People moving to East Tennessee? (Cookeville, Portland: fit in, transplants, college)
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Hi! I'm thinking about moving to east Tennessee in a couple of years after college (I currently live in western/central Maryland). As I've been doing some research into it, it sounds like a lot of other people have had the same idea. My question is, are there really that many out-of-state people moving to east Tennessee? If there are a lot of people moving in, are they changing the political spectrum of east Tennessee? I would really like to get a local’s perspective on things.
The main reason I want to leave western MD is because we have so many people moving up here from Baltimore and DC and they tend to be more liberal (nothing against them, but in my experience the majority of them do tend to look down their nose at you when you tell them you own a gun or didn't vote for Obama). And yes, I see the irony in me wanting to move to a new area to get away from the people who moved to my area. The difference is I want to assimilate into the culture of that area and not change it.
My answer is, no, not really. I'm from the northeast and lived in Florida for awhile. Lots of transplants there. It seems like most of the people that escaped Florida moved to North Carolina, which is why I moved to Tennessee. Don't get me wrong, there are new people that move here, and to other places across the country, every day. But I don't think there is an enormous influx of people. Not like in North Carolina and Florida, anyway.
What I've noticed is local communities in that area of TN do not put up with what they perceive to be abrasiveness. What I mean by this is, someone can try to move to rural TN and wave their Obama flag while sporting gay pride and tax the rich mantra but they will find themselves alone on a branch which is never comfortable and generally invokes someone to consider their other available options.
Same would happen if you tried moving to Portland or Seattle and were chanting John McCain, carrying a gun, and blaring bill o'reilly.
Fortunately, these communities have decided to protect their cultivated way of life and I applaud both sides of the spectrum for doing so. I'm glad people can be comfortable where they live. If you like hugging trees and taxing the rich, you are entitled to your pursuit of happiness and I'm glad citizen protected places exist for those people to do so. If you are into shooting stuff, killing animals, and hardcore country music, I'm equally happy places exist where you can feel comfortable.
For me, I could fit in most anywhere where people are polite. My local community (central Fl), when I moved in here in 1989, was more akin to a TN style southern hospitality. It has since taken a quick and colossal tumble into a tumultuous **** hole. My area didn't have the multi-generational families here to protect the way of life. It was a virgin area for the most part, vulnerable and open to whatever group was to lay claim the loudest. I couldn't tell you who that group is, as the battle is still waging, in my opinion. I can, however, tell you the fight is NASTY and I'm dying to get out.
You mentioned your experience is that of liberals "looking down their nose at you". I can tell you that I'm familiar with that behavior yet, I will say in the same breath that some of the nastiest, rudest, and cancerous people I've ever come across in my life were carrying a Bible. There is equal poison at both extreme ends of the spectrum. I believe myself to be a child of the living God but I've never wanted to punch someone harder than a few people I've found at BOTH ENDS of the political/religious gamut.
I'm decently travelled and can tell you from first hand experience that spending any significant amount of time in any land; acting like you did where you came from; refusing to, as you put it, "assimilate", will get your ass kicked. Most times not physically but often socially and even economically. You hit it right on the head with your comment about blending in. It's an absolute must not only for survival but also it's just plain being a good person. I don't expect people's belief system to change simply because of a new geographic location but you'd be wise to not attempt to shame the locals for disagreeing with you.
When I traveled overseas, I did my best not to "act American" in the way some of my other traveling companions did such as "ugh, I can't believe you don't have a walmart... You people are missing out. It's so dumb how you do it here!" etc. etc. etc. etc. It's hard to imagine a more obtuse and rude mindset. You can downsize that scenario for inside the US.
Damn, I've typed a lot. My apologies. I'll close by saying, nice people are more important than political beliefs so don't move to eastern TN because you think the majority voted for Bush. Move there because the people are kind, the weather is great, and the way of life is comfortable for you.
An example of what I mean. The places with the nicest/kindest people I've experienced:
Middle and Eastern TN
Coastal California
Switzerland
Italy
Panama
Birmingham Michigan (not Alabama)
Petra Jordan
The only common thread these places share is..... kind people.
Thanks so much for your input! And yeah, I do know the rudenss exists on both sides of the political spectrum (I've experienced some really obnoxious conservative "Christians" as well). I know that no place is perfect (or my idea of perfect), but its good to know there are places in the world that might be a little closer to that than where I am now. Thank you so much!
Thanks so much for your input! And yeah, I do know the rudenss exists on both sides of the political spectrum (I've experienced some really obnoxious conservative "Christians" as well). I know that no place is perfect (or my idea of perfect), but its good to know there are places in the world that might be a little closer to that than where I am now. Thank you so much!
Sounds like you'll fit in just fine. Check out Cookeville while you're at it.
Word of caution, and not to the OP. You come across as very low-key, just looking for a nice place to live. You'll love it here.
This is more for others that may think this is some sort of conservative mecca.
Yes, the state, on the whole is conservative. However, that does NOT mean that you will be very welcomed if you bring your abrasive ways with you, no matter which way you lean.
Far too many people that have a "in your face" attitude think they are going to move here and start calling the liberals names and making rude jokes. That's not particularly welcomed in most polite quarters. It depends on where you live of course. Some areas are a bit more lacking in manners than others. But on the whole Tennesseans are a polite lot and don't care for those antics. Southerners are very good at diplomatically putting jerks in their place.
Over in my neck of the woods, folks tend to be very libertarian. That means they don't give a hoot whether you have a rainbow bumper sticker or a McCain-Palin one. In fact there are plenty of people that worked on Obama's campaign and own a gun. Life is not as black and white as some people think, and Tennessee is a perfect example.
If this post seems like it might pertain to you, consider yourself fairly warned.
Word of caution, and not to the OP. You come across as very low-key, just looking for a nice place to live. You'll love it here.
This is more for others that may think this is some sort of conservative mecca.
Yes, the state, on the whole is conservative. However, that does NOT mean that you will be very welcomed if you bring your abrasive ways with you, no matter which way you lean.
Far too many people that have a "in your face" attitude think they are going to move here and start calling the liberals names and making rude jokes. That's not particularly welcomed in most polite quarters. It depends on where you live of course. Some areas are a bit more lacking in manners than others. But on the whole Tennesseans are a polite lot and don't care for those antics. Southerners are very good at diplomatically putting jerks in their place.
Over in my neck of the woods, folks tend to be very libertarian. That means they don't give a hoot whether you have a rainbow bumper sticker or a McCain-Palin one. In fact there are plenty of people that worked on Obama's campaign and own a gun. Life is not as black and white as some people think, and Tennessee is a perfect example.
If this post seems like it might pertain to you, consider yourself fairly warned.
I'll assume you directed this at me, as I'm the only one in this thread who posted something this could possible pertain too. I at first found it strange as I saw my message as being the exact same as what you've posted.
I see now on a re-read that I implied only the extreme form of Liberalism would be unaccepted in that area. Completely my mistake. That is absolutely NOT my intended message and I failed in conveying that miserably. ANY in-your-face abrasiveness would be equally despised in my experience. My sincere apologies for my poor communication.
One of the greatest things about TN is in most areas, they don't even know what drudgereport is and the talk of politics is relatively nonexistent.
CMK10
-A Constitutionalist Libertarian who believes in the rights of people to free from legislation dictating morality, the restriction of liberty in any and all forms, and the propping up of social programs that only handicap our nation.
I'm a cross between Ron Paul and the Government of Switzerland.
We've had several posters over the years that are chomping at the bit to mix it up with the locals, sit around and tell all kinds of urban legends and the like.
I didn't mean you at all. I have put up posts like this every time the matter gets mentioned, but it's usually in response to some very hardcore beliefs laced with ugliness.
In fact, recently a poster that has been consistently like this - hardcore right-wing with plenty of nastiness - recently posted about the need for having a lot of governmental rules in place, a lot of code enforcement. My immediate reaction is, "It figures."
Really, I had that situation in the back of my mind when I posted.
I'm very moderate with a lot of liberal tendencies but some Republican beliefs and a libertarian philosophy, too. I guess I defy labels and come down hard on the side of common sense. The majority of my friends are Republican, if that tells you anything.
I see you are retired law enforcement. Foremost, you have my utmost respect. And I am quite sure you are very good at being very diplomatic after working with the public for so many years, and under very stressful situations.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CMK10
I'll assume you directed this at me, as I'm the only one in this thread who posted something this could possible pertain too. I at first found it strange as I saw my message as being the exact same as what you've posted.
I see now on a re-read that I implied only the extreme form of Liberalism would be unaccepted in that area. Completely my mistake. That is absolutely NOT my intended message and I failed in conveying that miserably. ANY in-your-face abrasiveness would be equally despised in my experience. My sincere apologies for my poor communication.
One of the greatest things about TN is in most areas, they don't even know what drudgereport is and the talk of politics is relatively nonexistent.
CMK10
-A Constitutionalist Libertarian who believes in the rights of people to free from legislation dictating morality, the restriction of liberty in any and all forms, and the propping up of social programs that only handicap our nation.
I'm a cross between Ron Paul and the Government of Switzerland.
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People moving to East Tennessee?
