Hattiesburg - Good place for liberal minded person? (credit, school)

[jimdc58]

I'm researching various warm-climate communities, and am interested in whether Hattiesburg, being a college town, is a good place for a liberal minded person to live?

[purpleglasses]

I'd think so. I was in H'burg just a couple of weeks ago and it is a great place. I have (quite liberal) friends from Hattiesburg and they all love it there.

[jimdc58]

Thanks for the input. That's good to hear.

[DebFlack]

you should take note, that you have received very very few responses to your legitimate question from LOCALS or residents of MS on this forum--

avoidance is always telling- some may want to actually sidestep answering you in s straighforward manner


My answer to you in re 'liberalism'is that, "liberalism" in MS in general is NOT embraced. recognized, endorsed, or pursued in great numbers at all, or the state would not developed a rather defined reputation globally for intolerance, prejudice, kluxers, and racism. The State is changing, but the recalcitrance is legendary, systemic, and pervasive much to the chagrin of pockets of residents who really do work hard to bring MS more out of its obviously jaded past.

I am hopeful ? well yes- but the vestiges of 'old MS' , its people, its thought, are very much alive and well----WHY ? you might ASK ??? well that's easy ! THEY LIKE IT ! and too many still yearn for Jim Crow- too many "like the way it was", too many still pass down through generations, philosophies of racism and disrespect, too many still carry around their Bibles under their arms, and NOT in their hearts as so-called 'decent Christians'......professing to 'love Jesus' who they have not seen but 'despising their fellowman' who they see everyday........all the while failing to acknowledge that Jesus Himself, the "Man" that they worship every Sunday and Wednesday night prayer meeting, was a non-white Semitic JEW. Suggesting that Jesus was a "liberal" is the biggest Understatement of all time....so....


The area you inquire about could be a 'poster child' for such a paradox.

If you like dealing with such disingenuous 'fakery', you might enjoy it.

[NWS]

DebFlack I wish you wouldn't try to speak for an entire state.
This forum (MS) happens to be a slow forum. There aren't that many regular posters.
So to say we didn't respond because we were avoiding the truth is less than honest.
MS has changed so much in my life time. People who think the way you do are rapidly becoming the minority in MS.

Originally Posted by DebFlack

you should take note, that you have received very very few responses to your legitimate question from LOCALS or residents of MS on this forum--

avoidance is always telling- some may want to actually sidestep answering you in s straighforward manner

....

[DebFlack]

Originally Posted by NWS

DebFlack I wish you wouldn't try to speak for an entire state.
This forum (MS) happens to be a slow forum. There aren't that many regular posters.
So to say we didn't respond because we were avoiding the truth is less than honest.
MS has changed so much in my life time. People who think the way you do are rapidly becoming the minority in MS.

My opinion is my opinion...based on experience and knowledge.


Instead of attempting to chatise one person's observation and answer to the OP's INITIAL QUESTION, WHY DON'T YOU OFFER UP YOUR OWN answer to the OP, about Hattiesburg, or anywhere else ???

Where's YOUR ANSWER ? I would politely invite your feedback rather than making a feeble and misdirected effort to somehow discredit my own offered in good faith

Typical

[D-Towner]

Originally Posted by jimdc58

I'm researching various warm-climate communities, and am interested in whether Hattiesburg, being a college town, is a good place for a liberal minded person to live?

Liberalism is a disease, unfortunately with humidity and mosquitoes in Mississippi, it could spread quickly.

[Tama]

I don't recognize the Mssissippi that DebFlack is describing and I have been here for 37 years or so. I am not a religious person, I am not a staunch conservative nor am I a Southerner. Since Miss Deb is challenging for the question to be answered, I will try.

I personally didn't try to answer the question because it didn't make sense to me, frankly. What does the OP expect in terms of his liberal bent from Hattiesburg? Does he want people to sit and discuss politics who will nod and agree with him? Does he not want to hear someone praise, for example, George Bush? Does he want newspaper opinion pages that reflect liberalism?

I don't know. Or is he afraid that if his "liberal"views become known--if he is outed--he will have difficulty at work or among friends? Or even worse.

I am not trying to denigrate the OP. I just didn't understand where he was coming from.

I can state generally, to try to cover most possibilities, that the general opinion pages will reflect locals' conservative views with the odd liberal holding forth on occasion. The newspaper forum has resident liberals who give all a piece of their mind. So the OP could join in there for lively discussions. The editorials will be centrist and the syndicated columns will cover all viewpoints. Radio will generally be conservative. People will generally be conservative and one may feel uncomfortable in some settings vocalizing liberal views strongly for fear of being offensive or being
looked at askance.

That being said--if one provokes thought politely and with conciliatory language--such as--Don't you think though that sometimes---rather than "I can't believe you think that!" one can manage to participate in most conversations. I have kept my own counsel on many occasions. It doesn't bother me. I really don't care if I am among people who are more conservative or more religious than I am. Other things are more important to me.

What difference, really, does it make?

And--there is no "danger" in being known as liberal.

So--if the OP wants to be among like-minded all around--no --H'burg isn't going to provide that comfort. Though there will be many--just not most. If the OP wants to know that he can be a liberal and be respected and live peacefully among folks--yes--he can--in my opinion.

[NWS]

You can have your opinion. I never disputed YOUR experience. How could I? I do not know you. I'm just saying it's not MY experience in MS. So I would rather you not speak for me. I did not respond to the original poster because I know very little about Hattiesburg so I can't speak for them like you can. I do have one friend who grew up there and he is nothing like you described.
You really need to calm down the world isn't out to get you. At least I'm not out to get you. I don't want to speak for the world. I ask that you not speak for me or the rest of MS.
I was not born in MS. I moved here of my own free will. I could live anywhere in this country I want but I chose MS as the best place in this country for me at this time. I am part of the new Mississippi trying to make things here better. I have never seen the MS you describe. I'm not saying you didn't experience it. To say your description of MS is the norm today is less than honest.

Originally Posted by DebFlack

My opinion is my opinion...based on experience and knowledge.


Instead of attempting to chatise one person's observation and answer to the OP's INITIAL QUESTION, WHY DON'T YOU OFFER UP YOUR OWN answer to the OP, about Hattiesburg, or anywhere else ???

Where's YOUR ANSWER ? I would politely invite your feedback rather than making a feeble and misdirected effort to somehow discredit my own offered in good faith

Typical

[DebFlack]

It seems awfully weak to intimate that I, in any way was attempting to SPEAK for anybody other than myself, my OWN knowledge, shaped by my OWN experience.

It's not only a weak retort, but shallow in reasoning.

People's experiences are different, so are their perceptions about 'realities on the ground'.

Some people in Hattiesburg 'perceive' that MS Jim Crow's attitudes are still acceptable for example...and I have met many many others who still believe that racial separation is a desired outcome, and social order.

That's MY experience...and it's certainly not without documented, universally accepted history.

MY experience is that crap like that, and the vestiges are still alive and well...

Others will insist that everyone there is 'smiley face' and that everything is peachykeen, and HAS been peachykeen----and THAT is truly 'dishonest' to say the least.

Hatred, and haters are still very much around---in great numbers----but many have just gone 'underground', or have pretended to gone 'mainstream'-----when variables like voting patterns, redistricting, segregated religious life, de facto school segregation, clearly paint an entirely different picture, one that flies in the face of their open 'rhetoric', discourse, and personal friendships and family life.

Nope-----I know better.....from my own experience and listening to the crap that comes out of the mouths of associates when they 'think' or assume they are in 'like-minded' company. That's when you really find out about people...when you scratch the veneer.

Sure, the cosmetics of the society have changed------not because they volunteered to change either-----they were forced to change by LAW, otherwise they would have implemented meaningful change well before NOW------it's essential to state that they had no independent WILL to change and grow...they didn't change out of the 'good of their hearts', or by instruction of Judeo-Christian principles, and that's inarguable.

My assessment based on what I've seen, heard, and experienced is that MOST, not all, have not experienced true and valid change in their 'hearts'........others pretend, still others fume that they are required to change by law--------RESENTMENT is rooted firmly, believe me.