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Many liberally steeped areas have protective taxes, protective anti-development laws, green laws, and so on that help protect only the citizens that passed these back in the 70's who thought they were doing some great deed, saving the environment from more people moving in and so on. So as a result, nobody can afford to live there- hence the enormous amount of people from these states now sniffing around "red" territory.
Well, I agree with your post, except for the above. I fled from a state that had no control and money was the bottom line. I think we agree though, that leaning to much to the left or right can get a state in trouble.
In Massachusetts, it was exactly as you described. Very little ever got built due to a wetland or some crazy regulation. In Florida, they'd bulldoze an eagle's nest and then call the ugly "Stepford" creation "Eagle's Nest."
Tennessee seems just right. On the other hand, they haven't had to cope with a lot out-of-control growth. YET.
To be quite frank, if you're not a church-going, "normal looking" white male, you aren't going to make a lot of friends in TN. Of course, there are many gay people here and they hole themselves up into neighborhoods and open 1 or 2 shops in that area. But honestly, I grew up in Lawrenceburg, went to college in both Chattanooga and Memphis and now live in Nashville. Nashville so far, has been the most conservative area i've been in. It might surprise many people that Nashville has a LOT of wealthy people. A LOT. What comes with that wealth are neighborhoods that don't want their Stepford world imposed upon. If you're white, straight, married with children and call yourself a Christian, then yes, Nashville is perfect. If you are just a little shy of any of that, you will always be looked at oddly here. Gays are tolerated, not liked and not accepted. Blacks have it even worse for the most part.
Memphis and Chattanooga seem to both want to be much more progressive. Chattanooga has such a bohemian feel to it downtown. Memphis' midtown area is very GAY and also very black and everyone seems to get along quite well.
I digress. Reality is, TN will never be equated with Liberal. Moderator cut: cut, link not allowed
I work in an extremely diverse company in Knoxville. Maybe since I'm in that happy little world I don't see the bad stuff so much anymore. I have to say that my neighbors up the street are from upper New York state and they are some of the biggest bigots I've ever met. The husband has repeatedly been fired for calling co-workers racial slurs.
To be quite frank, if you're not a church-going, "normal looking" white male, you aren't going to make a lot of friends in TN. Of course, there are many gay people here and they hole themselves up into neighborhoods and open 1 or 2 shops in that area. But honestly, I grew up in Lawrenceburg, went to college in both Chattanooga and Memphis and now live in Nashville. Nashville so far, has been the most conservative area i've been in. It might surprise many people that Nashville has a LOT of wealthy people. A LOT. What comes with that wealth are neighborhoods that don't want their Stepford world imposed upon. If you're white, straight, married with children and call yourself a Christian, then yes, Nashville is perfect. If you are just a little shy of any of that, you will always be looked at oddly here. Gays are tolerated, not liked and not accepted. Blacks have it even worse for the most part.
Memphis and Chattanooga seem to both want to be much more progressive. Chattanooga has such a bohemian feel to it downtown. Memphis' midtown area is very GAY and also very black and everyone seems to get along quite well.
I digress. Reality is, TN will never be equated with Liberal. Go to the Tennessean.com sometimes and read their message boards. It will frighten ANY liberal.
You know, there's a grain of truth in some of these statements. The trouble is, when you make such blanket statements, it sounds like just so much shrill. What I hear is, "It ain't just exactly like I think it should be, so therefore, these people are awful."
I'm not trying to change this posters opinion. Obviously he's lived here and made up his mind. But he only paints half the picture.
For example, he says that "blacks have it even worse . . . " here. He forgot to mention that our vice-mayor, who is in charge of the Metro Council, is black. He was elected with a sizeable white vote. He also stands a good chance of being elected mayor during the next election. For many years, our chief of police was black. We have three universities of higher learning that are predominately black: TSU, MeHarry Medical College, and Fisk. Our schools were desegregated with less violent than those in Boston, I believe. All of this is not to say there's aren't still racial problems here (there is here, like there is elsewhere).
But, he's right to a certain extent, Tennessee/Nashville is still a basically conservative place, although we vote both Democratic and Republican (our governor is a Democrat, our two senators are Republican). It isn't like San Franscisco or New York City, and isn't likely to change anytime soon. If you're looking for that kind of "liberalism", this might not be the best place for you.
I'm not trying to change anyone's opinion if they have a different one. Just adding mine to the mix.
And, by the way, I haven't attended church in years except to go to a wedding or funeral. I get alone just fine and have quite a number of friends. No one bothers me about it even though I work with many who do go to church regularly.
To be quite frank, if you're not a church-going, "normal looking" white male, you aren't going to make a lot of friends in TN. Of course, there are many gay people here and they hole themselves up into neighborhoods and open 1 or 2 shops in that area. But honestly, I grew up in Lawrenceburg, went to college in both Chattanooga and Memphis and now live in Nashville. Nashville so far, has been the most conservative area i've been in. It might surprise many people that Nashville has a LOT of wealthy people. A LOT. What comes with that wealth are neighborhoods that don't want their Stepford world imposed upon. If you're white, straight, married with children and call yourself a Christian, then yes, Nashville is perfect. If you are just a little shy of any of that, you will always be looked at oddly here. Gays are tolerated, not liked and not accepted. Blacks have it even worse for the most part.
Memphis and Chattanooga seem to both want to be much more progressive. Chattanooga has such a bohemian feel to it downtown. Memphis' midtown area is very GAY and also very black and everyone seems to get along quite well.
I digress. Reality is, TN will never be equated with Liberal. Moderator cut: cut, link not allowed
We live in the Nashville area and are originally from Massachusetts via Florida. Nashville is probably the most liberal part of the state. My wife and I are a bit left from center in our politics and have no problems at all with the folks we meet and associate with. With all of the colleges in the area it brings a lot of diversity.
With Karl Marx being the great-granddaddy of liberals and Lenin the granddaddy I could never understand why anyone over the age of 30 would come even close to embracing liberalism. Socialism is a liberal agenda.
Nice theory except it doesn't work as witnessed by the former USSR.
I think it was Churchhill who said " liberalism is for the young and if you are not a conservative by the time you are 30 you have a screw loose".
Pardon me, I paraphrased but look at the current crop of liberals, Kennedy, Kerry, Pelosi, Reid and you see what I mean.
Find a good therapist for your mental condition and a foot-washing preacher for your soul.
i want a liberal CHEAP city,and there just arent many.
You are correct and why do you think that is so?
Could it be where liberals go, big government programs and the taxes to pay for them follow.You can want a lot of things but the programs cost money as do the government entities you want to regulate them.
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