a confederate flag with this cute lil phrase, "Don't worry, it's a White Thang". Thankfully my wife didn't notice it. I can't help but think that some dude in overalls is wondering "how much did that boy pay for his mail order chinawoman bride".


All I'm trying to say is maybe art was just concerned about the same things you were and didn't mean to be contemptuous or insulting. That's the way I took it, anyway. Don't you think someone could take offense at what you wrote or how you described someone in your op? I don't know, it just seems like your posts started out so friendly and funny, and lately you have been getting more and more reactive and, well, just mean.

[Sonrise]

CM,
yes those things could happen in both situations but either way, stereotyping in such broad generalizations as art did is never good. As for the post that I wrote, you do realize that it was tongue in cheek satire and I received many, many compliments. I try to inject anecdotal humor in most of my posts. I'm a very gifted writer, just ask me, I'll tell ya. Problem is I self sabotage and lack ambition. I can't decide if I'm apathetically ambivalent or ambivalently apathetic. Oh, well.

Anyway, lets let this thread die a natural death. Deal? Peace. Sonrise