Is Mississippi really that bad? (Jackson, Biloxi: insurance, crime rate, movies)

[southms]

I was born and raised in south Mississippi and have lived here my whole life. I wish there was an easy answer as to why we're last in every category (except of course obesity!). There are pockets of the state such as the Gulf Coast, Jackson suburbs, and the Oxford area that are more diverse and seem to get closer to the national statistics. However, there are many areas of the state that are very rural, and poverty stricken.
My husband and I travel extensively and we find many of the same issues (poverty, ignorance, obesity, etc) in all parts of the US, and abroad for that matter.
As you know, we have many talented and brilliant people that come out of MS so we can't be all that bad!
Thank you for your frank post. It doesn't offend me in the least. If more people would open their eyes, let their guard down, and be more open to change then maybe we could work on changing the terrible perception that some people have of our state.

[alligatorboy]

Originally Posted by southms

I was born and raised in south Mississippi and have lived here my whole life. I wish there was an easy answer as to why we're last in every category (except of course obesity!). There are pockets of the state such as the Gulf Coast, Jackson suburbs, and the Oxford area that are more diverse and seem to get closer to the national statistics. However, there are many areas of the state that are very rural, and poverty stricken.
My husband and I travel extensively and we find many of the same issues (poverty, ignorance, obesity, etc) in all parts of the US, and abroad for that matter.
As you know, we have many talented and brilliant people that come out of MS so we can't be all that bad!
Thank you for your frank post. It doesn't offend me in the least. If more people would open their eyes, let their guard down, and be more open to change then maybe we could work on changing the terrible perception that some people have of our state.

Here's a list of famous people from Mississippi that I found online.
Moderator cut: linking to competitors sites is not allowed

[Huckleberry3911948]

morgan freeman loves it. the people there love him, he is a very generous and kind man besides a good actor. mosquitos are not that bad, i overcame one the other day unarmed. (i visit jackson a lot)

[southernbliss]

No ms. is not bad I miss the food,people,and the peace-I do not miss the schools,roads,and that we will never change mind set.
ms. has so much going for it, if the people would make it happen.

[jacksonian]

I've lived in Quitman (pop. 2500), Monticello (pop. 1700), Wesson (pop. 1600), Clinton (pop. 26,200), Starkville (pop. 22,600 + 16,000 college students), and Jackson (pop. 176,600), and all are in the great state of Mississippi. (Got to run, finish my post later )

[jacksonian]

Is Mississippi that bad? Depends on who you talk to. We have a large variety of people, ranging from the optimistic opportunists that try to make a difference in the community to the disgruntled grandfathers that curse the idea of computers. We have technologically advanced colleges and research centers, and we have 100-year-old barns scattered across the landscape. There are planes flying overhead and there are occasional cows in the road that get out of the fence.

I graduated from a 5A public school in Mississippi with an ACT score of 30, but I was only #41 in my graduating class. I went to college at Mississippi State University and earned my architecture degree there. I now work in downtown Jackson for a regional design firm, and I own a house in a historic neighborhood of Jackson with lots of character. I love it here. Winter last no longer than 3 months, and I can go water skiing for the other 9 months. We don't get much snow, but when we do, we celebrate it and everything closes so that people can enjoy playing in it. A few hours to the north, and I'm in the Smoky Mountains, and a short drive to the south I can find the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico (we just call it the Gulf though ). I can drive you anywhere in the state, and I can take a different route every single time.

Mississippi is a destination for tourists of the Blues, Civil War, and many other significant moments of history, but for me, Mississippi is home. And if you drive to Mississippi, you will be greeted by our beautiful magnolia trees and our welcome sign that reads "Mississippi: It's Like Coming Home"

[misconduckt]

Originally Posted by mccarley

Yes, we really are that bad. Its horrible down here. You won't like it at all . Please don't even visit. Pass the word around. Post it in every state listed on City-Data.com.

I agree with you....EVERYONE STAY OUT...you really wouldnt like the pristeen streams, rolling hills, abundant wildlife, beatiful flowers and flowering trees, clean air, clean drinkable water, slow pace, low cost of living, meandering trails thru the woods, practically no crime, etc etc in Northeast Mississippi so stay away...its a jungle down here

[willdufauve]

We're yankees and also an interracial couple. We visited Mississippi for the first time this summer, drove 3,200 miles round trip from Massachusetts to Hattiesburg, Natchez, Jackson, and back.

Being elders and interracial, we were concerned about how we would be treated by people in MS...It's not the 1950's anymore, we were treated very well by everyone, everywhere we went in MS.

A strip mall is a strip mall whether it's in Hattiesburg or suburban Massachusetts...plenty of good restaurants and Starbucks etc. in Hattiesburg. No difference, had everything we needed, just like home. The Natchez All-Stars little league team was at the same hotel we stayed at, nice families, everyone seemed very cordial, as were the staff at the hotel, shopkeepers in town, and traffic is civilized compared to Massachusetts even during rush hour. Natchez is a very interesting and historic town.

It would be ludicrous to say the entrenched poverty we saw in Jackson, or outside the posh downtown historic area of Natchez, is not the legacy of slavery, Jim Crow and racism. However, we did not in any way experience anything like overt racism, hard looks, name calling, or any rudeness in the time we were there and we didn't feel out of place, stared at, etc. like we often do in small town rural western Mass.

We really liked the people in Mississippi and the southern accent. We lived in Texas for several years. MS people are more gracious and the accent is soft and pleasing to hear, not twangy and nasal like Texas, and no yankee-baiting like in Texas. Mississippi people seem mostly to have begun or are learning to deal with race, unlike western Mass. where they're just unconscious, needlessly hateful and stuck in the past. A couple cons we noticed though, no one in MS seems to walk anywhere even though the weather was perfect and there's much more obesity.

All in all, we had a very good experience as first time visitors in MS and a good first impression. We certainly didn't come away thinking we weren't safe or had to fear the racial situation there even though, to be honest, we weren't sure what to expect. Whatever its flaws, I hope I can go back to Mississippi again and get to know the people and places better. It's a pretty cool place IMHO.

[jacksonian]

Originally Posted by willdufauve

A couple cons we noticed though, no one in MS seems to walk anywhere even though the weather was perfect and there's much more obesity.

Thank you for your wonderful post about our great state. Yes, most people here are very dependent on the automobile, and it is sad, but that is a huge side effect of suburban sprawl, which sadly has become a dominant force here over the past 50 years. This obviously leads to high obesity rates.

[nancy thereader]

Originally Posted by mccarley
Yes, we really are that bad. Its horrible down here. You won't like it at all . Please don't even visit. Pass the word around. Post it in every state listed on City-Data.com. I agree with you....EVERYONE STAY OUT...you really wouldnt like the pristeen streams, rolling hills, abundant wildlife, beatiful flowers and flowering trees, clean air, clean drinkable water, slow pace, low cost of living, meandering trails thru the woods, practically no crime, etc etc in Northeast Mississippi so stay away...its a jungle down here

And, no one here has a sense of humor either.