I won't let the door hit me in the tail....

[inthecorneroverhere]

I am sick and tired of the Southern-bashing on this board!!!!

At a time, when the electricity in the South is flowing freely, partly thanks to the 'socialist' TVA (THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU FDRoosevelt), certain Northern interests on this board feel that it is their prerogative to bash all Southerners as ignorant, racist, *shrub supporters.

Let me tell you. I for one, detest *shrub. I detest what he has done to send American jobs to third world countries like China and India where wages are less than $u.S. 1 $/hour. I detest the zero-growth economy and massive deficits that have accumulated since *shrub took office.

I am also sick and tired of the high-minded, arrogant generalizations about Southerners that are prevalent on this board.

In a period of time when Northern incompetence at some yet-unknown point, probably in the distribution (rather than generation) sector of the electrical grid has led to 50-million northern homes without electricity, certain Northern individuals on this board, who are very 'politically correct-social liberals' continue to paint false pictures of Southern incompetence along with the stereotypes of racism and ignorance.

I don't blame the blackout on a failure at a coal, oil, nuclear, wind, geothermal or solar generating plant. I think it happened somewhere in a distribution or transmission point, in a Northern state.

Yet, certain Northerners on this board, anxious to salvage their extraordinary egos and high self-esteem, feel it duty to bash the South at this point in time.

This is reprehensible, and this is the last straw.

No, I will never vote Nader, or any left-competitor for the Democratic vote. When I vote in 2004, my vote will be established so as to hurt *shrub.

Yet, because of all the South-bashing on this board, I am on the verge of deciding not to vote :dem: but rather to vote third-party Buchanan, and thus 'take away' votes from the Republicans but also make my stand known against free trade and against exportation of U.S. jobs to the third world.

[orangecoloredapple]

1. I respect your thoughts - but I don't see it

maybe I'm not looking close enough, but I really don't

[Fovea]

2. Ok, you have a reason to be pissed off

But scruffing away in a huff does not seem like a good way to deal with it. Get some thicker skin and don't think that by going to buchanon you help repair America, you just nullify your vote in a snit.

Instead, mention that the :dem: should fight to get the south back, both for its sake and the south's.

[inthecorneroverhere]

5. mmm hmmmm

Yes,...have been watching and waiting... hoping with my optimistic side that the bashing might stop. You know, that liberal optimistic side....

Unfortunately...the bashing has continued...over a period of months.

If it were merely weeks, it would be OK. I'm known as a patient person.

Yet, when days turn to weeks turn to years....something's not right. I am really sick and tired of it now. The time for 'thick skin' is over.

I mean, it's not exactly like we have the League of the South posting regular 'official' rebuttals here. It's well, sort of one-sided around here. The Southern liberals are demurring in the face of the overt South-bashing and shyly saying, 'Please be nice. Please try to keep an open mind. Please, will-ya?'

I've had it up to here with being nice. It's time to talk back, and likely leave.

[MoonAndSun]

3. Last Friday, there was a bitter thread going on about rape,

women-bashing, men-bashing, etc. and it got really ugly, with some women DUers saying they were leaving, but I think most of them are still here.

This is going to happen on a discussion board as large as this once in a while, so please stay and help fight the good fight, which is to get rid of bush* and his cabal.

[SiobhanClancy]

4. I understand why you're angry

but I wouldn't let what people post on a message board influence how I voted.

[DS1]

6. what if we limited it to Kentucky?

would that swing your vote back :dem: ?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

10. No you got it wrong

ALabama is the place even southerners will bash. :D

[DS1]

11. That's Ala-get-down-bama, to you!

:7

[inthecorneroverhere]

12. Kentucky?

This is a border state. This is the last state one would want to bash!!!!

Kentucky could swing :dem: a lot quicker than Alabam' or Ga.

Realize it!!!

Read up on the dif' between border and Deep South! Border states, especially West Virginia have produced some truly great civil libertarians, most notably Robert Byrd of WV. Places like GA, AL, SC, and MS. will only work with the Dem's if the Dem's first work with, and not against!!! the good folks in places like WV, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia.

Regionally, regarding the 'north' at least, I am cognizant that it is not one uniform entity. NYState and NJersey don't always have the same interests or the same votes as the New England states of Mass, NH or Maine! I am also cognizant that the interests of the Upper Midwest states of Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin and are often very different from those of New England or NY State.

[SaintLouisBlues]

23. There are no hard boundaries. Parts of Illinois are in the South.

Ever been to southernmost Illinois? Cotton is grown around Cairo and the bald cypress grow in swamps in the Shawnee National Forest.

Cairo is as many miles from Chicago as North Carolina is from NYC!

[Ramsey]

30. Now you're bashing my home state!

Them's fighting words! There are not only mullet-sporting rednecks and bluegrass musicians in Kentucky. I promise!! :-)

[aquaman]

7. Oh inthecorneroverhere....

As a southerner myself, I can understand where you are coming from. However, I tend to view any "bashing" the south rants on DU with humour. Because, generally these individuals are being just as narrow-minded as those that they claim to be "bashing" against. The fact is the south need democrats such as us. Hey, ignorance is worldwide, does not pick a certain region of any country. So, don't get angry at these "bashing" posts, feel sorry for them because they are narrow-minded and "claim" to be a democrat. Sad indeed. Well let me go back to my southern thing.

[fishnfla]

26. Very well said

Good on you mate, but I'm still pissed!

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

8. I guess you aren't in the corner any more

;-)

Hey ya know what. There's a lot of us smart people who know the puppet masters love it when we are divided.

Heck...I'll bet the puppet masters even send a few of their pawns over to destroy us.

Frankly, I think the energy issue os worse because of private markets that want to return to the share holder rather than provide to the public. The government could do it for less money with less graft for bond sales. We need to go backwards on this one.

At any rate, there are many of us that would never dream of bashing people for where they live of how they look....what they do is another thing entirely.

[Mel]

21. Right ON!

I call it 'wedge issues' to divide us.

What we should be doing is feeding the media information the truth about how deregulation has NOT worked!

Reason I say this is because that's the move the pukes are going to make regarding the 'black out' they are going to try to push more de-regulation and build more nuclear plants at the tax payers expense in monies/insurance and then they Eron's/corporatists are going to pocket the profits. That's a no go and that's how they are going to try to jam us on this one.
Watch their little elves and plants their geared up and going at it now, bet ya!

side note- come on now I had to make sure I spelt that word nuclear right cause I've seen people make fun of how Bush* says the word so many times do we really want to hear Bush* say it over and over and over.......NO and what do we do? We stop these 'International Gangsters' off at the path!

This is for inthecorneroverhere.
I'm in the south and you know what I know a lot of people have got it wrong about us.
I guess, sometimes that just isn't enough. Don't leave though, please :-) I also agree with the idea of there being plants here. I came here not long after the selection and I tell you there are plants here. Keep your eyes open for that and try to be more aware I'm not saying that you aren't so I hope that didn't come across as insulting. If it did slap me down and tell me how to say it better. :shrug:

Oh, yea anybody heard about that 'Faux Show' some sort of reality show that's going to mock southern people? Is that still a go? I know Senator Miller was pretty pissed about it a few months back. See this is the type of 'wedge issue' the corporatists like.
If the people that have way more in common realized this and came together the corporatists would be screwed and they know it!!

The good news is they are worried about it, thing is we got to hold it together and slam them and we need people like you inthecorneroverhere! There is one thing I like about 'southern liberals' if we are going to stero type us {sarcasm} we've got grit and we aren't wimps! :evilgrin:

[Skip Intro]

9. Its just mindless chatter

You know, I got a little ticked-off at the first Southern-bashing thread I saw here, but that was a while back, and it really just doesn't bother me anymore. There are kooks and shameful histories throught the country - morans run amok in every state, and we should keep in mind they are a minority - noisy and red-faced yes, but still a minority. We should also realize the regional snobs on this board are very, very few. Don't let them decide for you whether to stay or go, vote Dem or not.

(Please stay, and PLEASE VOTE DEM!)

[inthecorneroverhere]

13. Thanks!

Thanx.

Thanks for having the heart to admit there are 'morans' in widely distributed geographic locations. LOL. Wink.

We'll see how it goes...

[Kool Kitty]

24. Honey, the woods are full of "morans",

every stretch of woods in every state. The country is full of them. Don't let it get you down. Really. :hi:

[SaintLouisBlues]

17. Lots of Red State bashing, not just the South

Especially from the state that brought us (and voted for) 16 years of Nixon/Ford and Reagan. We need Red-Staters to be testifying to their fellow residents in order to vote out the Repukes.

Let the ignorant make their blanket accusations, as long as they vote Democratic.

Let's just assume these offenders are only referring to the Repukes amoung us, and concentrate on ending this National Nightmare.

[KCDem]

14. Hey, I was just reading some very ignorant posts

over in GD by one or two people in particular. Here is my response (not verbatim):

I am a new Texas transplant, and while I dislike many things about this state, I have never in my life seen such Democratic activism! Between last Saturday's rally in Austin and the anti-Bush rally in Houston a few weeks ago, I am IMPRESSED, I am ENERGIZED. I haven't seen any state which holds a candle to how much work dems down here are doing. If you are so insecure as to find it necessary to make fun of a state: laugh at CA, where they elect one guy yet decide a year later that he might be wrong. Laugh at Maine, where they have two repug senators who consistently vote with their Southern counterparts, NOT for their constituents. Laugh at DE or MD (can't remember which one), which elected an underdog repug governor because the local dem group couldn't get enough people enthused about their candidate. Laugh at MN: Coleman, need I say more? But DON'T make fun of us. We're working hard, and we WILL take this state back.

Now, inthecorneroverhere, I'm not sure if you're from TX or somewhere else, but try to understand that a lot of the NE-ers on this board need to feel secure in their location. Then, forget about it, and realize that there are greater enemies out there than them. And pray that they'll realize there are greater enemies than us. We all need each other. Northern Dems have no chance without us.

[inthecorneroverhere]

16. OK>...

MMMMkay...now, I need to feel secure in my location.

Here goes.

I live in what still remains a first-world country. The power is on. I am posting on a computer that is hooked up to house current and a normal telephone line..

There. I feel better. I've justified myself by saying that I live in a First World country. (Yet, I have fears that something might happen to put our grid on the splitz).

Veeeerrry, veeeerry interesting. This post is my #665. The very next post I make after this one will be the consummate evil one. :evilgrin: Civil war, anyone?.


edit: HTML was goofy

[eileen from OH]

15. Um. . .

I don't read all the posts as they come fast and furious throughout the day so I have been like totally clueless (not a new sensation, for me) about this.

But I will go on record as saying that I like the South except for the following:

Florida bugs, which are big enough to have collars and li'l name tags.

Florida early bird Senior Dinner Specials wherein they start lining up at 4pm and will lay down in parking spaces to preserve that perfect spot.

North Carolina drivers who have a penchant for sitting at a stop sign and watching you speed along towards them from 3 miles away only to pull out right in front of you and go 15 mph.

Grits. Sorry, just don't get it.

Okay, seriously. . .I don't know that much about the South (except for the aforementioned). But I have visited Atlanta on several occasions, which has to be one of the neatest cities in the country. And, as a Southern friend explained to me - the South was forced to face their demons, in regard to racism, segregation, etc., a long time ago. Faced and overcame. The North got a free pass, because it didn't have the image, even though it had its own peculiar and hidden, yet equally pervasive and damaging racism. With the result that Atlanta is probably a lot freer of that kind of crap than a lot of Northern cities.

I do find something that we Yankees do not understand at all. For most of us (well, me, anyway) the Civil War is something in history books and it has zero relevance to us now. I don't take particular pride in being a Yankee, or being from the North, and I sure as shit don't feel any kind of Yankee "identity". This is not true in the South wherein pride in Southern heritage is very strong. We ignore this at our peril, methinks.

Don't know if that helps, but just thought I'd put in my .02.

eileeeeen from OH

[inthecorneroverhere]

19. Thanks -

First, welcome and thank you! Have never had much of a clash Ohio-ways. Shoot, even have family who originated in the Buckeye State.

Ah, NC drivers. I'll let ya in on a secret. I hardly understand 'em myself. They don't know what that little left-right-thingy called a turn signal is used for. It's something peculiar around NC and thereabouts, since turn signal usage is at relatively normal levels down in the Deep South like Ala-Miss-Lou etc.

Noting the number of posts, it is imperative that :evilgrin: show up.

However, as this is my 'evil' post (see post no. LOL), I wish to ameliorate the evil by asking for a truce in the War Between the States with Ohio. I really don't think most of the South-bashing is coming from Ohio, PA or NY in other words, I don't think it's coming from any of the states that border the Mason Dixon. I think it's coming from a certain 'holier-than-thou' puritanical elements in places like Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont etc.

[roughsatori]

18. There are a very few here who seem to have a lot in common with Feepers

They will use derogatory language and post insulting images, based on stereotypes, of Southerners, Gays, Women, "Fat" People, "trailer trash," "white trash." Then when they are called on it, they use the language of the Limbaugh's and O'Reillys of this world: "feminazi," "whiner," "lighten up," "get over it," "PC police."

I some times think they have more in common with the Freepers then I have with them, no matter who they plan on voting for.

And then there are the thoughtful individuals who apologise, or at minimum make an attempt to seriously understand where the complaints are coming from. And then there are my DU heroes, they do not let bigotry go by unmentioned and take on the onslaught from the defenders of ignorance.

I honestly believe those people are not in the majority at all, it just feels like that sometimes.

I always read your posts. Good Luck in whatever you decide.

[inthecorneroverhere]

20. Thank you!

Appreciate the kind words!!

[cally]

22. Ahhh, just stay

I live in Cali which is now rightfully the laughingstock of the country. We'll soon see endless threads on DU about how absurd we are. Most of us have been bashed on DU many times. Just realize that most of us don't dislike southerners. I don't.

[Trajan]

25. Im beginning to think ....

That SOME posters are hypersensitive to thier topic of choice ....

I would ask: .... out of the greater than THIRTY THOUSAND DU participants: ... how many have actually posted nasty things against southerners in DU ? ....

0.01 % ?? ..... 0.3 % ??? ..... DONT demean all of DU for the actions of a VERY few ..... MOST DUers are very considerate and thoughtful, and simply DONT participate in these vanity threds ....

Im beginning to think that some here may mistake their own inferiority complex with someone elses superiority complex: .... DONT become so enmeshed in someone elses negative stereotyping that you lose sight of the fact that MOST DUers never even POST in those threads ....

Maybe you are searching for this stuff ? .... maybe you PREFER to argue about this ??? ....

[fishnfla]

27. can you exp-lain WHY these ad hominem attacks are occurring?

I mean its not like the South is in the news, like gay issues or Catholic issues. These attacks have been occurring without merit and without cause for sometime now. People are being bashed simply because of where they live, its puzzling

[inthecorneroverhere]

29. thanx

n/t

[inthecorneroverhere]

28. Hogwash!!!

Searching for the anti-Southernism on this board???!!

That's kind of like "searching" for raindrops in a freakin' hurricane.

There are major news stories going on, and a number of individuals over in GD see it more fit to write post after post after post to re-fight the Union side of the Civil War. It's not exactly like the Southerners on this board write regular threads trashing the North and writing about the fires on Lake Erie in the 1970s, the busted out inner city ghettos, the anti-busing hysteria in Boston etc. He**, maybe we should! We need to stand up for ourselves if the mods won't clean up this garbage dump.

Us folks living in Kentucky and below are expected to just 'roll over and take it.' Hogwash!!!

Your other point about 'oversensitivity' is hogwash, too.

[ScreamingMeemie]

31. Heck, I (born in Wisconsin) married a Fulton, KY boy.

Not anti Southern here. I won't lump you, if you don't lump me. Agreed????

[Maddy McCall]

32. Shugah, I have railed against anti-South sentiments here myself...

I am the daughter and the grandaughter of rednecks...my father and grandfather earned hard-scrabble livings by toiling the rocky soil in Mississippi. I am not the least bit ashamed that my family comes from a long line of "rednecks," men whose necks were burnt by the sun or reddened by the reins of their mule plows as they worked their asses off to provide for their families and community.

My father is an independent who votes for republicans and democrats...in the ongoing elections right now, he is supporting many more dems than repubs.

He isn't a racist, just a hard-working southerner, as was his own father.

The true racism in the south emanated from the Delta planters (rich guys)and business elite who monopolized the Democratic party until the FDR years, and who then left to form the Dixiecrats, and ultimately, during the Eisenhower admin, joined Republicans. They incited racism--since the days of yeomanry--to pry lower class whites from blacks--a union between the two groups would have overwhelmed the rich white guys, the demagogues.

Anyway, what I am saying is that my father may not be college educated, but he is wise and has bestowed his wisdom and fairness toward people on me. I learned a great deal from my "redneck" father. Wish some of the people in the world of academia, where I am employed, possessed his wisdom.

[inthecorneroverhere]

33. I'm gone....

The last straw was when I was forced to defend my statement regarding the Northern liberal activist boss who violated 1930s-era wage and hour laws with regard to entry-level help.

This supervisor cost me money and career advancement.

This supervisor violated the wage and hours laws that the Democrats fought very hard for in the earlier years of the 20th century. Yet, she openly claimed to be a liberal activist. The incident occurred in a New England state and it left me with my first, and a deep and lasting impression of New England.

Yet, when I posted my experience regarding this hypocritical individual, I was told to 'get a thicker skin.' This is on a forum of liberal Democrats, who supposedly are 'in favor of labor.'

It is very clear that there are deep strains of hypocrisy and anti-Southernism in this forum, since the South-bashing thing arises pretty much almost on a weekly basis.

I really can't wish the Dems good luck, because when the northern elements of the Dems bash the South, they are in effect amputating a large number of electoral votes.

Good bye.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

34. New England is a Personal Thing With You-How 'Bout An Answer??

"The incident occurred in a New England state and it left me with my first, and a deep and lasting impression of New England."

I am a female who has beem treated like crap by Southern bosses but I have no PROBLEM with Southerners. So, Can you get over it already? It's getting WICKED old (in BOSTON dialect)....

[Kathy in Cambridge]

35. I guess I'll never get a REAL answer

'cause I'm a REAL New Englander...

[Alenne]

36. For some reason it is okay for him to bash Northerners

I don't get this person at all.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

37. Exactly-He HATES New Englanders

it's a result of ONE bad experience in a job scenario, and he condemns a whole region. I should hate Southerners, New Yorkers, AND Californians if that's the case, but there are assholes everywhere. In my TYPICAL Northeastern fashion, my messgae is GET OVER IT!