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<What is it about the South that attracts blacks and probably other Americans to the region?>
I've been wondered the same thing; my husband and I are getting ready to retire and have looked at various places in the south because of some of the reasons mentioned on this thread. On a trip to Nashville, however, I saw the Confederate flags flying on the way out of the city, and I was totally creeped out. I can't wrap my mind around how supposedly patriotic Americans still fly that symbol of treason and racism. I asked a friend who lives there how my husband and I would be perceived with our political views (we consider ourselves independent, progressives), and she jokingly said we would have no friends. I'm trying to keep an open mind, but, I wonder what it would be like to live among the fanatical religious extremists and bigots who yes, are all over, but seem particularly concentrated n the south?
It's 2009! You Yankees act like it's still Reconstruction down here. I'm so sick of going to every forum and seeing people run down the South as the ultimate redneck landfill representing everything bad in America. The South did NOT invent racism and you will hear racial slurs from Northern, Midwestern, and even New England accents. (Even though most people on this forum seem to believe New England is something approaching a perfect utopia) There are plently of progressive Southerners. Bill Clinton, Al Gore? Ever heard of them? And most Southerners don't view the Confederate flag as a racist symbol at all. It is merely a symbol of our region and heritage. I have one hanging in my cabin, and I voted for Barack Obama. Yes, of course there are racist people in the South, just like everywhere else on planet earth, but don't characterize an entire culture based on a few bad apples.
I'd say the best place for black people is the Northeast. Not the South. This is still the south, the only reason its getting more progressive down here is because more Northeners are moving here.
Yeah, most people making the South a better place are transplanted Northerners, huh? You mean like George W. Bush? A lot of liberal self-righteous Northerners seem to forget that he was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and that he came from one of the most prominent New England families in history.
This is a broad and rather unfair maligning of a large swath of America.
I really doubt the Klan wants people like Joseph Cao and Bobby Jindahl in office, but conservatives did. Even Sarah Palin I doubt fit the Klan ideal of women, which traditionally tends to be domestic and submissive. It was also a conservative woman, Elizabeth Rickey, who maybe did the most to expose and derail David Duke.
There is an unfortunate history of racism and segregationism in the conservative movement, but to say it "votes the way the Klan does" is insulting and unjust.
But everyone who who doesn't vote Democrat every time is a klansman, dontcha know.
As for most of DC and Maryland, race is as much a factor in segregation as class. Don't believe me, ask a professional black person to walk to bourgeoisie parts of DC and MD like Georgetown, Capitol Hill, College Park, and Potomac. Compared that to walking through class-segregated yet racially integrated places like Arlington, Alexandria, Prince William, Loudoun, and Fairfax.
Ask a black professional to walk through those areas and what? They will be verbally assaulted? Yeah right . I've been there plenty of times with black family members. Anybody of any race can and will move into a neighborhood with people similar incomes and be accepted. Hence why theres so many diverse neighborhoods Maryland. The only group of people, and no disrespect to them, that change the ethnic landscape of any area are Salvadoreans. And it may not be such a racial thing, but when all the businesses in the area start catering to them then most people move.
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Originally Posted by The_Fairfaxian
I have to call BS on that one. That would be a lot more credible if it was used to mention how transplant Westerners are making Texas more progressive, but I doubt that's the case for Northerners moving into places like NC and GA. As I stated, there's a stark difference between the uppity places in DC/MD and higher-end places in NoVA, and I honestly believe it's due to more Northeastern transplants going to more bourgeoisie places in DC and MD versus people from all over the country and world being attracted to NoVA. That's just my observation.
Well I can only speak on Florida, but I don't see what the rest of your post had to do with my point I was trying to make.
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Originally Posted by Georgiafrog
No way, in Georgia. While there are many people from up north moving into Atlanta, my part of the state gets very little emmigration from up north. It really is time for everyone to drop those old ideas about the south. The races get along probably better here than anywhere these days. We have the highest population percentages of blacks in the nation. We interact daily, live in the same nieghborhoods, shop at the same places, send our kids to the same schools, etc... The reason that black, white, or any people are moving here is because it is a nice place to live. These forums have really shown me what people think about the south. It's incredible. And mostly from people who claim to be accepting of all, no matter what.
Well I can only speak on Florida, but that is the case down here. A Florida cracker(not a racial slur, that is the terminology used down here) is going to have different views than the Snowbirds and the New Yorker that migrate here.
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Originally Posted by Ark90
Yeah, most people making the South a better place are transplanted Northerners, huh? You mean like George W. Bush? A lot of liberal self-righteous Northerners seem to forget that he was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and that he came from one of the most prominent New England families in history.
Yeah he fit right in down there in Texas though. They elected him Governor and the rest of the southern states elected him President.
As for Northern Virginia, it is more segregated by class. As for most of DC and Maryland, race is as much a factor in segregation as class. Don't believe me, ask a professional black person to walk to bourgeoisie parts of DC and MD like Georgetown, Capitol Hill, College Park, and Potomac. Compared that to walking through class-segregated yet racially integrated places like Arlington, Alexandria, Prince William, Loudoun, and Fairfax.
I'll have to call BS on that one. Since when is College Park or Capitol Hill bourgeoisie? lol Capitol Hill is actually very racially integrated as is College Park and other places such as Silver Spring. Other parts, such as Germantown which is very racially diverse is not racially integrated, but this is not restricted to Maryland or DC. DC is waaay more integrated than Loudoun or Prince William County. Only Arlington comes close. Alexandria is diverse, but not racially integrated; there are very well-defined black and white neighborhoods there.
This is a broad and rather unfair maligning of a large swath of America.
I really doubt the Klan wants people like Joseph Cao and Bobby Jindahl in office, but conservatives did. Even Sarah Palin I doubt fit the Klan ideal of women, which traditionally tends to be domestic and submissive. It was also a conservative woman, Elizabeth Rickey, who maybe did the most to expose and derail David Duke.
There is an unfortunate history of racism and segregationism in the conservative movement, but to say it "votes the way the Klan does" is insulting and unjust.
"Insulting and unjust"? I guess that depends on whether you are a conservative in denial. Unfortunately for this country, "conservative" is synonymous with "racist", and the conservative agenda has more in common with the klan ideology than it does not. Conservatives have more than an "unfortunate history", they have a SHAMEFUL history of supreme ignorance in this regard.
I don't trust a region of the country that is always painted red even when the conservative party has shown itself to be an utter failure and a detriment to this county over the previous 8 years. Painted red even when their candidate is vastly inferior to opposition candidate. Painted red because an educated black man is running and I've heard some say that they "can't never vote for no black man." Shameful.
"Insulting and unjust"? I guess that depends on whether you are a conservative in denial. Unfortunately for this country, "conservative" is synonymous with "racist", and the conservative agenda has more in common with the klan ideology than it does not. Conservatives have more than an "unfortunate history", they have a SHAMEFUL history of supreme ignorance in this regard.
I don't trust a region of the country that is always painted red even when the conservative party has shown itself to be an utter failure and a detriment to this county over the previous 8 years. Painted red even when their candidate is vastly inferior to opposition candidate. Painted red because an educated black man is running and I've heard some say that they "can't never vote for no black man." Shameful.
Nothing more than a product of affirmative action....
The fact is that African Americans move to the the South because liberal cities like SF are actually more hostile to them. A liberal looks at diversity as giving poor blacks projects to live in and yelling tolerance from their Marin county mansion
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. I've been there plenty of times with black family members. Anybody of any race can and will move into a neighborhood with people similar incomes and be accepted. Hence why theres so many diverse neighborhoods Maryland. The only group of people, and no disrespect to them, that change the ethnic landscape of any area are Salvadoreans. And it may not be such a racial thing, but when all the businesses in the area start catering to them then most people move.
How is it not integrated? I grew up there and always considered Germantown a model for racial harmony. Maybe it changed?
Shameful.