4 Big Reasons, Plus A Bunch Of Smaller Reasons, Why The South Won’t ‘Rise Again’

[citizen blues]

Posting this for all my Southern cousins.

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/09/29/4-big-reasons-plus-a-bunch-of-smaller-reasons-why-the-south-wont-rise-again/
[link:http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/09/29/4-big-reasons-plus-a-bunch-of-smaller-reasons-why-the-south-wont-rise-again/|


First off, let me say up front that I am a Southerner…..I realize that far too many of us do conform to some of those stereotypes, and that some of us have this weird fantasy that the ‘South Will Rise Again’ (YEE-HAW!). But let’s be realistic, here: The South Will NOT Rise Again.

-snip-

That said, we have to get real and face some facts. Southern states tend to be “Red States,” meaning deeply conservative / Republican states. You’re not going to “rise again” if you’re the least healthy, have the shortest lifespans, have the highest infant mortality rates, rank lowest in education stats, have the highest number of teen pregnancies, consistently consume more tax-based social programs and handouts than do Blue States, are consistently the poorest, and consistently have the highest rates of unemployment. No, Bubba, that is not a recipe for domination and success, much less “rising again” in some racist wet dream of Southern culture supremacy creating a utopia based on a plantation-era fantasy.

So…let’s get real.

-snip-

The South won’t rise again, because the South is the pits in too many ways, and until we address these issues, it can’t happen. As a Georgian, I am tired of being surrounded by Confederate-flag waving, “Dixie” horn-tooting ignoramuses who cite “being born white” as one of their life’s greatest accomplishments.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

1. Excellent! Sending to all my tealiban relations.

[Duppers]

2. not so fast on the education part - Here are SAT scores by state

I've nothing but contempt for teabillies but .... but to paint ALL aspects of ALL the south with such a broad brush is just wrong.

I realize that the college-bound are top students and are not representative of the whole but do have a look at these numbers:

State Education Rankings: SAT Scores (Total)

1. Iowa: 1813

2. Wisconsin: 1784

3. Minnesota: 1782

4. Missouri: 1779

5. Illinois: 1775

6. Michigan: 1762

7. South Dakota: 1758

8. Nebraska: 1753

9. Kansas: 1734

10. North Dakota: 1725

11. Kentucky: 1707

12. Oklahoma: 1703

13. Tennessee: 1701

14. Arkansas: 1700

15. Colorado: 1698

16. Wyoming: 1685

17. Mississippi: 1680

18. Louisiana: 1676

19. Alabama: 1658

20. Utah: 1657

21. New Mexico: 1633

22. Ohio: 1606

23. Montana: 1602

24. Idaho: 1601

25. Washington: 1562

26. New Hampshire: 1556

27. Massachusetts: 1550

28. Oregon: 1547

29. Vermont: 1542

30. (tie) Arizona: 1534; Connecticut: 1534

32. Alaska: 1528

33. Virginia: 1521

34. (tie) California: 1511; West Virginia: 1511

36. New Jersey: 1505

37. Maryland: 1497

38. Rhode Island: 1488

39. North Carolina: 1486

40. Nevada: 1485

41. Indiana: 1483

42. (tie) Delaware: 1477; Pennsylvania 1477

44. Florida: 1475

45. Texas: 1467

46. New York: 1465

47. Georgia: 1460

48. South Carolina: 1452

49. Hawaii: 1450

50. Maine: 1390

http://voices.yahoo.com/state-education-rankings-sat-scores-6382040.html


On edit: I'm feeling very guilty for going off on my very red-minded, ignorant 87 yr old mother some nights ago. I haven't discussed politics this election cycle with her but something triggered the worst in me and I was ranting. She lives in a red state, of course. She pulled out a racial comment my uncle had said to her just the other day, implying that most AA's are lazy welfare recipients!! That put me on boil and so, I pulled up the Santorum's video ("We'll never have the SMART people on our side&quot on the computer and played it for her over the phone. I told her that Santorum is right, smart people will not vote republican. She gasped that I would say that....which means that she, her family (I don't consider them my family), and all her friends aren't smart. Then with a quiver in her voice, bad enough that I could tell that she was crying, said goodbye. There were no phone calls exchange for two days. Then she called for 2 days straight and I refused the calls. I'm still angry. I should not let my political opinions hurt people like that but I cannot remain silent when such shit is thrown out there. I strike back with hurtful vengeance. There's a lot of baggage between the two of us.

And, while I'm confessing things I shouldn't, I'll say this, it is beyond my understanding how any DUer can have an intimate relationship with any republican voter. What they vote for, what they believe in and stand for are the very things that are harming this country and this planet!! I've yet to meet a fully aware republican.

And, btw, I enjoyed the article, although I think it's over the top in a few of its pronouncements.

[fasttense]

7. You don't take the SAT in the South. It's mostly the ACT.

So, did this survey count only those people who took the SAT (and were probably going to an out of state college) or did it convert the ACT to a SAT score?

[Duppers]

8. Is this an issue?

I know for a fact that SAT's are administed in VA.

A load of links are provided at the site I linked.

Admission officers who looks over scores have a SAT-ACT score conversion chart to see comparisons between the two scores, so there's no reason for a preference to either test.

2010 updated scores: http://voices.yahoo.com/average-sat-scores-state-2010-7702520.html?cat=4

[SteveG]

9. In some states all Juniors and Seniors take the SAT's and in other states only some take the test.

Comparison by state for SAT's and ACT's is an exercise in futility since you are comparing apples to kumquats. If you want to compare states on education, you need to look at indicators like graduation rates, dropout rates, percentage of high school and college grads, etc.

[Uncle Joe]

10. I hope

you and your mama have made amends since, life is too short.

Peace to you,

Uncle Joe

[Duppers]

12. thank you, Joe.

I'll make that phone call tomorrow, even if I have to have some tequila to take the edge off my emotions.

It's so sad that she, her brother, & friends don't understand, won't understand. Overall, however, she deserves my forgiveness.

Peace, Joe.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

3. The South has had this fantasy that all you need to take on a problem is,..

....a white pickup, a bunch of guns and a shitload of beer.

Day two in "The Battle to Save America":

[img][/img]

[Journeyman]

4. Thanks for posting. . .

interesting article, despite its minor flaws.

[JoeyT]

5. To be fair, Kudzu wasn't our fault.

It was brought in to Philadelphia first. It just kind of took over down here.
She forgot Mark Twain for the list of good stuff.

The South isn't even going to attempt to rise again because there's too much local resistance. Liberals and moderates want no part of a risen south. 40% of your own population opposing you will make for a damned short rebellion.

[Flashmann]

6. the ‘South Will Rise Again’

Of course it will,shit floats...

[FiveGoodMen]

11. We have the politics we have today because of the block-voting, SBC-dominated South.

Last edited Tue Oct 2, 2012, 12:07 AM - Edit history (1)

How many discussions here have excused Blue Dogs because "you have to vote that way or you can't get elected in that state"?

The South has risen.

The South has conquered.

This is what we got out of it.