If moving to Jackson metro area, know this... (West: buy, public schools)

[supertrucker212]

joanie55 if you're moving back because your mom needs you then you are doing the right thing. While no place is perfect, and the economy is bad everywhere, coming from the northeast I feel Mississippi is years behind in many ways. As the years go by hopefully the "good ole boy" network will die off. In life you either evolve or get left behind, Mississippi needs to evolve. I couldn't agree with you more about your relationship with God being your business. Who says you or I have to conform to a specific religion. I believe no one can or should question someone else's faith.

[poptones]

How is it we need to "evolve" and our government is so corrupt because of some "good ol boy" network and yet our GOVERNOR is a washington lobbyist placed here by a republican party bought and sold and delivered by a yankee president and his band of crooks? Seems like that "good ol boy network" would have had no problem getting the local fella elected...

[auntbee]

Originally Posted by poptones

How is it we need to "evolve" and our government is so corrupt because of some "good ol boy" network and yet our GOVERNOR is a washington lobbyist placed here by a republican party bought and sold and delivered by a yankee president and his band of crooks? Seems like that "good ol boy network" would have had no problem getting the local fella elected...

I don't think we need to get political here!

[poptones]

What?

Have you read this discussion?

[supertrucker212]

Poptones you have the exact mentality I'm talking about when I say MS needs to evolve. Your first sentence says it all, "how does Mississippi need to evolve." Well I'll tell you how it has to evolve. Whites and blacks are still pretty much segregated. Integration means working together, but as far socializing outside of work it's rare. Where I come from blacks and whites actually socialize together and inter-racial couples are becoming more common. Prohibition still exists in some areas. Up in Union county it is illegal to poses alcohol. This past election the people voted down overturning that law. Rankin County does not permit the sale of alcohol. Slavery might have been outlawed over a 150 years ago but don't tell me share-croppers are much different. There is one abortion clinic in the whole state which usually has a bunch of religious fanatics protesting outside it everyday. Labor unions, don't even mention that word. I know someone that wanted to get one where he worked and was threated with his job. The education system is a mess. The drop-out rate is 25% on a state average and in some areas as high as 50%, (I got those figures from a state official). Avergae teacher salary is around 25 grand a year. Pennsylvania they start around 40k and many of them are making over 60k when they retire. Teachers do need to be paid more it's a hard job. Roads and bridges are in really bad shape. In rural areas there are still bridges made from wood that won't hold much more than my full size pick-up. Vehicles don't have to be inspected so you can put any vehicle on the road no matter how unsafe it is. Where I come from all vehicles must pass a rigorous state inspection to be legal. I think every state should have this law for safety reasons. You can't drive a junker in PA. Still don't think Mississippi needs to evolve. I have a friend of mine who is 67 years old and grew up in Rankin County, even he has told me that this state is 75 years behind the rest of the country. Grant it this person has traveled all over the country. My advice to you poptones is get on a plane and travel. Then come back and hopefully you'll see what I'm talking about. One of the reasons Mississippi is behind is that there too many people who want to stay behind. They want to use a rotary phone while everyone else is using a cell phone. Who is the yankee President you're talking about? Obama is from Hawaii, the Bush's are from Texas, Clinton from Arkansas, Regan from California, and Carter from Georgia.

[joanie55]

I think poptones just proved a point many on this discussion have stated when he/she said "Yankee president." Not only was Obama born in Hawaii he lived the last several years in the midwest. But he's not from the south and that makes him a yankee and therefore unacceptable. People who think this way are not worth our anger, only our pity that they are so narrow minded.

[supertrucker212]

Thank you joanie55!

[poptones]

ROTFL.

Joannie, you need to polish up on your history. Our governor was elected long before Obama was elected.

Here's a bit of trivia for ya to chomp on: Prescott Bush (Grandfather of our previous president and father of our 41st president) was Senator to what state?

You think I'm narrow minded because I disagree with you? Your narrow minded assumptions have you completely lost from what was said. Polish up on your history and read it again.

Supertrucker, apparently you haven't even been to Mississippi since, like, 1965.

Every vehicle must pass a yearly inspection for safety. NOT SMOG, safety. Annual.

I live in a very small town and know at least three biracial couples. It's funny you should even mention this because I honestly hadn't even thought about it - I had to go through those I know and go black, black, white, hispanic, chinese...

Oh, but you prolly didn't care about the whole "chinese" thing, huh? Was that at all what you had in mind when you talked about segregation among couples? I bet not. There are in fact MANY chinese living in the area as well as hispanic. Point in fact, two of my last relationships were with black women... oh, but maybe one of them doesn't count because I was living in Los Angeles at the time. And we know there's no segregationist attitudes there, right? Perhaps my cousin by marriage - a black man from the south side of LA - could enlighten you. He and my very, VERY white (german descended) cousin live in Arizona and they care as little for the idea of going to Los Angeles as they do for the idea fo returning to Michigan (where she was raised). Care to guess why?

Honestly, you seem to think all the problems you describe are unique to Mississippi. as someone who has actually LIVED (not driven through) states from New York to Los Angeles to Mississippi to Texas I can assure you they ain't. SOME Mississippians definitely need to evolve, but I would say they ain't alone in that... not even among others in this very discussion.

[jacksonian]

I think poptones' comment was taken the wrong way. He seems to have his head on way more straight than a lot of the crazies that post in this forum. I would even venture to call him progressive at that. Sure, we here in Mississippi have some people who are afraid of change, but guess what... the changes just keep on coming, and there's not much they can do to stop it. I have several friends of different races. In particular, I have a close friend who is not only black, but gay. I have lived in Mississippi my whole life, but I have traveled to about 30 states in the U.S. and spent over a month in Italy as well. After traveling to all those places, I still haven't found a good enough reason for me to leave Mississippi. I believe that I can do more good here in Mississippi, and that's what I plan on doing. Too many people that grew up here did move away, which does nothing for the future of Mississippi. How is Mississippi suppose to "evolve" when people keep moving off, like some of you have recommended?

[joanie55]

Okay, you're right about me being unfamiliar with Miss. history. But what Yankee president are you referring to ? Prescott Bush was a Conn. senator but was born in Ohio, the midwest. His son George was born in the north but moved to Texas shortly after he graduated from Yale, thus establishing himself and his sons and grandchildren Texans from that point on.