Southeren Illinois (Chicago, Kankakee, Carbondale: military, travel, jobs)

[Mr Bigman]

Effingham and Towns along that area like Greenup, Casey, and even Robinson are pages out of towns from the south.

I should know cuz i lived in Greenup and they have that holsum country attitute of that in folks from say Texas or even Kentucky.

Folks downstate try in imitate texans.

Proof:

You go into some of these roadhouses alongside I-57 or even 70 and they have bullriding in the back and they have texmex food on their menu.

Lets put it this way, honkeytonks in southern Il are like that of Texas Honkeytonks.

We wnet to one for my wifes sister when they got married and i was asked to keep my Chicago attitude in check cuz folks down there are cowboys and don't like Chicago attitude.

Even Mattoon has that whole country western attitude aswhell.

Face it downstate IL is the country music belt. Hell its the start of the mason dixin line.

[jojojohnson76]

^ You might have been told to watch your Chicago attitude because people in southern Illinois give barely a thought to Chicago, and got pissed off when people came to our hometowns and started saying "That's stupid. In Chicago, we...." disregarding the fact that we didn't give a damn.

[Mr Bigman]

Why do sountern illinoiseans hate Chicago so bad?

They hate us with a passion.

I mean you talk or mention Chicago, folks will use the phrase, I hate ****in Chicago.

Its personal with folks downstate for some reason.

[sunshine girl]

Have to back up Jojo-So Ill is not KY,TN, or AL let alone anything like texas. It has it's own identity and uniqueness. within the borders of the mighty MS and Ohio. And jojo-don't know which part you come from, but thought the 76 is close to my daughter's 78. She is an AJ alumni.

[Avengerfire]

Mr. Bigman is not from Chicago he is from Pluto.:-0
This thread has gotten far of track anyway. What a way to ruin it...

[jojojohnson76]

MrBigMan; People don't resent Chicago in southern Illinois, they resent the attitude Chicagoans bring with them to southern Illinois, like I said in my post.

Here's one example. A new guy comes to work at the Target with me and says "Man, yesterday I said 'that's gay' about something, and _____________ got on to me for it. I mean, in Chicago I never would have got in trouble for that."

That's only one example from one guy I worked with. I have heard countless others, usually when a new kid came to my high school from Chicago.

[jojojohnson76]

^ Thought of another one. A couple in their 50's/early 60's moved here a few years ago, and allllllll they can do is ***** about how awful it is....GO BACK!

I hated southern Illinois too; SO I LEFT.

[Mr Bigman]

I totally disgree.

I lived their and folks are very friendly but there a page out of Larry The Cable Guys joke books.

Im sorry but the majority of folks downstate listen to country music, drive trucks and farm.

I did enjoy the peace and quiet down there.

Like i said, folks downhome don't really care about Chicago and kinda hope it would fall of the map.

Its simple, TAX DOLLARS go to Chicago which is why folks downstate aren't to enthust about Chicago.

[BLS2753]

One problem is the distance to Chicago from far southern Il. Anywhere from 4-6 hours in most cases. And no direct airline service south of Champaign. Southern IL residents inclined toward city attractions are most likely to visit St. Louis for those purposes. At the extreme southern tip, Atlanta is about the same distance as Chicago.

Many S. IL people spend a lifetime without every going to Chicago. The uninformed see Chicago as crime ridden, and think their tax money goes to pay welfare receipients. They are unfamiliar with the wealth of the northern and western suburbs. They don't know enough about economics and demographics, to understand the relationship between Chicago and the rest of the state.

Being a native of S. IL, whose been around the "civilized" world a bit, I'll say this: Most of the problems in S. IL, are the regions own fault. The area was the first part of the state settled, yet is still 50 years or more behind the rest of the state. Despite the reputation for being "hard working folk", the work is mispent on menial tasks that do nothing towards building a progressive culture. There's an intellectual laziness and complacency here, and blaming it on Chicago isn't going to improve anything.

[Jons99]

My favorite current problem with Southern Illinois is at Carterville, their high school building is about ready to fall down, but they are spending over $1 million on a new football field. In whose world outside of there does that make sense???