Is Mississippi particularly welcoming to Northerners?

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by tennreb

Many of us have stories passed down to us about how our relatives were killed in the war, had their homes burned or lost to carpetbaggers, were forced into poverty, etc. Some pretty bad stuff happened, and it isn't so easy to forget. Add that to the constant condescension that we have to put up with, and the attitude towards yankees isn't going to be too positive. It's kind of like the relationship between England and France. A lot of bad stuff happened a while back that is now in the past, but there are still enough differences to keep bringing up those old feelings. If you are Northerner that comes here and has a condescending attitude and act disrespectfully towards are culture, we're going to associate you with the bad things that happened to our ancestors a while back. If you don't act like that, then you aren't going to have that problem.

This is right on the mark, especially the part about the stories passed down. And when one adds to the mix that the history books are most often written by the winners which in turn often portray a simplisitc and self-serving theme that the WBTS states was fought almost exclusively over slavery, followed by a vindictive reconstruction era, then it is little wonder that Southerners are more prone than other Americans to remember the past.

Of course, the South has never been a single monolithic entity. There have always been variations. For instance that Viriginia is not Mississippi which in turn is not Texas, and etc, etc. But the common theme is the Confederate experience and, stemming from it, certain other commonlities of history and outlook and living. And one of those is, yes, as you say, cetain understandable resentments that are bound to flare up when we are faced with attitudes of condecension.

Related to this point, and speaking as a fourth generation Texan, I have seen very, very, few instances of individual transplanted northerners being attacked as "damn yankees" in a vicious way without provocation. It is almost always after being told how repeatedly how much better things were up north or on the west coast, and a few other things equally tacky and rude...all for "our own good" of course!

And finally, I confess to getting a little irritated when I hear that phrase that Southerners just need to "get over it." News Flash! Remembering and honoring our past is not the same as living in it. It is quite possible to be proud of our Southern heritage while living fully in the present.

[tennreb]

Originally Posted by darhe3425

I'm like Wild..., really I never considered my not being welcomed in Southern USA. I didn't think in terms of North and South. I thought in terms of gender and race. I thought in terms of origin to family, or neighborhood, maybe even to birth city. I didn't claim the whole North, as some may do here. I don't care to be described as a Yankee, either but have at it? Is that any more condescending than being thought of as backwards? I believe it disrespectful to make judgements about others strictly based on what region of the country they come from. I've not heard anyone make as many a rude comment as I've heard on here..."carbetbaggers" talk about not making progress. Why are so many Mississippians poor? I hope that question got an honest answer. It is certainly not because there is not wealth in this state. Is it because Mississippians are lazy? No. There are hard working people here? Could it be The haves not knowing how to share with the have nots. How many churches do we have in Mississippi? Should anyone go hungry with this many churches...? God, but they do. And Mississippi is still talking about the WAR...for what? Why cannot Mississippi be criticized... by anyone, especially if some Mississippians are too busy defending what obviously needs criticizing. Oh, maybe I did not say that so NICE. It is true, some mississippians are just speaking word for word stuff they heard growing up, or still so regretful bout those by gone days before "Freedom Come." Those "damn yankees, they did it! and we hate em for it. But I wasn't in the Civil War, nor unfortunately in Issaquena, or Sharkey counties during Freedom Summer.

What a load of crap. No one in Mississippi is "going hungry." In fact, Mississippi is the fattest state in the union, and it ain't because the rich folks eat a lot. As a medical professional, I have evaluated thousands of patients, and I have yet to have seen a single one that was malnourished because they couldn't afford food. And I don't know any Mississippians that want to return to the days before civil rights. I'm sure there are some old geazers out there that do, but your assertion that Mississippians don't like yankees because they want to go back to the day when Jim Crow existed is absolutely ridiculous. Going around saying that kind of crap is why Mississippians don't like yankees.

[Sam I Am]

MODERTOR: Two pages ago I asked everyone to keep it under control. This thread has run the course...and been nothing but trouble. Let's close this one and start when everyone has a cool head again. Thread closed pending return to sanity.