Joe Wilson showed the world the real truth about Southern hospitality and gentility:

[jeffbr]

It's for whites only.

Everyone from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe saw it.

[anonymous171]

1. What? Southern republicans were incredibly rude to Clinton too.

[BlooInBloo]

2. Really the only reason they get away with it is because we white folks allow it...

By repeatedly "giving the benefit of the doubt", or "waiting for all the facts to come in", or "look over there! there's racism or accepting any non-racism-but-theoretically-possible explanation. Or any of the other cute tricks we use to avoid calling other white folks racist.

[Skip Intro]

3. Why bash an entire region because of the actions of a few? K&U.

[cwydro]

5. Thanks Skip.

But that is the DU way.

Surely you've learned south-bashing is a sport here on DU.

Oh, and edit for unrec.

[47of74]

6. Because the majority doesn't stand up and tell these racist shitbags off

[stray cat]

8. and where are you from that you have purified your entire region of greed or incivility?

[cwydro]

10. Nothing in the profile interestingly...

[madeline_con]

15. Yuk Yuk

:rofl:

[Tuesday Afternoon]

24. and what methods were used in this purification process?

[jwirr]

17. How do you propose we approach a way of life that seems to revolve

around hate and superiority based on color without addressing regional differences? I know there are the same hates in any area of the US but it seems to have originated in the south and the roots of the civil war. I am not challenging your statement I am asking you for ideas about how to confront this issue from the viewpoint of a southerner?

[cwydro]

20. Bigotry has little to do with region.

Bigotry is found EVERYWHERE in the US. The Boston school riots in the 70's were FAR worse than anything that happened at the same time in southern cities that were also integrating.

Further division by encouraging regional hate and prejudice will do nothing to eradicate bigotry and racism.

Nice try though.

Want a moon pie?

[jwirr]

29. That is what I said! But I still hold that this all started with the slavery/

civil war issue and that is what is still driving it.

[Ex Lurker]

21. because it's an acceptable form of bigotry n/t

[Tuesday Afternoon]

4. oh my.

:o

[cwydro]

9. I know. This sweet little 100 post noob...

bless his heart.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

11. indeed. blessings.

[Cirque du So-What]

23. Does that really mean anything?

There are DUers with five-figure post counts who regularly bash the south. It must be officially sanctioned, judging from the number of times I see it occur.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

26. officially sanctioned....

one does begin to wonder.

[stray cat]

7. And Maddoff is what all NYers and those on the east coast are like?

Romney represents all of the people on the east coast as well I guess. However, does that mean he and Teddy Kennedy are the same? Everyone in the midwest is just like Al Franken - everyone of us could be professional comedians and a great senator - anyone off the street.

[Kahuna]

22. Right. We're all billionaires.

:sarcasm:

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. I know Americans like to believe that they are unique

but you honestly think that people in Afghanistan or Simbawe SAW the adress to Congress?

There are many reasons to tell you that no, they did not... but to think that they did... is just amazing

And this is the REALITY check of the day

[cwydro]

16. Took the words right out of my mouth.

Especially the amzing part.

[madeline_con]

13. What Skip Intro said. n/t

[Contrary1]

14. Traveling around the country while my husband was in the service...

I found most people from the south to be warm, witty, and very friendly. Pretty much like it is everywhere. It's the outrageous few that ruin the reputation for everyone else.

[texastoast]

18. Amen to that

The veil between their outward appearance of acceptance and their true racial hatred is thinning ever more.

I'm so sad for this country.

[Rowdyboy]

19. Just like Jeffrey Dahmer highlighted the friendliness of midwesterners....

[NYMountaineer]

25. You know, I'm a Northerner through and through...

But I've got friends from the south who are some of the greatest folks you'll ever meet. On occasion, I've had southerner's vacationing up here stop to offer help with automotive problems as if we were old pals.

As for the racial tensions, a very liberal black friend of mine is looking to move to NC, after spending several years down there and finding a much more welcoming atmosphere.

Joe Wilson's bad behavior is typical of the crazies anywhere. I encountered someone from Syracuse who bragged about being in Iraq and "killing sandn---er babies." Does that mean that his behavior is the real truth about people from Syracuse or Iraq veterans?

Unrec for impugning a region.

[TexasObserver]

27. Painting with too broad a brush.

Agreed that the South is the GOP stronghold, and that the GOP and its base are unreconstructed Old South racists.

But even in those states, there are huge numbers of Democrats who are proud of their state for the good things it has done.

The "southern hospitality" angle really isn't applicable here. One asshole flashed his ass.

[Christa]

28. Not true

You paint with a very broad brush.

I have experienced as much racism in NY as in NC.



♫

[darkstar3]

30. We should make a new forum/group called FTS

Then people could post Fuck the South memes to their heart's content.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm one of those people who has something against certain regions in the US too, but my group would be called STHOORA.

(Stay The Hell Out Of Rural America.)

Anyway, you HAD to know when you posted this that you would need a flame-suit. Right?

[Touchdown]

31. Aw' c'mon! They're very friendly when their condemning you to eternal hellfire.

They say it with this gentle smile on their face... then they ask if you're thirsty and want a Coke.:rofl:

[quaker bill]

32. Not really

Many whites do not qualify either and never did.

The bigger picture is that Southern hospitality and gentility died a generation ago. I met a few old timers when I moved down here 43 years ago. There was still some vestige of it left then. It no longer exists.

[watrwefitinfor]

33. "It no longer exists." Awwww, all us down here know

that it never did exist except for those who were white and genteel. Was never meant for - nor was it used toward - crackers and blacks, except occasionally in a paternalistic manner.

Wilson was putting Obama in his place, plain and simple. And everybody from the south recognized it for what it was. MoDowd was right - the "boy" was unspoken but there.

Wat

[quaker bill]

37. Now

I had occasion to meet one or two wealthy old white southerners from a couple of generations back. They were altogether genteel and gracious up front. Classist and racist, true, but in a soft and largely unspoken way. Of course, I never got too far with them as I was from New Jersey... Just another Damn Yankee.

The thing unspoken was that all this gentility was but a mannerism, there was no underlying reality to it. These guys could give you the big smile, a pat on the back, and soft friendly sounding words, all the while cleaning out your bank accounts, no problem at all. It was just part of the package deal. Seeming friendly was just part of the scam.

The current class of southerner in leadership has nothing to compare with these old time gents. The fine art of language is entirely lost on them. They screw you just the same, but with no points for style. They are the living proof that what once served as the southern public education system has gone all to cr*p since desegregation (because their fathers took the money away to avoid spending it on minorities).

I agree with MoDowd as well.

[csziggy]

34. Not for properly raised Southerners

I was taught to always be polite to everyone - to the point when someone is completely insufferable, I have to force myself to tell them to go away.

But, yes, there are Southerners who were never taught that - they only learned to be polite to those who were more powerful than they were or to those they wanted to get something from.

[Ghost in the Machine]

35. You're not very smart, are you? Here, educate yourself a little bit....

According to the SPLC there are 38 identified racists groups in Tennessee, 42 in Georgia, 45 in South Carolina, 24 in Alabama & 28 in North Carolina. There are also 26 in New York, 33 in Pennsylvania & 34 in New Jersey.

Hate crimes in the North far outnumber those of the South. In 2008, there were 34 incidents reported in Pennsylvania, 68 in New York & 18 in New Jersey, compared to 11 in North Carolina, 8 in South Carolina, 9 in Tennessee, 9 in Alabama & 8 in Georgia. Please feel free to check it out for yourselves: http://www.splcenter.org/intel/map/hate.jsp and http://www.splcenter.org/intel/hatewatch/fortherecord.jsp

This comes from a post I made back in January: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4857835

[Beer on a stick]

36. Did you have anything resembling a rational, cogent point to make?

And who gives two fucks in a cats ass what anyone in Zimbabwe thinks?