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This is an interesting topic. Having lived in Denver for the last three years, I've noticed somewhat of a blue state bias against the southern thing- but it's rarely mean, and rarely personal. It's more of a generalization about a stubborn mentality that people apply to the region, and it also usually applies to the mentality of the governing bodies. And, having lived there for most of my life prior to moving west, I'd say that for the most part, it's fairly accurate.
Quite a few people I know in CO are from the south, but I don't know of one that has ever felt personally threatened or wanted to leave as a result of criticism. But then again, many of the southerners I know here made the journey partly because they didn't like the rigid way of thinking prevalent in the SE.
To be fair, if you ever lived in the deep south, you'd see that there's often even more bias against "Yankees" from anywhere perceived as Northern or more progressive. And it was much more noticeable than what I've experienced in CO. Now I love parts of the south, but just like the north, sometimes areas can't help but to perpetuate their stereotypes. This was especially true where I lived. There were a lot of people there that seem to take pride in being contrarians to progress, and were proud of their stubborn behavior and heritage. I lived in a congressional district where the congressman (until his recent retirement) prominently displayed rather a rather offensive black lawn jockey in his yard, and the more recently elected congressman was elected primarily on the fact that his name sounded like a founding father (McHenry). The Republicans running Raleigh claim that they're the party of small government, and then bend over backwards to hold special sessions to create new punitive laws that mostly punish behavior of people that they don't like, or try to pass legislation that sounds like something in the middle east (trying to establish a state religion at the expense of taxpayers). To parts of the country moving forward, BS like that becomes the butt of jokes. On the flip side, the politics of SF and extremely liberal hotbeds has the equal effect on more conservative folks.
Obviously, the feeling towards the south is a generalization- and there are many exceptions. And there is a very dynamic contrast between different mentalities in place there, but many of the areas are dominated by a predominate way of thinking, especially at a leadership level. And with recent gerrymandering, some states like FL, TX, and NC are legislating as if 100% of their constituents are Republicans.
For the most part, on a personal level, the northern v. southern thing seems more like a college rivalry. I frankly don't see the hatred you're referring to, but I do see a lot of people perplexed as to why a region in this day and age repeatedly allows itself be governed by such a preponderance of obtuse leaders.......but to be fair, I'm sure the opposite is true, as well.
Last edited by bartonizer; 07-03-2013 at 12:22 PM..
You seemed interested in my experiences until they didn't jive with your own.
Your experiences are duly noted.
Do you have anything MORE to say about it or do you simple expect me to substitute my judgement for yours without further conversation?
Your experiences are duly noted.
Do you have anything MORE to say about it or do you simple expect me to substitute my judgement for yours without further conversation?
I don't "simple" expect you to do anything. Continue building your straw man if playing the victim brings you comfort.
Snardly, just curious, do you get the same feeling when you spend time in CO Springs? From my experience, folks there are much more sympathetic to the collective views of the south than Denver.
The Point of posting this article is as stated when I posted it. This perception of Northern hatred of the South is not a recent phenomenon. A debate about Northern bigotry is at least 152 years old. The content of the article or it's veracity is irrelevant to that point. So, it is NOT about this new awakening of equality, it's nothing more than a tradition. But all traditions have a first event. Now we know the first even was before June of 1861.
Now, please, Troll somewhere else.
Ok...so let's get this straight. You start saying saying the Northeast has an irrational hate of the South. More or less everyone else in the thread (both from the North and South) calls that BS. Later you post a very poor example of one person you met from Pittsburgh who didn't like the South and claim it as evidence...then you post a New York Times article from 1861, which in fact says "we do not hate the South, but Confederates are perpetrating this myth as a form of recruiting more people for their cause". I point that out, and you try to pass it off as "debate about Northern bigotry is at least 152 years old".
Then for some reason you accused me of trolling.
Ultimately, I think you should rephrase the original question and change the title to "Some Insecure Southerners believe there is Blue State Bigotry Toward ANYTHING Southern, WHY?". It's much more fitting.
This is an interesting topic. Having lived in Denver for the last three years, I've noticed somewhat of a blue state bias against the southern thing- but it's rarely mean, and rarely personal. It's more of a generalization about a stubborn mentality that people apply to the region, and it also usually applies to the mentality of the governing bodies. And, having lived there for most of my life prior to moving west, I'd say that for the most part, it's fairly accurate.
Quite a few people I know in CO are from the south, but I don't know of one that has ever felt personally threatened or wanted to leave as a result of criticism. But then again, many of the southerners I know here made the journey partly because they didn't like the rigid way of thinking prevalent in the SE.
To be fair, if you ever lived in the deep south, you'd see that there's often even more bias against "Yankees" from anywhere perceived as Northern or more progressive. And it was much more noticeable than what I've experienced in CO. Now I love parts of the south, but just like the north, sometimes areas can't help but to perpetuate their stereotypes. This was especially true where I lived. There were a lot of people there that seem to take pride in being contrarians to progress, and were proud of their stubborn behavior and heritage. I lived in a congressional district where the congressman (until his recent retirement) prominently displayed rather a rather offensive black lawn jockey in his yard, and the more recently elected congressman was elected primarily on the fact that his name sounded like a founding father (McHenry). The Republicans running Raleigh claim that they're the party of small government, and then bend over backwards to hold special sessions to create new punitive laws that mostly punish behavior of people that they don't like, or try to pass legislation that sounds like something in the middle east (trying to establish a state religion at the expense of taxpayers). To parts of the country moving forward, BS like that becomes the butt of jokes. On the flip side, the politics of SF and extremely liberal hotbeds has the equal effect on more conservative folks.
Obviously, the feeling towards the south is a generalization- and there are many exceptions. And there is a very dynamic contrast between different mentalities in place there, but many of the areas are dominated by a predominate way of thinking, especially at a leadership level. And with recent gerrymandering, some states like FL, TX, and NC are legislating as if 100% of their constituents are Republicans.
For the most part, on a personal level,the northern v. southern thing seems more like a college rivalry. I frankly don't see the hatred you're referring to, but I do see a lot of people perplexed as to why a region in this day and age repeatedly allows itself be governed by such a preponderance obtuse leaders.......but to be fair, I'm sure the opposite is true, as well.
I agree with you in a lot of what you are saying here. I live in Colorado and I am not aware of any bigotry toward the South here. There is a difference between criticism and bigotry. I'm not talking about criticism of the South. Just like everywhere else, the South has quite a few things about it that would justify criticism.
The only time I've ever witnessed criticism cross the line into bigotry is when I've either been in, or in a conversation with someone from, a state East of the Mississippi river and North of the Mason / Dixon. The conversations go from criticism of what they do into hatred for who they are.
I don't "simple" expect you to do anything. Continue building your straw man if playing the victim brings you comfort.
Thank you. Not being Southern this isn't about me being a victim. I just don't like irrational hate.
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