So everyone in the southern US is a racist hick?

[Blindswordmaster]

Most people I know(I'm from Florida) know better than to insult someone for being from somewhere. If I insult you, it's because you're either a horrible person, or you've pissed me off. I like the message from this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7ozllFholA

 

[Mucinex-D]

This has been a stereotype that I have always had to deal with, since I live in Alabama. A recent thread on a gubernatorial candidate in Alabama just brought it back to the front of my mind. Why does everyone bash the South as a racist breeding ground? I have known many people who are from different sections of the US who are just as bigoted as some of the people in the South. There are racists and intolerant people wherever you go, so why is much of the hate directed at us Southerners? The majority of the people I know here are kind and gracious. Your response doesn't have to necessarily apply to the South, but have you or your friends ever been stereotyped as a bigot simply because of where you live?

I've lived in the south the past 3 years and I have to say there is much more racism down here. It may not be as bad as people say but you can't deny that the south has a much larger majority of racists than the north. Also yes... a large percentage of the population are ignorant hick rednecks.. but stupidity is universal. There are plenty of stupid people in the north, but they don't speak with that accent that makes me want to rip my ears off.

Though I may be bias. Living in the north for 16 years and being forced into redneck country really made me resent the south.

I'm not saying many of them are nice and all, nicer than people in the north in fact... but I still have had my vision of the south tarnished over these long 3 years. Thankfully 1 more week and I will be back in the north...

 

[HT_Black]

I have a nondescript skin color and this way of adopting any given accent after hearing a few sentences spoken with it, so most people I meet don't know I'm from the southeast until they ask me. And should they express surprise at my ability to speak in complete sentences and think rationally, I chide them for their casual racism and go my merry way.

And besides, most of the people I know are from down the street (figuratively).

On another note, where I live you have to drive for two hours and rob a trailer park to find anyone who's racist beyond the usual human tics.

 

[Srkkl]

God, here if people aren't black "gangstas" they're white rednecks who wonder why their car gets keyed when they wave around the Confederate battle flag. I'm a northerner stuck in a cornbread sucking, hushpuppy inhaling, shitty wannabe southern state. I hate it so much. What I'm trying to say is that there is some truth to the stereotype but with exceptions of course.

I agree that there is some truth to the stereotype, otherwise it probably wouldn't exist. I guess I just get annoyed when I go out of state and the first thing people assume about me when they hear my southern accent (which isn't that bad) is "Oooo, he must be a bigoted redneck." When in fact I have very little in common with the Southern stereotype. I loathe most country music, Johnny Cash being a major exception (if you can really even call that country music). And I hate loud-ass trucks with pipes and all that crap. Though I do love fried chicken... Mmmmm

Haha I'm on the same boat, the only difference is my accent. I was born and lived in Alaska for most my life. However military dad means moving, A lot. But I think North Carolina is the first place that I've actually hated.

 

[Flishiz]

This has been a stereotype that I have always had to deal with, since I live in Alabama. A recent thread on a gubernatorial candidate in Alabama just brought it back to the front of my mind. Why does everyone bash the South as a racist breeding ground? I have known many people who are from different sections of the US who are just as bigoted as some of the people in the South. There are racists and intolerant people wherever you go, so why is much of the hate directed at us Southerners? The majority of the people I know here are kind and gracious. Your response doesn't have to necessarily apply to the South, but have you or your friends ever been stereotyped as a bigot simply because of where you live?

It's not the South's problem, in particular at least. It's more of a rural poverty thing, that often drags people into similar circumstances. For example, I live in Ithaca, NY, the one intelligent oasis in a tree-filled desert of immense rural poverty, and everything one imagines about deep South hicks can be seen practically around every other tree, assuming moving in front of it doesn't get you shot by someone who thought you were a deer.

 

[kickyourass]

It really depends on where you are, just like everywhere else in the world, some places are ok mostly, and some aren't.

I think it a combination of alot of stupid people, overly zealous religious types, and the fact that most southern states held onto shit like the Jim Crow laws for so long that gives the southern US a bad name. At least that's how I see it.

 

[spinFX]

Are you seriously wondering why the world pictures the south as a den of racists and backwards hicks?

Just look at the laws of your states.
Look at the politicians.
Look at the school districts and their teaching plans.
Look at Arizona right now with their newest anti-illegal immigration laws.

Come on dude. I know not all living there are like this but a good majority are.

Fix your backwards bible thumping government. Have evolution in your curriculum. Get some more human laws. Get rid of your pointless guns. Get rid of antiquated racist laws.

Then maybe the rest of the world won't point and laugh at the majority of the population of the south.

 

[Marter]

No, never happened to me. Canadians actually are very tolerant of other people, regardless of ethnicity, religion or anything else.

Whoopsy! Might want to take a step back and examine English Canada's attitude toward French Canada and vice-versa.

I'm not gonna take sides on the matter but... one has semi-legitimate gripe what with being conquered and treated like second-class citizens for a few centuries...

I'm talking more about immigrants, but I think in general we are pretty tolerant to the French Canadians. I'm not sure if it is the other way around seeing as I've yet to get out to Quebec, but I don't think that the relationship is poor anymore. That is except for the potential separation issue. That draws heat from the English speaking provinces.

 

[Spiner909]

You can't deny that its racist past and origins will continue to affect its modern views.
I won't say everyone. But it is there in force.

 

[AwesomeExpress]

The South US is generally associated with racism because of how popular slavery was there, but you're right, there are many other places in the US that were just as racist as in Texas or Alabama. It's just that once something becomes a way of thinking for the general public, it's hard for that way of thinking to die out, which is a big reason of why racism still exists. It's sad.

 

[Enkidu88]

Unfortunately after the Civil War the south never really did get their reputation back, with the KKK and Jim Crow laws it only set them back further. I've traveled to Virginia, Georgia and Alabama and I found everyone there to be very polite and friendly. I live in Washington state and can confirm there are some pretty wacked out nutjobs up here, from religious fundamentalist to anarchists. But our state doesn't have 150+ years of racial slavery, armed rebellion and discrimination to contend with so we don't get a bad rap most of the time.

Hoisting confederate flags, and trying to strong arm "Intelligent design" into schools doesn't exactly help the image either. I think eventually the "Deliverance" stereotype will blow over but it'll take a while. In the meantime I wouldn't take it personally.

 

[crimsonshrouds]

I live in kentucky and ive been stereotyped as racist when im not but i have met racist people and not all of them were white.

-edit- Why is the southern united states the only place associated with slavery? Slavery has been all over the world and still exists today and not only committed by white people as so many people love to generalize.

 

[Bladecatcher]

I've noticed that people are generally the same in terms of how racist they are. The only difference between the north and the south is that (in most cases) northerners are say whats on their mind, while southerners put on a polite facade. But I think most people get the idea that southerners are more racist because most of the extremists are in the south.

 

[KdS_22]

Are you seriously wondering why the world pictures the south as a den of racists and backwards hicks?

Just look at the laws of your states.
Look at the politicians.
Look at the school districts and their teaching plans.
Look at Arizona right now with their newest anti-illegal immigration laws.

Come on dude. I know not all living there are like this but a good majority are.

Fix your backwards bible thumping government. Have evolution in your curriculum. Get some more human laws. Get rid of your pointless guns. Get rid of antiquated racist laws.

Then maybe the rest of the world won't point and laugh at the majority of the population of the south.

It's not so much that I don't understand why, it's just that I get annoyed every time I talk to someone out of state and they assume from my accent that I'm some redneck bigot. I wish that some of the people here didn't do a lot of the things that propagate the stereotype, but I know that I'm just being fantastical. I reacted to the bashing of Alabama in that other thread because it just seems like a double standard to claim that all Alabamians are ignorant and bigoted, when by making that statement in that way, the person who said it is doing the same thing.

I'm aware that there are a lot of things here that need to be fixed, but there are the same or slightly different problems in other places around the world. I was just wondering why so much of the hate was directed at Alabama when there are other areas with problems of the same magnitude.

 

[Chamale]

I know some black people who emigrated from the Deep South to Canada. They find that it's considerably less racist here. One even said to my mom, "People treat me as a real person up here". From my experiences in the Deep South, I find that some people there are unspeakably racist, some act racist because they feel pressure to be, and there are plenty of friendly non-racists who hate all of the racism.

 

[likalaruku]

I heard that a lot in school, yes, school is where we pick up all this rubbish. So basically, teen society told me that Southerners were incestuous gun-toating bible-humping rasists who vote only republican, blondes are slutty born-morons, redheads are untrustworthy bitches, cheerleaders & football players have a 90% chance of living the Bundy life (Married with Children) after college, all children of the poor class joined gangs & did drugs, all guys who don't have deep voices are gay, girls who wear boyish haircuts or wear plaid are gay, all goths believe they are vampires, nerds all die virgins, all women who have premarital sex are sluts but it's okey for men, & long hair on a man is the worst sin a man can commit.

This is the kind of bullshit I learned in school, & I don't believe a word of it.

 

[duchaked]

it depends on where you are in southern America

some places have become more saturated with northern migration =] lol

but in general I'd avoid stereotyping, I feel like the south overall (not the deep south) is known for its friendliness and hospitality, and really good biscuits and barbeque

not everyone down here waves a Confederate flag haha

(in the same regard, not all northerners are super pessimistic and cynical...I've only met one or two out of my many friends who've come down from the New England and surrounding areas)

 

[dmase]

You rang?

I live in VA and thanks to my govenor I believe we deserve the title as most bigot filled state in the union. Its kind of weird thinking how large our african american population is and we still have that kind of govenor.

I see it, I live around it, and it will take another generation or two for it to go away.

 

[AMMO Kid]

Racism can be very funny if taken in the right context. A black guy on L4D1 was making fun of Louis for being able to run so fast from the zombies because he was black. "HA you guys are toooo slow! Good thing I'm the black guy I can run faster than them you darn whiteys!" But when people are overall REAL racists, then they need to grow up. REAL racism, not joking racism, shouldn't exist. And YES 91% of southerners are racist, even if they put up with, or even hang out with people of another color