Friends vs Southern Friends.

[mpope409]

Originally Posted by lammius

I'd call it FRIENDS vs. REAL FRIENDS or TRUE FRIENDS. Those attributes are not limited to the South, believe me. I have friends like this who are from Virginia, New Jersey, Boston, California, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka.

I agree. There are people in the South who will do you wrong. Good people are all over this earth.

[Marat]

Originally Posted by FistFightingHairdresser

FRIENDS: Will share a seat with you
SOUTHERN FRIENDS: Will share a seat with you...as long as you're white.

I hardly think racism is limited to the south.

[Galounger]

Originally Posted by Marat

I hardly think racism is limited to the south.

You got that right. As an African American I'm always dismayed how some Northerners have a holier than thou attitude towards southern whites when it comes to race. Yeah I know there's some true bigots in the south but the North in some ways may be worse. Here's some comparisions I noticed about race between my living in North and South.

North: Some whites I met weirded out around me because they came from
small towns or neighborhoods where they weren't used to being
around any blacks.
South: Never experienced that in Georgia where there are plenty of blacks
everywhere.

North: Whites and Blacks both were less likely to hit it off with you if you
were a stranger.
South: Both Whites and Blacks are more likely to introduce themselves, strike
strike up a conversation, invite you to their church, etc.

North: Often time Blacks feel left out like there aren't enough cultural
activities, stores, services, entertainment etc. geared to blacks
preferences and needs.
South: There are alot more activities and places to go specifically geared
to blacks tastes.

ON THE OTHERHAND

North: Whites and Blacks both seem way more excepting of interracial dating.
North: Young Whites and Blacks are more likely to hang out socially. (However
sometimes this is because blacks as mentioned above have so many
less places and events geared towards them to be drawn to.)
North: There are more whites who have a liberal attitude or stance on racial
topics.
North: Whites try to be more politically correct in public atleast about race.

Also there are some Southern Whites that have very conservative outdated ideas about race relations. Some Northern Whites do also. However, though both areas have people that hide these ideas I think Southerners are more likely to lay their ideas out there for you to hear them because they care less about being politically correct.

[Old Man Winter]

Clearly the OP can be used for any place on earth. Ok I get it a friendship thread... how does it become a race issue and why ??? Maybe a little off topic.

[destinedtodave]

Hairdresser, you're a moron and you have no idea what your talking about. You're ignorance doesn't bother me, its just that others may think you are knowledgeable. What makes you an expert on America? I don't make idiotic generalizations of the UK. I would place a bet that racism is as much of an issue in the British Isles as in the American South.

Jzer, that does ring true somewhat (and I hate it) but to borrow another person's saying, its not limited to the south.

Also, Lammius, Virginia is in the South.

The list is supposed to be light-hearted. None of us really believe the qualities exist only in the South.

[destinedtodave]

Originally Posted by Galounger

You got that right. As an African American I'm always dismayed how some Northerners have a holier than thou attitude towards southern whites when it comes to race. Yeah I know there's some true bigots in the south but the North in some ways may be worse. Here's some comparisions I noticed about race between my living in North and South.

North: Some whites I met weirded out around me because they came from
small towns or neighborhoods where they weren't used to being
around any blacks.
South: Never experienced that in Georgia where there are plenty of blacks
everywhere.

North: Whites and Blacks both were less likely to hit it off with you if you
were a stranger.
South: Both Whites and Blacks are more likely to introduce themselves, strike
strike up a conversation, invite you to their church, etc.

North: Often time Blacks feel left out like there aren't enough cultural
activities, stores, services, entertainment etc. geared to blacks
preferences and needs.
South: There are alot more activities and places to go specifically geared
to blacks tastes.

ON THE OTHERHAND

North: Whites and Blacks both seem way more excepting of interracial dating.
North: Young Whites and Blacks are more likely to hang out socially. (However
sometimes this is because blacks as mentioned above have so many
less places and events geared towards them to be drawn to.)
North: There are more whites who have a liberal attitude or stance on racial
topics.
North: Whites try to be more politically correct in public atleast about race.

Also there are some Southern Whites that have very conservative outdated ideas about race relations. Some Northern Whites do also. However, though both areas have people that hide these ideas I think Southerners are more likely to lay their ideas out there for you to hear them because they care less about being politically correct.

I think you covered the differences pretty well. I find that last bit about "Souterners laying their ideas out there...because they care less about being politically correct" very interesting. Aren't Northerners supposed to be the ones who are direct and speak their mind? Isn't the south supposed to be polite to your face but then gossip behind you? ....hmm whats up with that.

[lammius]

Originally Posted by decafdave

Also, Lammius, Virginia is in the South.

Of course it is. You'll never see me argue otherwise. I'm saying, good friends come from everywhere. I mentioned places where good friends of mine are from: Northeast, South, West, overseas.

[FistFightingHairdresser]

Originally Posted by decafdave

Hairdresser, you're a moron and you have no idea what your talking about. You're ignorance doesn't bother me, its just that others may think you are knowledgeable. What makes you an expert on America?

Good question. What makes me an expert on America? Hmmm.

I gotta notion of whence I speak decaf. Of course we're all the product of our experiences, and I can share what experience I have from the hillbilly South if you like. Particularly those from when I was in the military, when I saw serving, uniformed black men treated like scum in the south. But then again, I guess I didn't see that.

Originally Posted by decafdave

I don't make idiotic generalizations of the UK.

No, you just call people names, and you presume identities based on location. Aside from that, you're a regular picture of open-mindedness. Do go ahead, you may be right.

Originally Posted by decafdave

I would place a bet that racism is as much of an issue in the British Isles as in the American South.

Certainly it's an issue, but just not as big.

[anonymous]

Originally Posted by decafdave

I think you covered the differences pretty well. I find that last bit about "Souterners laying their ideas out there...because they care less about being politically correct" very interesting. Aren't Northerners supposed to be the ones who are direct and speak their mind? Isn't the south supposed to be polite to your face but then gossip behind you? ....hmm whats up with that.

I think he is spot on with that. I agree that white southerners (vs. all white Americans) are much less politically correct about race relations, and are much more open to speaking their mind. I think this is a good thing, since it encourages dialogue. However, in practice, because some people are just stupid, this can be a bad thing.

Whether you're black or white, you can't really escape race issues in parts of the south. I've spent most of my life in towns where white people were the minority, and I think it is way out of touch with reality to think that whites won't share a seat with blacks. Hell, I shared a seat with a black lady in the emergency room last night. Y'all act like it is 1960 or something. Also, y'all act like New York, Chicago, the UK, California, etc. are somehow free of any racist activity.

There is still obvious inequality, and pretty much everyone acknowledges that there are problems between blacks and whites. But they rarely exist on an individual, person-to-person basis - they've been escalated to the political forum. And obviously, once things become political, they become "grey", not black and white.

[Galounger]

Originally Posted by decafdave

I think you covered the differences pretty well. I find that last bit about "Souterners laying their ideas out there...because they care less about being politically correct" very interesting. Aren't Northerners supposed to be the ones who are direct and speak their mind? Isn't the south supposed to be polite to your face but then gossip behind you? ....hmm whats up with that.

Maybe in "In Your Face" northern cities like N.Y. or Philly that comparision is wrong. But,I was in the midwest and found whites there mostly try to be politically correct about black white issues (have a "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all policy) whether they are conservative or whatever on the topic.