Forumites here like to make up stuff about the south (crime, houses)

[Observation]

One thing I hear often is about how dangerous the south is, how it's the highest crime region. Which is a flat out lie.

Here are 2010 most dangerous cities in the US.
Most Dangerous Cities in America (Photos)-- WalletPop

1: St. Louis (Midwest)
2: Camden (Northeast)
3: Detroit (Midwest)
4: Flint (Midwest)
5: Oakland (West)
6: Richmond,CA (West)
7. Cleveland (Midwest)
8. Compton (West)
9. Gary, IN (Midwest)
10. Birmingham (South)


The numbers tally:
5 for the midwest
3 for the west coast
1 for the east coast
1 for the south


So how is the south super violent or terrible?
Also people often bash the south on here for being racist. The most segregated cities I have ever been to are in the midwest, the most unsegregated cities I have ever seen are all in the south.

Also I believe poor blacks in the south have better lives than ones pretty much anywhere else in the US right now in 2011. When I go to a poor black neighborhood in GA I see libraries, big ranch style houses with huge front and back yards, YMCA's, community swimming pools, etc. And these are just the poor areas, not to mention the many middle and upper class black communities all thru-out the south.

The few times I have been to all black neighborhoods in any other region, it's extremely depressing. The conditions of the area itself just tells me that the local government does not give a damn about it's citizens that live in there. This is especially true from what ive seen in the midwest and east coast.

[BruceTenmile]

I'm sure the numbers don't lie, but you can't fight perception.

The reason I'm posting is hat I'm confused. How can a 'poor' black neighbourhood have 'big ranch style houses with huge front and back yards'? Who in a poor neighbourhood can afford to live in these houses? Are they boarded up? How poor is poor? I'm guessing not very if they can afford such houses, unless somehow the prices are through the floor.

[LondonUSA]

I think the whole south violence thing is just a major stereotype (to confess, i have thought of the south as violent) and has been proved wrong by them stats.

[Observation]

Originally Posted by BruceTenmile

I'm sure the numbers don't lie, but you can't fight perception.

The reason I'm posting is hat I'm confused. How can a 'poor' black neighbourhood have 'big ranch style houses with huge front and back yards'? Who in a poor neighbourhood can afford to live in these houses? Are they boarded up? How poor is poor? I'm guessing not very if they can afford such houses, unless somehow the prices are through the floor.

Because it's cheap, heres one of the worst hoods in the south. It was actually featured on gangland.
Hidden Valley Charlotte - Google Maps

Not only are the houses ranch style with big yards, trees, driveways and garages. There are woods and football fields in the neighborhood, along with a elementary and high school that serves stricktly the neighborhood kids so they always get to grow up with each other. Also it's off a main through fair with many businesses and 10 minutes from the largest downtown in the state.

I stress to you, this is one of the worst neighborhoods in the city itself, and is majority black, and this is not an isolated case, many hoods in Atlanta are as nice as this one with just as many amenities.

Now go and compare that to any poor black neighborhood anywhere in the midwest or northeast. Many of them resemble third world countries.

[mccarley]

Originally Posted by Observation

One thing I hear often is about how dangerous the south is, how it's the highest crime region. Which is a flat out lie.

.

All part of the "Bash the South sickness".

[ShoreGuy89]

Originally Posted by Observation

So how is the south super violent or terrible? Also people often bash the south on here for being racist.

I think the reason people often bash the south for being racist because of the history. So there are many reasons why this stigma is tied to southern states. I will say that most racism out in the Northern states and the Western ones are a little more covert, however, there's a much higher percentage of racial tension in the south.

How is the south super violent? Well, that's just a sweeping generalization and crime happens everywhere.

[Observation]

Originally Posted by J.R

I think the reason people often bash the south for being racist because of the history. So there are many reasons why this stigma is tied to southern states. I will say that most racism out in the Northern states and the Western ones are a little more covert, however, there's a much higher percentage of racial tension in the south.

How is the south super violent? Well, that's just a sweeping generalization and crime happens everywhere.

History is just that, history.
I would disagree and say that racial tension in the majority of the souths big cities is much less than the racial tension in the majority of the norths big cities from what I have seen and heard, there's no large city in the south that is as racially divided as Chicago with as much generally resentment from both sides based on what I have seen.

Blacks in poor areas in Chicago from my experience tend to absolutely hate all white people, and I cannot blame them because there neighborhoods are 95% black and there much worse than anything Ive ever seen in the south, and the police are much more blatantly racist up there.

Ive actually had police tell me in Chicago they were letting me off because I was white, and Ive had black friends get arrested for doing absolutely nothing in the Chi aside from having the wrong color skin.

I think people need to stop obsessing on how it was before they were born and start observing the realities of what is going on right now.

[ShoreGuy89]

Originally Posted by Observation

History is just that, history.
I would disagree and say that racial tension in the majority of the souths big cities is much less than the racial tension in the majority of the norths big cities from what I have seen and heard, there's no large city in the south that is as racially divided as Chicago with as much generally resentment from both sides based on what I have seen.

I think it's basically like that in every city because people make the decision to live somewhere based on race for the reason of comfort.

[Observation]

Originally Posted by J.R

I think it's basically like that in every city because people make the decision to live somewhere based on race for the reason of comfort.

You really should look at some of the race maps of the US.
Race maps of America | Mail Online

By far, the most segregated cities are in the northeast and midwest, and the most integrated ones are mostly found in the south.
I'm white and I feel much more comfortable in black neighborhoods in the south than I do in Chicago. I can go to black neighborhoods here and people don't really notice me or seem to care. When I look someone in the eye, instead of being mugged I usually get a smile, a waive or a nod. If I start a conversation with someone 9/10 they will continue it and we will have a very happy nice interaction, people will open the doors for me and say bless you when I sneeze.

When I went to SS Chi almost every person I saw threw angry looks my way, almost every male under 25 mugged me with anger like he was trying to scare me, and almost everyone I came in contact with refused to even talk to me unless they were hurling an insult in my direction or subtly trying to hurt my self esteem. I felt like this is an area where I could be attacked or even murdered just because of my skin color. My friends who are black have had similar experiences in white neighborhoods in Chi and in the south.

[bobtn]

Boston's reaction to busing in the 70s was as egregious as the South of the early 50s. The sole reason the city embraced the less talented Fred Lynn above the HOF quality Jim Rice was based on race.