Anybody else weary of the broad-brush South bashing that periodically crops up on DU?

[ncgrits]

As you might guess, I'm worn out with it. Not every one in the South is a deep-fried idiot teabagging "redneck". Just as not everyone in the Northeast is a PhD-educated latte-sippin' uber-Liberal. Duh.

Just venting. Was scrolling down through posts in the Latest Threads and there was another one starting up. . . . Bless their hearts.

Seems to me that those of us that are fighting the good fight where it's often damned hard, should get a pat on the back, not more of the same old generalized anti-Southern BS that shows up nearly everywhere in our culture.


End of whine. I promise.


--NCgrits (NC Girl Raised in the South)

[KarenS]

1. I get it,,,,, I'm in Arizona =) n/t

[Kalidurga]

2. Never liked it.

I have lived in the North most my life. Michigan growing up. Wisconsin for a year. I lived in Tennessee for two years, never met anyone like the stereotypical southerner. Ironically all the people I know that would fit that stereotype are all northerners minus the accent.

[CherokeeDem]

3. Yes Ma'am I am...

I saw the thread you most likely are talking about, almost commented then decided it simply wasn't worth it. I grew up in South Carolina and now live in Kentucky...I'm either a red-neck or a hillbilly...depending on which state is in the crosshairs.

Well, sorry, I'm neither.

I'll end my whine as well.

[fleur-de-lisa]

4. I'm not tired of it . . . I live it every day.

I'm another member of the GRITS . . .

Born in Alabama.
Reared in Mississippi.
Attended college in Tennessee and Virginia (that must be where I went wrong . . . received an education!).
Prior resident of North Carolina.
Current resident of Louisiana.

I have lived it every day of my life and I totally agree with the redneck bashers. No wonder I drink!!!

[atreides1]

5. It is kind of annoying

But please know that many of us here know that a small group of you from the South are putting up the good fight and trying your hardest to make a difference.

Unfortunately it's kind of like the Alamo, isn't it? Every time you beat back one attack from the TB/Repubs...they breach another wall and break through...but even you have to admit that the majority of those in the South who support the TB/Repubs would like to go back to the days of segregation.

As for myself I salute you for your endeavors and trying to bring about change.

[sinkingfeeling]

6. No. I deal with it every single day.

[Downwinder]

7. It seems to me that it is not DU that has stereotyped the South.

It has been stereotyped by southern born and bred authors. Point us to some southern progressive authors.

[dballance]

11. The South Deserves what they get

I grew up in the South and I bash it freely having lived there and been an object of ridicule and scorn as a gay man. I know there are kind, intelligent, progressive people in the South. But they are being out-shouted by the idiots on the right.

Seriously, TN has to state senate candidates who are trying to out do one another on their hate and bigotry with regard to a Muslim community center that isn't even in their district.

If you don't think people of color still get discriminated against there then spend some time in the South. I watched store clerks ignore African Americans and work with white people first. I watched waiters and waitresses ignore black customers in favor of white customers. And this was in the '80s and '90s not the '50s.

Where are most of the voter ID laws being passed that effectively limit minorities and seniors from voting. In the South.

Where is it that pretty near a majority of a state's citizens polled still believe inter-racial marriage should be illegal? In the South.

So sorry if you feel the South is taking a beating. Frankly they deserve it.

Oh, Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain was quite a progressive author, essayist and commentator.

[whathehell]

13. This is not a "chime in" to beat up on the South...There are and have been great progressives

from the South -- Molly Ivins, Jim Hightower, and certainly Jimmy Carter -- I wouldn't

call Big Dawg a great progressive, but at least he's not The Republican Beast.

A friend of mine who travels a great deal, says that every public place in the South

with a televison has it turned onto Fox News...Do yo find this to be the case?

[barbtries]

20. i'm in NC

and have yet to see anywhere that has fox news on. of course in my opinion cnn and msnbc are nearly as bad so i wish tv was not on in public places period.

[whathehell]

12. John Grisham.

I don't know if you've read any of his books, and they're not, of course, primarily

political, but he does have a decidedly progressive slant on things....He's slammed

the insurance industry hard in at least one of his books, which was made into a

movie, but I can't recall the title right now -- Matt Damon starred in it.

[Inkfreak]

17. The Rainmaker

Great movie.

[whathehell]

18. Yes, thank you.

I took a particular interest in that film because my sister

was a lawyer for quite awhile and she always complained

about the insurance companies and repukes in general,

who, as everyone knows, are not fond of trial attorneys.

She used to say that the insurance industry had the GOP

in it's pocket.

[barbtries]

21. ditto

love that movie

[RedStateLiberal]

8. I haven't seen much of that sentiment here

but I've only been posting for just over a month.

That's one of the reasons I chose my DU username and avatar - to disprove the myth of everyone in the south being a wingnut that some tend to generalize about.

It is quite annoying when I do see it. You're right, we've got it tough enough living among so many closed minded people who unreasonably reject fact and common sense due to partisan politics. We should get more support for being in the 'trenches' so-to-speak.

I hope people know that every state is really shades of purple, not red or blue.

BTW - I was born and raised in Alabama - not a transplant. I wasn't even raised a liberal. My household wasn't political at all but I was raised to think for myself. That's what led me to be a liberal.

[msongs]

9. as opposed to the air of superiority frequently put on by "southerners" lol. nt

[doohnibor]

10. No. Bring on some more

I live in the heart of Stupidland, and it needs to be pointed out to these people every single day.

“It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so."
-Mark Twain

The large numbers here who believe stuff that is demonstrably false are going to kill the rest of us with their ignorance.

[richmwill]

14. As a lifelong New Yorker, I agree with you...

I know you have good people in the South. I am friends with people from Tennessee, Texas, Alabama, Arizona, Florida. All good people who I love and would do anything for. The simple fact is that stupidity is everywhere. It's not "all in the South". There are idiots in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania... you get the idea. Good and bad everywhere, it's not all exclusive to one region.

[lunasun]

15. Like individuals who earn a bad reputation , there is skepticism that anything has changed

even when it has
I, for one dunno I admit i would be scared to travel south. I am not alone and have no desire to see change there
& are all you fair minded gonna be there at the Mason Dixon line to greet me and offer safe passage ??

Some southerners probably have a lot of misconceptions about big Northern cities

Hey some southerners who have lived it even sing about the bad rep and acknowledge the South's past..so they are still promoting the image in 2012......its not like it came out of nowhere and it doesn't just go away unfortunately

[matt819]

16. Been here since close to the beginning

Never tire of broad brush south bashing. Sure, there are DUers from the south. And there are smart people in the south. But, let's face it, for the most part, the statistics that prompt south-bashing today are unchanged from the statistics that have prompted it forever. But I also think it's fair to say, bashing aside, most people here realize that that not all y'all are rednecks and not all of us in the north are latte-sipping liberals.

[Remember]

19. Tar heel born

I agree the bashing is really over the top. There are bigots anywhere and stupid people everywhere.
It just depends on your view. I could bash other places but there really is no difference. We all bled and we all die. Period.

[HelenWheels]

22. Wisconsin

I'm from Wisconsin so you know darn well I can't throw stones at any state.

[NRaleighLiberal]

23. many people who do broad brush stroke attacks are just often being lazy. more nuanced...

having lived in Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Washington, Pennsylvania and now here (for 20 years), I have to say that each has had its issues, strengths, weaknesses - examples of hatred, racism, bigotry, you name it. It is a good topic for a get together with some good food and beer and wine or whatever to discuss.