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I do not hide from them, I do not call them names, I live with them, I talk to them, I even like them. I wouldn't change anything about TN, but is it wrong to want to talk to someone with similar ideas?
Exactly. That's the way that people SHOULD be. To put it in another way, I think that there is somewhat of a growing separation between idealogical groups in this country. Perhaps I am confused because I grew up in a family with half of them being very old-fashioned, church going, hyper-patriotic people, and the other half being pretty liberal. I appreciate both sides and get along with both. But I don't appreciate either conservatives OR liberals that refuse to talk to each other. It is about tolerance, and with what I see these days, there is a growing intolerance.
Getting back to the core subject, I'll be free and open that it sort of makes me mad to see people moving in from other states that 'might' be more liberal ( even though I find it hard to believe FL could be classified as such) only to make predetermined speculation of what they fear and don't want to encounter- religious and conservative people. This is how you ruin an area because all you'll get are subdivisions and areas full of people who never talk to each other because everyone assumes that everyone around them is wrong.
Perhaps someday we'll learn to not take such notions to heart and learn to keep learning about each other.
I currently live in the Bay Area, California, which is partially why I feel as strongly about the subject. I've lived in tiny Southern town and big West Coast cities. In other words, I've seen some pretty major extremes with groups of people who vehemently hate the 'other side'. The whole red-state-blue-state thing is believed hard core out here. To think that a lot of these same people are now moving to TN and other places they've never been to and have only heard about as being conservative isn't the best thing I can think of.
Silverbox,
What I don't get is why you care so much (to the point of being mean at times) about who moves to TN since you no longer live there. I was born and raised where you now live but you don't see me telling you or anyone else who wants to move there how to live or what to say.
You see, where you now live was once a beautiful place to live, orchards everywhere, we used to ride our bicycles to Half Moon Bay and motorcycles all over foster city before it was really a city and there were no gangs or grafitti, kind of like TN and other places still are but CA was the first place that was (IMO) ruined by others "California Dreamin". That being said I don't think I have any business telling others what to do there since it no longer affects me. I just shake my head when I go back and visit family and see why I left.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jimj
Silverbox,
What I don't get is why you care so much (to the point of being mean at times) about who moves to TN since you no longer live there. I was born and raised where you now live but you don't see me telling you or anyone else who wants to move there how to live or what to say.
You see, where you now live was once a beautiful place to live, orchards everywhere, we used to ride our bicycles to Half Moon Bay and motorcycles all over foster city before it was really a city and there were no gangs or grafitti, kind of like TN and other places still are but CA was the first place that was (IMO) ruined by others "California Dreamin". That being said I don't think I have any business telling others what to do there since it no longer affects me. I just shake my head when I go back and visit family and see why I left.
Perhaps because Silverbox does care so much about Tennessee, with his families strong roots there, that he doesn't want to see it go from what CA used to be, to what it is now.
Don’t you think you’re pointing out the problem by advancing it yourself with the very title of your thread being “A few comments for those seeking ‘liberal’ hot-spots?
In a way, your comments remind me of our Congress. I get all this stuff from the GOP about how bad Democrats are because they prevent things from getting done. What they really mean is that the Democrats don’t hold enough seats to get things passed as the Republicans had for 12 years, and that they, the Republicans, will be more than happy to get things flowing again if Democrats will simply do things as the Republicans want.
Of course, this type of legislative logjam has its upside. Situations such as this motivate representatives to get together to come up with ideas that will get more support than 50% plus one. Governing from the middle is the only way to get the best out of everyone.
So, Sliverbox, is your message intended to notify people that they are correct in their opinions only if they believe YOUR way? Do you genuinely intend to separate yourself from so-called liberals as your title seems to indicate? Doesn’t your statement “[p]erhaps someday we'll learn to not take such notions to heart and learn to keep learning about each other” seem hypocritical when you’re basically chastising those who might not believe your way simply because they might be so-called liberals?
Life is about the pursuit of happiness while not preventing others from doing the same, and, for some of us, happiness is found by being amongst like-minded people in a geographic area. I don’t care about such a thing, but I know many who do and they are Red or Blue or Democrat or Republican or liberal or conservative (whatever the heck those last two labels mean!).
I believe that isolating oneself in many cases can become (not necessarily will become) the equivalent of the type of parents that home-school by keeping their children/students from learning about anything other than the propagandized version the parents worship.
However, not all people who live amongst like-minded others are unwilling to examine different concepts; in fact, it seems reasonable to assume that many will be more likely to be open-minded if they are otherwise comfortable in their surroundings.
I'll try and answer a few of the questions. I'm sorry that I might sound a bit mean on this. But what got me to write the post in the first place was that I saw yet one more post that was essentially asking the same thing, which was where can you live where you can avoid Christians, conservatives, and so forth.
Understand that I am fairly liberal myself if the real term of liberalism is used in context. But at the same time, I like some aspects of conservatism as well. Perhaps I'm right in the middle. I'm not trying to say that everyone here must agree with me or else not move here, but I would like to see a few less posts with titles and subject matter that deals with irrational fear of the prevalent culture I grew up with. One thing that is certain is that whatever original character that made the South unique and perhaps notorious in the minds of some is being visibly decimated. I guess that's what happens to places that change.
jimj, I can totally agree with you. It is beautiful out here. The weather is amazing. The food is phenomenal. I have friends from all ethnic and political backgrounds. But at the same time, I totally see what you see, which is when you go to cocktail parties, half the people in the room are from Ohio with very few actual native Californians. I'm friends with a few guys from Marin. Nicest guys in the world. They're mechanics and tell me of the days back when Marin was rural, inexpensive, and full of old California families. These days a small home in Marin is over a million dollars. They will never be able to afford to live in they're home town. That makes me sad and I see the same thing out here. For this reason alone, I feel very strongly about my own home state NOT becoming anything like it is here in CA. What I have seen out here is nothing short of a total replacement of the middle and working class.
Lastly, I like the idea of being able to have opposing opinions and having the ability to discuss them with others who might think differently. You learn a lot that way. I know I have and looking back years ago I'm amazed that there were some things that I felt strongly about for no reason and later went in the total opposite direction. Good example is that I used to be kind of opposed to gays. Today, one of my best friends is gay. If I had stood stubbornly behind my beliefs, he would have never been my friend. But at the same time, I feel that it is equally ignorant for a person to come in and say that they're worried about moving into an area that might have super-religious conservative people. Perhaps instead of avoiding them, listen to what they have to say. That's all. You might actually learn something new about yourself and what you know.
Anyhow, I'm glad that we can talk openly on this forum and do so in a civilized manner. Good thoughts here. I am sorry if I hurt anyone's feelings.
I do not hide from them, I do not call them names, I live with them, I talk to them, I even like them. I wouldn't change anything about TN, but is it wrong to want to talk to someone with similar ideas?
Exactly. That's the way that people SHOULD be. To put it in another way, I think that there is somewhat of a growing separation between idealogical groups in this country. Perhaps I am confused because I grew up in a family with half of them being very old-fashioned, church going, hyper-patriotic people, and the other half being pretty liberal. I appreciate both sides and get along with both. But I don't appreciate either conservatives OR liberals that refuse to talk to each other. It is about tolerance, and with what I see these days, there is a growing intolerance.
Getting back to the core subject, I'll be free and open that it sort of makes me mad to see people moving in from other states that 'might' be more liberal ( even though I find it hard to believe FL could be classified as such) only to make predetermined speculation of what they fear and don't want to encounter- religious and conservative people. This is how you ruin an area because all you'll get are subdivisions and areas full of people who never talk to each other because everyone assumes that everyone around them is wrong.
Perhaps someday we'll learn to not take such notions to heart and learn to keep learning about each other.
I was reading your message and understand your frustration. I also know that you are smart enough to know that people like that exsist everywhere and those are the type of people who just are negative. they put down the town you are in but would have put down any town that they happen to be in. I would have asked them to watch the language if my kids were with me or I would have complained to the manager. You should not have to put up with that.
I have lived in New England all of my live and even my family in MA ( I live in NH now) are rude. Maybe it is the culture or the stress but my sister in MA gets mad just waiting in line at Dunkin Donuts.
So Yea, I am looking to relocate, simple live, maybe but for the most part so that I can afford to feed my kids without working 80 hours a week.
Culture is everywhere and there are those that embrace differences or not, no matter where they originate from.
I have heard nothing but good things about Tennessee to be honest and would love to hear more. Does it snow?
. . . Anyhow, I'm glad that we can talk openly on this forum and do so in a civilized manner. Good thoughts here. I am sorry if I hurt anyone's feelings.
I’ve read a lot of your posts and I believe you’re a clear thinker and certainly a civilized communicator.
My problem isn’t with your basic premise that people should come here with open minds (at least that’s my opinion of what your basic premise is). My problem is that your opening was one more in a long line of threads in which liberals are singled out. I’ve only lived in Tennessee since mid-April and I’ve only been reading this forum for maybe six weeks before that, but I’ve witnessed a large number of discussions in which many people from other States have said, in essence, “I can’t wait to get out of here and into a conservative State where things are done differently, and the disgusting, spawn-of-the-devil liberals haven’t yet ruined it by making into an overpopulated metropolitan economy full of crime.”
But here’s the kicker: I haven’t seen any rebuttals to that type of commentary along the lines of what you posted that started this thread. Yet, I’ve seen FAR more posts in line with my paraphrasing above from those who want to hide in what they might consider a conservative paradise. So where’s the outrage, as I often have to ask in political forums?
And I won’t turn this into a controversy by expounding on the ridiculousness of blaming liberals for mega-metropolitan areas—as if liberals were the original developers in those monstrosities!
People that have no idea about the area or the people, don't particularly care and just want to move here to save a buck.
Certain things raise red flags.
Asking about finding a liberal area is one of them. It's THE SOUTH, people. Are there liberals here? Of course there are. A liberal area, though. Well, I don't know about that. People are moderates to conservatives, for the most part. Someplace like Oak Ridge, which has transplants from all over working at the National Laboratory is going to be more of a mixed-bag. Nashville, too. But you are not going to find San Francisco in Tennessee.
If you have to ask the question, I wonder if you really watch the news, know about voting patterns, and such.
Are there areas in Tennessee where, if you turn down the wrong road, you may come upon a still or a pot farm, and they may shoot and ask questions later? You betcha. There's that, too.
I just wish people would do more research. Otherwise, they end up unhappy here, and quite frankly, I have to listen to them. I listened to enough whining in Florida to last me a lifetime.
Another thing that I find bizarre is people that have sold their house, never visited, don't have jobs, have no idea where to look for a job, have no idea what pay to expect for salaries, don't know about the job market at all, yet they are moving up here in a couple of weeks because they heard it is cheap.
First of all cheap is relative. It ain't cheap if you can't find a job. And it ain't compared to what some people THINK it costs to live here.
For instance, you can NOT find a house rental with three bedrooms in a decent area that accepts dogs for $500 to $600 in the Knoxville area. You just can't.
In fact, I find the question kind of insulting.
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