Golden Rule ignored in Western North Carolina by many (Raleigh: transplants, new home)

[maximumleader]

I was taught the golden rule when I was a child and always try to practice it : Do onto others as you would have others do onto you. Unfortunately many locals in Western NC do not use it and may never have learned it. This includes a lot of folks with the 10 commandments posted in front of their property.

American citizens have the right to live anywhere they choose and this even includes Floridians who have chosen North Carolina as their new home. Many Floridians have fought and died for their country and for the right to live where they choose. Conversely if a person from North Carolina decided to move to Texas or to Florida or anywhere else he or she would expect to be treated with a modicum of courtesy and respect by his fellow Americans.
In fact I will venture to say that the same North Carolinians who treat "outsiders" so rudely would be the first to complain and whine if they chose to move to another state and were then treated rudely by those who had lived there first.

The word sophomoric is defined as "being confident of knowledge but being poorly informed or immature".
Recently in the Murphy, NC newspaper a sophomoric letter writer painted all Florida drivers with a wide brush by describing how they "all" were rude and and described all Florida drivers as being poor drivers, etc.
This same newspaper also refused to send a photographer or reporter to look at all of the trash thrown along side the rural roads. The receptionist who answered the phone said that this complaint was typical of outsiders who move here and then complain. I will add here that I have personally seen at least a dozen incidents of locals throwing trash out of their car windows including one pig who did so in the middle of an intersection at a red light in plain view of all the people stopped at the red light. I have never seen a person with a Florida tag do this even though there is plenty of litter in Florida also. Most of the trash thrown onto the road side is fast food bags and wrappers and styrofoam boxes designed to keep food warm. Those throwing the trash have no respect for the natural beauty of the area. They could care less that this garbage ends up in the local streams and rivers. They are too lazy to simply throw the trash into a garbage can.

When Florida transplants write letters to the editor here the response by some locals is shrill and sophomoric and juvenile. Those responding to the letters often tell the writers to go back where they came from. The fact that the Floridians and other new comers are American citizens means little or nothing which proves that many of or soldiers who died for this country died in vain.

Another popular local custom is to overcharge "outsiders" for services and work like construction or repairs. This is merely just another form of thievery and where I live we have formed a network that black balls individuals who stoop so low as to steal from their fellow Americans in this manner.

There are some North Carolinians that rise above this and are friendly and honest and do not fowl their own back yards by throwing trash onto the roadside.

I met a bank teller - a really nice lady- who had moved here from Florida and she has some small children. Her neighbors would not allow their kids to play with hers simply because she moved here from Florida. Her children are innocent and I remember reading in the bible about how God has a severe punishment in store for those who would hurt the young ones. No doubt this applies to the trashy neighbors living near her. To her I say, "Don't throw your pearls before swine.

I retired from the City of West Palm Beach, Florida after working there 30 years fighting crime. I ran into fellow workers from time to time who tried to abuse me and put pressure on me to conform to their corrupt and lazy ways or leave. I outlasted them and I urge Floridians and others who move to Western North Carolina and other places with the same issues to stand firm and not be buffaloed by folks who suffer from a perpetual inferiority complex and to form a network that rewards the good and severly penalizes those who practice rudeness and thievery and poor service both socially and financially.

I also urge Floridians to slow down on the roads and to be polite and to abandon the hectic life style and attitudes they left behind when they moved up here to God's country and mountains. We keep our roadsides clean within our neighborhood where the majority of folks are Floridians and let the trash accumulate outside the local's homes and roadways so they can enjoy wallowing in their own filth.

[BuckeyeRick]

ML - I'm not there is anywhere that the rule is followed. If you were in law enforcement then you know. So, there are Florida haters in NC. I understand that SC is battling folks from my area - Ohio. I've heard that there are at least 3 anti-Ohio forums out of SC. I was thinking of moving to WNC when I retire, and from what you said about littering, I would feel at home there. In Columbus, we just love to litter. Last week, at a red light, I saw an old guy just chuck his iced tea out the window. I hopped out and handed it through the window with a polite - "I think you dropped this, sir." Luckily, he wasn't armed.

If you find a place without haters, let me know.

[cooperwx]

Locals who are impolite to newcomers long for things to be the way they used to be. For the OP to call them "pigs" and "folks who suffer from a perpetual inferiority complex" is a reaction from someone who can't see the other side of the story.

To both groups I urge you to stop and look at it from the opposite perspective. We've all been victims of rudeness, and we've all seen something we love changed forever. Both hurt tremendously.

[maximumleader]

I think a person who throws trash out of their car window or even entire garbage bags is dirtier than a pig. I am not arbitrarily calling anyone a pig. I am directing that description precisely at the people who act that way. They were not brought up properly and lack common sense and decency. I used to see the same exact behavior in the ghettos.

The abandoning of pets along rural roadsides and at garbage dumps is another savage and despicable act that is practiced by the same low lifes in the ghetto and in rural areas - these are the same folks throwing their trash out along the roadside. It takes very little effort to properly dispose of trash at the first garbage can that one encounters. Throwing garbage out along the roadside is a clear sign of laziness and ignorance if not outright contempt for the environment.

It is incredible to me how people responding to my discussion seem to miss the point of what I have written. There seems to be a total breakdown among the two responders and some others of what the difference between right and wrong is. Part of the proof that this behavior is wrong is found in the laws that address littering. These laws call for fines often exceeding $1,000. Unfortunately there is not enough man power nor priority assigned to this issue.

There is an old saying : You are what you eat. Perhaps those folks that are so fond of junk food have developed a junk brain. Most of the time the litter seen along the roadside consists of wrappers from junk food.

We have 150 homes in the development where I live and we keep our roadsides clean. Almost everyone in this development is from Florida and Georgia. We are content here to keep our area clean and at the same time we leave the garbage along nearby roadsides outside our neighborhood full of the trash thrown there by the locals so they can admire the fruits of their labor.

[OconeeMountains]

I understand your reaction (to the original poster) to the attitudes of the 'long timers' in this area. Their treatment of Floridians (to put it mildly, a general distrust) is not rare. It must be understood in reference to their perspective - e.g., this sort of growth has not happened in WNC in their lifetimes and change, in general, frightens lots of folks. Add on top of these ideas the facts that many of the newcomers are Floridians (who, right or wrong, are preceded by a money/development hungry reputation in this region) and some of those newcomers have been irresponsible in their use of land or respect for local customs and....you have the perfect storm for a little bit of good old rotten attitude. Take note that their are others in the region not so distrusting, just as their are many in migrants (from FL and elsewhere) who are outstanding individuals. I understand your plight, but this is a two way street and their are exceptions to this general trend. The best thing for anyone to do, is to turn the other cheek and extend the olive branch at every opportunity. Anyone's failure to reciprocate with love and kindness is their own burden to bear, and we must enjoy our live (whereever they may pass) despite some sour individuals. In sum, the best way to combat someone violating the Golden Rule? Practice it everyday, with no exceptions, ourselves.

[NC_native74]

Originally Posted by OconeeMountains

I understand your reaction (to the original poster) to the attitudes of the 'long timers' in this area. Their treatment of Floridians (to put it mildly, a general distrust) is not rare. It must be understood in reference to their perspective - e.g., this sort of growth has not happened in WNC in their lifetimes and change, in general, frightens lots of folks. Add on top of these ideas the facts that many of the newcomers are Floridians (who, right or wrong, are preceded by a money/development hungry reputation in this region) and some of those newcomers have been irresponsible in their use of land or respect for local customs and....you have the perfect storm for a little bit of good old rotten attitude. Take note that their are others in the region not so distrusting, just as their are many in migrants (from FL and elsewhere) who are outstanding individuals. I understand your plight, but this is a two way street and their are exceptions to this general trend. The best thing for anyone to do, is to turn the other cheek and extend the olive branch at every opportunity. Anyone's failure to reciprocate with love and kindness is their own burden to bear, and we must enjoy our live (whereever they may pass) despite some sour individuals. In sum, the best way to combat someone violating the Golden Rule? Practice it everyday, with no exceptions, ourselves.

This post has a lot of truth. I'm a native NC'er, and I'm actually from a little town nearby Murphy, Robbinsville. When I was 10, my family up and moved to the coast in Wilmington, where I lived until I was 28, and now I live in the Raleigh/Durham area. My parents and one aunt are the only ones that live in Wilmington, and all the rest of my family is in Robbinsville/Murphy/Sylva. Now, my maternal family is one of the oldest in Graham County. My great, great grandfather was the sheriff (John Stratton), there are several things in the area named after my family (Stratton Bald, Stratton Meadows), but even still, when I go home to visit, I'm kept at something of an arm's length because I'm an "outsider". To make a long story short, I do sort of know how you feel. Now, I'm not justifying it, but because I'm from the area, I DO know how they feel too. You have areas, customs, and families up there that haven't changed for generations, and so change is something that they fear sometimes, and we all know what fear can make people do and say. If those customs are altered or those areas are changed by someone who isn't native...well, you get the idea. Again, not saying it's right, I'm just trying to give you some insight. I'll be honest, I remember being little and someone would come in with some fancy car or some "weird" attitude, or build/clear some land and put up some new fangled house, and they were always referred to as "Some dang Florida people". It's NOT fair and it's NOT right, I agree, but as mentioned above, the best thing you can do is extend the olive branch. There are still going to be people who treat you badly...lets be honest, that's anywhere you go...but at least those in your general area will come around eventually.

[jbird22]

Originally Posted by cooperwx

Locals who are impolite to newcomers long for things to be the way they used to be. For the OP to call them "pigs" and "folks who suffer from a perpetual inferiority complex" is a reaction from someone who can't see the other side of the story.

To both groups I urge you to stop and look at it from the opposite perspective. We've all been victims of rudeness, and we've all seen something we love changed forever. Both hurt tremendously.

Cooperwx is ALWAYS the voice of reason. Great post. (as usual).

[Catbirds]

You sound really hurt, and I don't think lumping all folks from Florida as bad drivers is fair but you are lumping all of western N. C. like all the locals and natives are trashing the land and being mean to "outsiders". That's just not true. If someone were caught here throwing out trash the fine would be huge. I have never seen anyone throw out trash. As for being treated poorly, I am truly sorry that you have been mistreated. I bet it is just a small minority of people that have been rude. I came from "down the mountain" Hickory, which is what the people from the foothills are called. Although my dad had a tiny and I mean tiny cabin up here when we were kids, we would be the summer people. We were different and we were the outsiders, but I have never felt that anyone was ever hurtful or mean. We had a blast in the summers. Now in my middle age and being with a true native for almost 9 years, I know that some of the changes have been truly hurtful to the folks that have called this home for generations. Some sell their land because they can not afford to pay the taxes anymore. There is a Art Festival here called Art in the Park that was first started for the locals to sell their crafts and art. There is a native family that has made rustic birdhouses as a cottage industry for years. They use to sell their little birdhouses at Art in the Park and every summer they looked so forward to it because it helped pay their bills. One year they were told that their birdhouses were not good enough to sell there anymore and just like that, they were made to feel inferior to the outsiders. If you go there today, see how many locals are selling their arts or crafts. Not many if any. Most of the people I know that move here from other areas adapt very quickly. Most love it and the pace is very laid back for the most part. I find that if you are friendly and nice to people they tend to be nice back.

[chisoxfan]

Don't know if this post exactly belongs here, but I do believe those of us who visit and move from Florida can really do our part to defuse the situation. Let's learn and embrace the local customs, traditions and history. Respect the environment -- there's no need to scalp a mountaintop and build a 4,000-square-foot McMansion (which I'd never be able to afford anyway) when something much smaller and energy-efficient will do. And do NOT going around saying, "That's not how we did things in Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Boca Raton/Tampa/Orlando." If we treat others the way we want to be treated, our efforts will be reciprocated in the long run.

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by maximumleader

We are content here to keep our area clean and at the same time we leave the garbage along nearby roadsides outside our neighborhood full of the trash thrown there by the locals so they can admire the fruits of their labor.

The locals were there first. If you don't like their values leave. Who are you to get on your bourgeois high horse and come in and tell them what to do?