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Life experiences are different for each of as is our world view. I'm not worried about someone speaking to me about Jesus. This is far from a problem related to acceptance that I can conceive. Some people just like to hate. Others grew up around it and don't know any better. Skin color, speech, hair length, clothing worn, car driven are all excuses. I suppose being a Christian is another popular reason to be hated. Heck, I'm sure some folk still hate Yankees like the kind coming from Illinois. God only knows what those Yankees will do or want when they get here.
One persons unfavorable experience is just as valid as those with favorable experiences. Interestingly, I have just done a search of City Data's population statistics and it seems many of the towns we are considering have a substantial percentage of outsiders (Thanks Gemstone). The outsiders are what fuel the melting pot. In the melting pot, change happens, and people assimilate. When assimilation fails, people move to a more acceptable locale with a different recipe cooking in the pot.
We need to be able to have a civil conversation. If not, we have learned nothing. Thanks for the replies.
Kevin, I'm a native Arkie but retired to Little Rock from a rural area so I was more-or-less a stranger in L.R. and there have been no problems. Arkansas has always been supportive of the military, even communities away from Jacksonville and Pine Bluff. Unless you continue to wear your chevrons or brass mentally, you will just be another who has moved into the community. Those who continue to be impressed with themselves however and want everyone to know they are a veteran, do from time to time have a little conflict.
I remember from my days that I could spot a Colonels Wife all the way across a PX/BX/Commissary by the way she acted. I always felt sorry for her for when she became just another wife in the real world. That's a lot of rambling to answer a short question, but I guess I'm saying; just be yourself, join in, and you will just be another of the guys or gals. BUT, if you do like to associate with other veterans, there are many veterans groups around the state that would be happy to have you.
Little Rock Air Force Base is the only military facility that has everything you had while on Active Duty. I don't know about today, but at one time Pine Bluff Arsenal has a small PX and Commissary.
So, after all that rambling, I truly think you would be fully welcomed here. So come on down to The Natural State, and WELCOME! There are a lot of us already here
Kevin, when I responded to your Post my brain jumped the track When you wrote "retire", my old worn out brain read "military retire". I'm sorry I should have paid more attention. Anyway, military or not, I am sure a retiree will fit in most anywhere in Arkansas. O.K., now I'll go to my corner and stay until my brain gets back on track
Kevin, when I responded to your Post my brain jumped the track When you wrote "retire", my old worn out brain read "military retire". I'm sorry I should have paid more attention. Anyway, military or not, I am sure a retiree will fit in most anywhere in Arkansas. O.K., now I'll go to my corner and stay until my brain gets back on track
Thanks for clarifying that, Slim...I was wondering what I had missed!
I've been wrestling with this post since early this morning...do I post it, or not. The cheerleaders will say I am wrong, I am bitter, I have an axe to grind....but no, it's blanket, shoot from the hip statements like "It's info like this that gives a negative stereotype", that pushed my button. Anyone is welcome to their own opinion, and perhaps this is your opinion, however history and the facts say something else. Holliana, being a relative newcomer to AR, I would suggest it is you that has it wrong, AR has a well deserved stereotype, (just do some research into sundown towns in AR for instance), it is incumbant upon all current residents to turn that around. The reputation for exclusion is well documented, particularly in North AR. Marshall (among others) was known as a sundown town, and exclusion was widely practiced....if you weren't white and baptist, well, you just didn't belong. I'm sure great strides have been made in a positive direction since my time in small town AR in the mid to late 70's, however I can attest to the religious attitude at that period of time. This is fact, not conjecture....Public schools in Marshall openly chose to teach bible study and religion in public grade schools, knowing full well it was banned by the Supreme Court rulings of 1962 and 1963. My kids were given the choice to stay in class, participate and be graded accordingly, or go outside and stand in the hall...not an indoor hall mind you. They chose to stand outside, you can imagine the teasing they endured from other kids who had learned exclusion at home, at the dinner table. Could I have taken the school board to court, and won, sure and in hindsight perhaps I should have...but again, imagine the wrath my family would have faced from the natives.
As fate would have it, we eventually moved on and left Arkansas to the Arkies. Do I have fond memories of our time there and of our farm at the edge of the Buffalo National River...you bet, but I also recall the difficulties we encountered as non baptist outsiders. The Ozarks are beautiful, the weather is moderate, and property is probably still affordable, making the area well worth a look by anyone looking for a retirement home...but as always...buyer beware.
I've been wrestling with this post since early this morning...do I post it, or not. The cheerleaders will say I am wrong, I am bitter, I have an axe to grind....but no, it's blanket, shoot from the hip statements like "It's info like this that gives a negative stereotype", that pushed my button. Anyone is welcome to their own opinion, and perhaps this is your opinion, however history and the facts say something else. Holliana, being a relative newcomer to AR, I would suggest it is you that has it wrong, AR has a well deserved stereotype, (just do some research into sundown towns in AR for instance), it is incumbant upon all current residents to turn that around. The reputation for exclusion is well documented, particularly in North AR. Marshall (among others) was known as a sundown town, and exclusion was widely practiced....if you weren't white and baptist, well, you just didn't belong. I'm sure great strides have been made in a positive direction since my time in small town AR in the mid to late 70's, however I can attest to the religious attitude at that period of time. This is fact, not conjecture....Public schools in Marshall openly chose to teach bible study and religion in public grade schools, knowing full well it was banned by the Supreme Court rulings of 1962 and 1963. My kids were given the choice to stay in class, participate and be graded accordingly, or go outside and stand in the hall...not an indoor hall mind you. They chose to stand outside, you can imagine the teasing they endured from other kids who had learned exclusion at home, at the dinner table. Could I have taken the school board to court, and won, sure and in hindsight perhaps I should have...but again, imagine the wrath my family would have faced from the natives.
As fate would have it, we eventually moved on and left Arkansas to the Arkies. Do I have fond memories of our time there and of our farm at the edge of the Buffalo National River...you bet, but I also recall the difficulties we encountered as non baptist outsiders. The Ozarks are beautiful, the weather is moderate, and property is probably still affordable, making the area well worth a look by anyone looking for a retirement home...but as always...buyer beware.
Thanks for sharing, but that doesn't mean you are right and I am wrong. Everyone's experience can be different and different towns will yield different experiences. I've been here a year, have meet hundreds of people, have NEVER been questioned about church or religion. In fact, I even attended the local Baptist church a few times just to try one out, it is usually only about 25% full from what I saw. I'm sure things were very different 30 and 40 years ago, but that goes for many parts of the country. I do find it interesting though how some can take what they consider a negative experience and attach it to an entire state.
Funny thing is that as a Christian, in my world, we don't beat people over the head with the cross (although I can thinks of a few I wouldn't mind using my hydrant wrench on). We strive to do better than our inner selves desire. We obey the laws (well some of them) and we like to fly fish (Hey even Jesus fishes).
I'll bet there was more going on in Marshall than Christianity. Sounds like a little Jesus with a whole lot of Satan to me.
"it is incumbent upon all current residents to turn that around." I wholeheartedly agree. Just keep in mind, it's not Jesus who screwed up, it's mankind. This is where the love your neighbor as yourself part comes into play. Unfortunately, many can't get past the love of self. This is true for professed believers as well as well as non-believers as it is our base condition.
I appreciate all your responses. I apologize for opening old wounds.
I've been wrestling with this post since early this morning...do I post it, or not. The cheerleaders will say I am wrong, I am bitter, I have an axe to grind....but no, it's blanket, shoot from the hip statements like "It's info like this that gives a negative stereotype", that pushed my button. Anyone is welcome to their own opinion, and perhaps this is your opinion, however history and the facts say something else. Holliana, being a relative newcomer to AR, I would suggest it is you that has it wrong, AR has a well deserved stereotype, (just do some research into sundown towns in AR for instance), it is incumbant upon all current residents to turn that around. The reputation for exclusion is well documented, particularly in North AR. Marshall (among others) was known as a sundown town, and exclusion was widely practiced....if you weren't white and baptist, well, you just didn't belong. I'm sure great strides have been made in a positive direction since my time in small town AR in the mid to late 70's, however I can attest to the religious attitude at that period of time. This is fact, not conjecture....Public schools in Marshall openly chose to teach bible study and religion in public grade schools, knowing full well it was banned by the Supreme Court rulings of 1962 and 1963. My kids were given the choice to stay in class, participate and be graded accordingly, or go outside and stand in the hall...not an indoor hall mind you. They chose to stand outside, you can imagine the teasing they endured from other kids who had learned exclusion at home, at the dinner table. Could I have taken the school board to court, and won, sure and in hindsight perhaps I should have...but again, imagine the wrath my family would have faced from the natives.
As fate would have it, we eventually moved on and left Arkansas to the Arkies. Do I have fond memories of our time there and of our farm at the edge of the Buffalo National River...you bet, but I also recall the difficulties we encountered as non baptist outsiders. The Ozarks are beautiful, the weather is moderate, and property is probably still affordable, making the area well worth a look by anyone looking for a retirement home...but as always...buyer beware.
Times were different everywhere 40 years ago. Its a new generation of people with new ways of thinking these days. People born after 1964 have not experienced the forced segregation and discrimination. Blacks and whites have a completely different attitudes towards the different races than the generations before them. These generations today seem to judge people more about individual choices and accountability rather than race based judgements.
Sundown towns were not unique to Arkansas. They were also in small towns and cities of the Lower Midwest and Upper South that had very few blacks, if any at all, living there.
"I apologize for opening old wounds"....no apology needed, but thanks....it was all part of life, one of the many chapters. My whole point was providing a little insight to the stereotype issue that perhaps some people might not have experienced. It's not just me, unfortunately alot of people have that concept, right or wrong. I'm sure there are many people here who get questioned about the AR culture, or listen to the snide comments often repeated by someone with absolutely no knowledge of AR....but like the saying goes, like it or not, perception is reality....until proven otherwise. And no, the entire state is not like the Ozark enclave, for better or worse, the Ozarks are different. At one point in my career, I worked all over So East AR, Lake Village, El Dorado, Strong, Urbana, Wilmot, McGehee, what I would call the "real" south, I've worked in Little Rock, I've lived in Malvern and while racism was obvious, neither the sundown attitude, nor the exclusion was.
I realize times have changed, generations have gone off to school and maybe returned with a different perspective, others have had different experiences, was merely relating mine....I wish nothing but the best for the residents, my old friends in Marshall, even my in-laws in Heber Springs. I'll exit the thread now, no more comments, but I will observe and learn.
I have lived in NW Arkansas twice -- once in the 80's and again about 5 years ago. I never experienced any difficulty fitting in. I cannot say the same thing about NW Florida where the third sentence after meeting someone new is "where do you go to church?"
I will, however say there are small town pockets in rural Arkansas that may be different.
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There are a lot of us already here 
When you wrote "retire", my old worn out brain read "military retire". I'm sorry 
I should have paid more attention. Anyway, military or not, I am sure a retiree will fit in most anywhere in Arkansas. O.K., now I'll go to my corner and stay until my brain gets back on track 
