Is Mississippi really that bad? (Jackson, Hattiesburg: crime, tornado, earthquakes)

[crayfish]

Originally Posted by 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.

Maybe everyone is too offended by this thread to be in the mood for something humorous. I wouldn't be too happy if someone started a thread like this about my state.

[auntbee]

Originally Posted by crayfish

Maybe everyone is too offended by this thread to be in the mood for something humorous. I wouldn't be too happy if someone started a thread like this about my state.

We are used to threads like this. They are usually started by someone who judges our state by stereotypes that they see in the movies. We like it here and we know the real truth.

[willdufauve]

I posted in this thread because I found, based on my actual experience, that the stereotypes about Mississippi are just that - stereotypes. Mississippi is pretty much like everywhere else in America.

I traveled the east coast this summer from northern Maine to the Mississippi delta and back. I've lived in places as diverse as London, Texas, Hawaii and the Caribbean and I'm a dual US-European Union citizen. I have to admit I held some stereotypes and mythologies about Mississippi. Now that I've been there I know they were wrong.

Every region has it's cultural differences, and stereotypes sometimes have some basis in truth, but everyplace shares modern culture now thanks to the internet and the pop media.

I really like Mississippi. Nobody jumped out of the bushes with sheets over their heads and carrying burning crosses. Personally, I think they got over that era to a high degree and good people are moving on. It's modern times and, for better or worse, Mississippi is a modern place with modern advantages and problems. Nobody would have to twist my arm to get me to go to Mississippi. I'd go back there again in a heartbeat given the opportunity for another visit.

[alligatorboy]

Originally Posted by willdufauve

I posted in this thread because I found, based on my actual experience, that the stereotypes about Mississippi are just that - stereotypes. Mississippi is pretty much like everywhere else in America.

I traveled the east coast this summer from northern Maine to the Mississippi delta and back. I've lived in places as diverse as London, Texas, Hawaii and the Caribbean and I'm a dual US-European Union citizen. I have to admit I held some stereotypes and mythologies about Mississippi. Now that I've been there I know they were wrong.

Every region has it's cultural differences, and stereotypes sometimes have some basis in truth, but everyplace shares modern culture now thanks to the internet and the pop media.

I really like Mississippi. Nobody jumped out of the bushes with sheets over their heads and carrying burning crosses. Personally, I think they got over that era to a high degree and good people are moving on. It's modern times and, for better or worse, Mississippi is a modern place with modern advantages and problems. Nobody would have to twist my arm to get me to go to Mississippi. I'd go back there again in a heartbeat given the opportunity for another visit.

I'm glad to hear that a lot of the things about Mississippi that you usually hear are just stereotypes.

[missylyn]

Originally Posted by ebreezy

even tho im not from mississippi i think the state always gets a bad rap for having a high proverty rate within the state but i also dug deep to look at the state also has a rich history too as well look at all the famous people who came out of mississippi oprah winfrey,morgan freeman,james earl jones,brandy norwood,faith hill,le ann rimes,bb king,bo diddley,john lee hooker,britney spears,nate dogg,afroman,david banner,elvis presley,sports-brett favre,the great walter payton,jerry rice,archie manning and his son eli manning who play college football at the univ of mississippi,steve mcnair nba star monta ellis,al jefferson,gerald glass and many more so i think mississippi has done very well bring out well name people from this state. at least one thing mississippi has compare to other states like places such as wyoming,montana,south/north dakota they don't half to deal with the cold winter and snow, you got great southern cooking in mississippi even with the bad rap this state gets i rather choose mississippi to the state i just mention.

did you forget to mention bret favre? uh oh!

[alligatorboy]

Originally Posted by missylyn

did you forget to mention bret favre? uh oh!

No, he was in your list. You mentioned him in the sports section of your list.

[alligatorboy]

Today I was looking at something about 3 Doors Down, and I saw that they are from Escatawpa, Mississippi. How do you pronounce the name of this city?

[Jean Lipson]

Hi,
We lived on the infamous MS delta in the northwest corner of the state. I cannot say enough bad about it. We were hated by many because we are 'yankees' but we speant four years there doing missionary work- my husband is a doctor. But it was no place to raise our seven children. There was an Episcopal Day School that only went pre K to 6th grade that was terrific- it was the 'enlightened school' for those who were not part of the KKK or blacks who hated whites for just being white. After 6th grade, there is a 'Christian' school where racism is taught and expected- our son was beaten up quite a few times for standing up to racism whhile in the 7th grade there. So we pulled our 6 kids out, leaving a daughter who was in 10th grade and she is a very strong person who stood up to the hatred. They probably thought she was real 'cute' for all of this- she had some good teachers and some lousy but she was driven to succeed so she did. We paid for private tutors/ teachers and she accomplished all AP courses with a perfect ACT score allowing her to skip her senior year in Minnesota and enter college (by the way, Minnesota is ranked number one for education and should be). The violence was awful with gangs and drugs; the whites didn't care as long as the blacks were killing each other. Morgan Freeman is from this area and did a lot for the area but whites often hated him (he was too 'uppity') and blacks did too (saying he was too white)!

But the Gulf Coast is a different world- it should be a separate state, including the coastal part of Alabama and par of the Florida panhandle. The schools are ranked 9 to 10 out of ten and the crime rate is okay. We will be moving back to Mississippi and living in the Ocean Springs area! Never thought I would return but thhis is a perfect situation for us- good, safe schools, the beach, much milder weather, and yet areas not far from Biloxi where my husband can have the great feeling of 'missionary work' along with a solid practice in a great hospital. The only down side of this area is that insurance will stay higher than usual for a couple more years because of Katrina, even in the areas of Ocean Springs that had no real damage. Our state income (as opposed to local) income taxes here in MN are very high- that's why the schools are so great up here. But this past winter, we had 7 straight weeks of minus 40 weather before wind chill- plus we live on the edge of the prairie so it gets very windy here making it even colder. The leaves here are beginning to turn color, we have had frost warnings at night already! I wouldn't mind staying here but the rest of the family will be much happier in MS so I am thrilled. Just carefully check out each town for school quality and crime. Sadly, if there is a high density of blacks, that means most of the blacks are poor. Obviously, I am no bigot but the poor blacks in MS have had a brutal time and are troubled. Best of luck!

Jean Lipson

[mccarley]

You will have to make some adjustments, living on the coast. I just evacuated for two hurricanes.

[cortneemitchell]

Mississippi is an awesome place to live! Work is fun wherever you go because of the great people, they become just like family. Travel is pretty crazy in places like Hattiesburg and Jackson. Crime rate is not that high in the smaller cities, but pretty high in Jackson.