What's with all the confederate flags? (Philadelphia, York: construction, cabin, moving)

[BajanYankee]

Originally Posted by ElijahAstin

There aren't many in Greater Pittsburgh either, though you'll see slightly more in the latter. Harrisburg, they filter in around the exurbs. There's a surprising number in the Wyoming Valley, which is largely Polish, Irish, and Italian.

From a UPenn linguistic study of America, which also delves a bit into the political culture of America.

He also shows how the various immigrant groups of the later nineteenth and twentieth century – German, Irish, Italian, Polish – adapted the cultural patterns of the earlier settlers, following the doctrine of first effective settlement (Zelinsky 1992).

http://www.ling.upenn.edu/phonoatlas/PLC3/Ch10.pdf

I don't go west of King of Prussia.

[ElijahAstin]

At this point I've lived (or spent considerable to time in) most parts of the Commonwealth, and there's a lot of interesting places to see. I wouldn't want to live long-term anywhere but Philly and PGH, though.

Very interesting-looking piece. I'll have to read it in-depth later. Incidentally, moving back from Upstate, I now really notice the change in accents, including my own.

[supertrucker212]

Originally Posted by convextech

White trash rednecks. They're everywhere.

Bingo^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I seem them all over the place when in rural areas myself. I could care less about the flag either way. Unfortunately there are many with the "backwoods" racist mentality in PA. These are the same people that refuse to change and evolve with the times, that have the IQ of my shoe size (10.5) or less and a majority of them live in a trailer and complain about not having any money while they smoke on a cigarette, have a case of beer in the refrigerator and have the most expensive satellite TV package they can get because they have nothing else better going for them in their lives other than to get entrenched in NASCAR and reality TV. I rest my case

[Lyndarn]

Originally Posted by Pine to Vine

Perhaps there is some truth to what you say, but I'm hoping this thread can proceed without name calling and epithets. Is there any history with the more rural parts of the state associated with the south and state's rights? Are we seeing more or fewer of these flags in the last 10 years ago?

I find it really astounding that confederate flags are more prevalent in small town PA than in rural South Carolina.

Originally Posted by Pine to Vine

Thanks for your post. In it, you demonstrated that it actually is possible to explore this topic without labeling a group of people with epithets. Congrats (+1)

It's actually a very simple concept...those who are like minded seem to flock together..and the emblem for them is a simple expression of their particular "Mind-set"..so you can take that however you wish. Often get reminded of the saying.."Birds of a Feather Flock Together"...There indeed is empowerment with numbers..

[BajanYankee]

Originally Posted by ElijahAstin

At this point I've lived (or spent considerable to time in) most parts of the Commonwealth, and there's a lot of interesting places to see. I wouldn't want to live long-term anywhere but Philly and PGH, though.

Very interesting-looking piece. I'll have to read it in-depth later. Incidentally, moving back from Upstate, I now really notice the change in accents, including my own.

I mean, I've been to many other parts of Pennsylvania. As different as Upstate NY is from NYC, I'd say the rest of Pennsylvania is even more different from Philly.

I had a post once showing that Pennsylvania would tip Republican simply by removing Philadelphia. Not the metro area. I'm talking about the city alone. In New York State, removing all Five Boroughs plus Long Island, Westchester and Rockland still places the state solidly in the D column. Rural areas in Pennsylvania skew more heavily Republican than they do in NYS.

[BajanYankee]

Interesting graphic.

http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/...psba29aacf.png

[Boris347]

Originally Posted by Pine to Vine

What I question is the use of the confederate flag, particularly after we've placed a national flashlight on what that flag communicates to African American citizens.

Finally, what I find counter-intuitive is that the prevalence of these flags in the rural north overwhelms that of the south, based on my repeat stays in rural South Carolina. It seems they "get it" better than their counterparts up north.

The Great News is that its a free Country, and you don't have to fly a Confederate flag in your yard.

[Duderino]

Originally Posted by BajanYankee

I had a post once showing that Pennsylvania would tip Republican simply by removing Philadelphia. Not the metro area. I'm talking about the city alone. In New York State, removing all Five Boroughs plus Long Island, Westchester and Rockland still places the state solidly in the D column. Rural areas in Pennsylvania skew more heavily Republican than they do in NYS.

We've been down the political comparison road before. Yes, Pennsylvania is the most conservative state in the Northeast--no one has debated that. Also, there is a strong inverse relationship to population and Republican voting on that map--meaning the more heavily Republican, the more rural. Not exactly a telling representation of the electorate.

This survey, from 2008, also illustrates that Pennsylvania's Republican voters are fairly moderate compared to the rest of the US: Ranking states by the liberalism/conservatism of their voters - Statistical Modeling, Causal Inference, and Social Science Statistical Modeling, Causal Inference, and Social Science

Also, again, I fail to see what state politics has to do with this. People who fly the confederate flag likely don't even vote, as they're likely detached from the political system entirely.

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by Duderino

We've been down the political comparison road before. Yes, Pennsylvania is the most conservative state in the Northeast--no one has debated that. Also, there is a strong inverse relationship to population and Republican voting on that map--meaning the more heavily Republican, the more rural. Not exactly a telling representation of the electorate.

This survey, from 2008, also illustrates that Pennsylvania's Republican voters are fairly moderate compared to the rest of the US: Ranking states by the liberalism/conservatism of their voters - Statistical Modeling, Causal Inference, and Social Science Statistical Modeling, Causal Inference, and Social Science

Also, again, I fail to see what state politics has to do with this. People who fly the confederate flag likely don't even vote, as they're likely detached from the political system entirely.

On a related note, I'm also getting sick and tired of outsiders ignoring the likes of Hugh Scott, Raymond P. Shafer, Richard Thornburgh, John Heinz, Tom Ridge, and the litany Representatives who have been affiliated with the Republican Main Street Partnership, just to proclaim that Rick Santorum is somehow the embodiment of Pennsylvania Republicans. Santorum was an aberration, even among Republicans. Not only that, but he was curb-stomped out of the Senate once people realized how bat**** crazy he is. The truth is, Pennsylvania prefers moderates in both parties. By and large, Republicans in Pennsylvania will be more liberal than normal, and Democrats in Pennsylvania will be more conservative than normal.

Another factor in Pennsylvania politics that everybody ignores is that the primary economic driver in rural Pennsylvania is mining and resource extraction, and most people employed in those fields believe that Democrats directly threaten their livelihoods, which makes them overwhelmingly Republican in response. Conversely, agriculture is the primary economic driver in the rural Midwest and parts of rural New England, and most people employed in crop agriculture believe that Democrats enhance their livelihoods, which is why you get more Democrat voters there despite the prevailing social conservatism. Livestock farmers are less reliably Democrat, though.

[Pine to Vine]

Originally Posted by Duderino

I fail to see what state politics has to do with this.

Exactly. I think it's fallacious to conflate Republicans with the confederate flag. I'd hate to see this thread spiral down a political path.