Living in the land of Dixie and proud of it!

[Jess]

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1NsC98xVN0"]YouTube - Bill Cosby, understanding Southern.[/nomedia]

[Blade]

Priceless............

Originally Posted by Jess

YouTube - Bill Cosby, understanding Southern.

[Apocalipstic]

I never really think of Nashville as Dixie, I thought Dixie was Louisiana, but I looked it up and apparently all the South can be called Dixie.

Then I looked at Mid-South, (which is what we call Nashville) and Deep South. I looked at 10 different maps and each of them had a different idea of what the Deep South is.

I like the idea of a progressive South, far removed from the backward-ness of Civil War area, but the truth is, until the TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority)was formed to provide affordable electricity, most of Tennessee was in darkness, well into the 50's and even later.

There are so many great examples here of government programs which worked really well. Most of them part of the New Deal (Depression and Dust bowl recovery). When people say the Federal Government should keep out of our lives, I want to point out what Tennessee would be now if not for the programs of the New Deal, instituted by a Democratic President FDR.

It's sad that corruption at the State Democratic level has led a state which until the 80's always voted Democrat, into a mostly (except for Nashville and Memphis) Republican state.

[chefhottie25]

i loved living in the south...except for when i was called a yankee.

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by Blade

Priceless............

She reminded me so much of my grandmother!

[Nat]

I associate the word Dixie with the glorification of the pre-Civil War South.

But then maybe that association comes from the song, "Dixie," which premiered at minstrel shows in the North being sung by people in blackface, and that the song was then taken up by the confederacy.

I know other people use the term "Dixie" to mean "the South," it's a term that sets me on edge.

Texas may or may not be considered part of "Dixie" but I do love my state. I cannot tell you the pleasure I derive from my wanderings out in the country or from the familiar friendliness I experience here or from hearing different versions of the Texan drawl. This is the land I was born into and it feels as much a part of me as my veins do. I have always been a Texan, and if I moved away from here and never came back, I would always consider myself a Texan. The way I feel about my state helps me understand why people do fight and are willing to lay down their lives for the land they were born on. Texas is my home and I love it.

Am I proud to be a Southerner? Am I proud to be a Texan? I know I'm not proud of the term Dixie or the glorification of the olden days of the South - but I know my own interpretation of the word "Dixie" must not be everybody's.

I take pride in many of the customs and colloquialisms I've inherited from my family. I might be a bit proud of our magnificent thunderstorms. I think of the Texan character as being independent and eccentric and tough - and whether or not that's true - I do tend to enjoy the idea of it. Those are parts of myself I am proud of.

To be from the South, of the South, is a complex thing. We have a violent history. We have a lot of love too. We have sweltering summers, but there is so much lush beauty here too. The South is full of tragedy and dysfunction and unfairness and mystery and magic and determination and romance.

When I lived in California, I got all I wanted of anti-Southern bigotry. Because my accent isn't especially obvious, people would forget I was from Texas. I got to listen to lots of conversation about how dumb we are, how inbred, how ignorant, fundamentalist, how ludicrous we are. I got to listen to California critiques of what we eat, what we wear, how we act, how we talk. I got to hear lots of imitations of Southern speech and lots of laughter over the sound of Southern accents I couldn't even discern. It hurts and it's angering to hear stuff like that.

When I was exposed to that, it really made me understand a certain pride I do have for the South and for Texas. I cannot tell you the comfort it brings me to hear a Southern accent. I want to be able to say, "Hey, the South rocks or Texas rocks because of X,Y,Z and you really don't know what you're talking about. You are talking about me when you say things like that and it hurts."

It's also painful and a bit infuriating at times when I see Southerners playing into those stereotypes. I guess at those times I feel shame and frustration with the South. I want the South to represent itself better and stop flying confederate flags and being intolerant - because that hurts and because I am part of that Southern fabric.

James Baldwin wrote, "American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful, and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it."

When I think about the South, this line comes through my head. To me, the South is "more various, more beautiful and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it."

Some of the most beautiful acts of courage have happened in the South - but then they were born out of the need to overcome Southern oppression. Some beautiful music comes from down here too, and I think some of that also was born out of a need to overcome Southern oppression.

I have feelings of both shame and pride when it comes to the South, but I really try not to fan the flames of either. I would rather put my energy into hope - hope that the South can rise to play a greater role, that the best parts of the South will not be outstripped by the very worst parts, that bigotry will not continue to outstrip Southern hospitality, that education can outstrip fundamentalism. I have a lot of hope for Southern healing. And I have a lot of love.

I thought this was going to be a quick, neat and tidy entry, but I guess it couldn't be that. I feel like a tree whose roots are deep, deep in Southern soil. To separate myself from the South is to deny half of myself - and I have a full range of feelings on the subject. When I insult the South, I insult myself too. My grievances hurt me to speak.

[Apocalipstic]

Originally Posted by Nat

I associate the word Dixie with the glorification of the pre-Civil War South.

But then maybe that association comes from the song, "Dixie," which premiered at minstrel shows in the North being sung by people in blackface, and that the song was then taken up by the confederacy.

I know other people use the term "Dixie" to mean "the South," it's a term that sets me on edge.

Texas may or may not be considered part of "Dixie" but I do love my state. I cannot tell you the pleasure I derive from my wanderings out in the country or from the familiar friendliness I experience here or from hearing different versions of the Texan drawl. This is the land I was born into and it feels as much a part of me as my veins do. I have always been a Texan, and if I moved away from here and never came back, I would always consider myself a Texan. The way I feel about my state helps me understand why people do fight and are willing to lay down their lives for the land they were born on. Texas is my home and I love it.

Am I proud to be a Southerner? Am I proud to be a Texan? I know I'm not proud of the term Dixie or the glorification of the olden days of the South - but I know my own interpretation of the word "Dixie" must not be everybody's.

I take pride in many of the customs and colloquialisms I've inherited from my family. I might be a bit proud of our magnificent thunderstorms. I think of the Texan character as being independent and eccentric and tough - and whether or not that's true - I do tend to enjoy the idea of it. Those are parts of myself I am proud of.

To be from the South, of the South, is a complex thing. We have a violent history. We have a lot of love too. We have sweltering summers, but there is so much lush beauty here too. The South is full of tragedy and dysfunction and unfairness and mystery and magic and determination and romance.

When I lived in California, I got all I wanted of anti-Southern bigotry. Because my accent isn't especially obvious, people would forget I was from Texas. I got to listen to lots of conversation about how dumb we are, how inbred, how ignorant, fundamentalist, how ludicrous we are. I got to listen to California critiques of what we eat, what we wear, how we act, how we talk. I got to hear lots of imitations of Southern speech and lots of laughter over the sound of Southern accents I couldn't even discern. It hurts and it's angering to hear stuff like that.

When I was exposed to that, it really made me understand a certain pride I do have for the South and for Texas. I cannot tell you the comfort it brings me to hear a Southern accent. I want to be able to say, "Hey, the South rocks or Texas rocks because of X,Y,Z and you really don't know what you're talking about. You are talking about me when you say things like that and it hurts."

It's also painful and a bit infuriating at times when I see Southerners playing into those stereotypes. I guess at those times I feel shame and frustration with the South. I want the South to represent itself better and stop flying confederate flags and being intolerant - because that hurts and because I am part of that Southern fabric.

James Baldwin wrote, "American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful, and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it."

When I think about the South, this line comes through my head. To me, the South is "more various, more beautiful and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it."

Some of the most beautiful acts of courage have happened in the South - but then they were born out of the need to overcome Southern oppression. Some beautiful music comes from down here too, and I think some of that also was born out of a need to overcome Southern oppression.

I have feelings of both shame and pride when it comes to the South, but I really try not to fan the flames of either. I would rather put my energy into hope - hope that the South can rise to play a greater role, that the best parts of the South will not be outstripped by the very worst parts, that bigotry will not continue to outstrip Southern hospitality, that education can outstrip fundamentalism. I have a lot of hope for Southern healing. And I have a lot of love.

I thought this was going to be a quick, neat and tidy entry, but I guess it couldn't be that. I feel like a tree whose roots are deep, deep in Southern soil. To separate myself from the South is to deny half of myself - and I have a full range of feelings on the subject. When I insult the South, I insult myself too. My grievances hurt me to speak.

You are such a wonderful writer!

I agree, I have always associated "Dixie" with the song, which became the unofficial fighting song of the Confederacy. I tense up when I rear it. Even the Elvis version.

Nashville has never been "the land of cotton", so I never really related to that part and as y'all know, I am so not a "Southern Belle" and hate the term soundly! I was never a Débutante.

This part of the US was a wild frontier populated with tough mountain people, mostly Scots Irish. The Native people would not come to the Nashville area in the Summer because of Malaria and bad air (allergies), yet it was settled on the Cumberland River and has turned into a beautiful city I can be proud of.

I have heard people make fun of the South too. In upstate New York, the first thing a girlfriend of Cynthia's Uncle said to me was "when I hear a Southern Accent I stop listening, because I know the person will be uneducated and ignorant". I did not waste any time trying to correct her. Yet people keep moving here because there are jobs and the cost of living is good. I can't tell you how many people move here from California.

The South is not all the same. Just like everywhere else, each area is distinctly different. Cities tend to be progressive and rural areas change much more slowly.

I love Tennessee and am proud to be a Nashvillian, though I admit there are towns and rural areas I avoid at all cost.

[princessbelle]

I never really thought a lot about being born and raised in the South and being part of "Dixieland". It's just my world and the only thing i really knew.

In the last few years I have ventured out to other places and have learned some very important lessons in life....some good, some not so good. But, the main thing i've learned is that people are just people. There are good and bad everywhere. It is nice, however, to see other parts of the country and learn about cultures and especially how being gay is actually accepted and better yet...not even an issue to be thought about, elsewhere.

But, when i come home, I embrace the structure and vitality of the landscape of East Tennessee and when you get out of the city and into the Appalachia, for the most part, it's not near as scary as one might think. I travel, with my job, to some very backwoods homes. Some don't even have driveways and you have to walk up hills and down valleys to reach these very remote houses. Plenty still don't have electricity even. It would be easy to look on these people and feel sad when I see how they live. But, it is their homes, their realities and I try and embrace that with the same respect I would going to the home of someone who has been blessed with luxury.

When I think of "land of Dixie" I try hard to not see war and hatred and bigotry. I try to resolve to the people that live here and have lived here their whole lives and embrace the beauty of what makes their world.

It's wonderful to know that "the rest of the world" is open and wonderous and thought provoking. It's also wonderful to come home.

[Apocalipstic]

Originally Posted by princessbelle

I never really thought a lot about being born and raised in the South and being part of "Dixieland". It's just my world and the only thing i really knew.

In the last few years I have ventured out to other places and have learned some very important lessons in life....some good, some not so good. But, the main thing i've learned is that people are just people. There are good and bad everywhere. It is nice, however, to see other parts of the country and learn about cultures and especially how being gay is actually accepted and better yet...not even an issue to be thought about, elsewhere.

But, when i come home, I embrace the structure and vitality of the landscape of East Tennessee and when you get out of the city and into the Appalachia, for the most part, it's not near as scary as one might think. I travel, with my job, to some very backwoods homes. Some don't even have driveways and you have to walk up hills and down valleys to reach these very remote houses. Plenty still don't have electricity even. It would be easy to look on these people and feel sad when I see how they live. But, it is their homes, their realities and I try and embrace that with the same respect I would going to the home of someone who has been blessed with luxury.

When I think of "land of Dixie" I try hard to not see war and hatred and bigotry. I try to resolve to the people that live here and have lived here their whole lives and embrace the beauty of what makes their world.

It's wonderful to know that "the rest of the world" is open and wonderous and thought provoking. It's also wonderful to come home.

I love the Appalachians too. Especially the Smokey Mountains! We usually visit a couple of times a year at least, just to breathe the cool mountain air and relax. The views are breathtaking.

I hope I did not sound like all small towns and rural areas in the South are scary, just some...and somehow, when I drive into town, I can just tell. There is a feeling...(and way too many rooster and pit bull cages in the yards for comfort) These are fewer and far between any more...thank goodness.

Interestingly, Smokey Mountains National Park was "built" with Federal funds by the CCC as a part of the New Deal, as was every lake in TN but one.

The Interstate System which brought and continues to bring industry to the South, built by President Eisenhower with Federal funds as a part of the National Defense.

There is so much resistance in the South to the Federal Government, but if we really look at what we have and where we are, we have more than just ourselves to thank.

[princessbelle]

Originally Posted by apocalipstic

I love the Appalachians too. Especially the Smokey Mountains! We usually visit a couple of times a year at least, just to breathe the cool mountain air and relax. The views are breathtaking.

I hope I did not sound like all small towns and rural areas in the South are scary, just some...and somehow, when I drive into town, I can just tell. There is a feeling...(and way too many rooster and pit bull cages in the yards for comfort) These are fewer and far between any more...thank goodness.

Interestingly, Smokey Mountains National Park was "built" with Federal funds by the CCC as a part of the New Deal, as was every lake in TN but one.

The Interstate System which brought and continues to bring industry to the South, built by President Eisenhower with Federal funds as a part of the National Defense.

There is so much resistance in the South to the Federal Government, but if we really look at what we have and where we are, we have more than just ourselves to thank.

((((apocalipstic))))) You certainly did not sound in any way that you were afraid of small towns. To the contrary, I completely agree with you. There are some places in the mountains here that you would not venture into if they didn't know you were visiting for reasons of help or just being neighborly. The culture and ideals of some people here are shoot first and ask questions later. I know that....because it is the truth. I have been fortunate to be known in a few of these areas as "Doc" which is sorta funny to me just being a nurse, however, it is amazing and a blessing that sometime I or another nurse are the only medical professionals these people ever see. Again, it is NOT to say I would be a martyr or want to take any chances and it would be foolish to not recognize that some properties are protected at all costs....shotguns are abound in some places, I've seen it first hand and I completely understand it.

Of interesting fact.....In East Tennessee, Fort Sanders Hospital (which is where I was born, my kids were born and where I worked previously) is built on the land where a Fort was constructed by the Union Army, not Confederate. There are a some Union areas in West Tennesee also and throughout the South that supported the Union and where confederate flags did not fly. Just goes to show you, people in Dixie can be as diverse and nonconforming as parts of the rest of the world.

[Jet]

Damn Yankee here in Atlanta 3 years. South does have its sensibilties

[Apocalipstic]

Originally Posted by princessbelle

((((apocalipstic))))) You certainly did not sound in any way that you were afraid of small towns. To the contrary, I completely agree with you. There are some places in the mountains here that you would not venture into if they didn't know you were visiting for reasons of help or just being neighborly. The culture and ideals of some people here are shoot first and ask questions later. I know that....because it is the truth. I have been fortunate to be known in a few of these areas as "Doc" which is sorta funny to me just being a nurse, however, it is amazing and a blessing that sometime I or another nurse are the only medical professionals these people ever see. Again, it is NOT to say I would be a martyr or want to take any chances and it would be foolish to not recognize that some properties are protected at all costs....shotguns are abound in some places, I've seen it first hand and I completely understand it.

Of interesting fact.....In East Tennessee, Fort Sanders Hospital (which is where I was born, my kids were born and where I worked previously) is built on the land where a Fort was constructed by the Union Army, not Confederate. There are a some Union areas in West Tennesee also and throughout the South that supported the Union and where confederate flags did not fly. Just goes to show you, people in Dixie can be as diverse and nonconforming as parts of the rest of the world.

How cool! I knew a good part of East TN did support the Union, but not about Fort Sanders!

It is amazing how much Sevier and surrounding counties have changed since Dolly put in that park. I remember when Pigeon Forge was 10 buildings! laugh.

Also the availability of cable, satellite tv, and the desire to cater to tourists seems to have leveled the accents/language a good bit. 30 years ago it was much more difficult to communicate with people in the area.

I think it is wonderful you work up there, how beautiful. Anddd how sweet they call you "Doc".

[princessbelle]

Originally Posted by apocalipstic

How cool! I knew a good part of East TN did support the Union, but not about Fort Sanders!

It is amazing how much Sevier and surrounding counties have changed since Dolly put in that park. I remember when Pigeon Forge was 10 buildings! laugh.

Also the availability of cable, satellite tv, and the desire to cater to tourists seems to have leveled the accents/language a good bit. 30 years ago it was much more difficult to communicate with people in the area.

I think it is wonderful you work up there, how beautiful. Anddd how sweet they call you "Doc".

OMG you remember that too? Pigeon forge had like one gas station and I think a little shop that sold those little black bears that we alllll had to have with the chain around it's neck..oh and water based taffy.

It is so amazing to me now, when i drive through, it is wall to wall shops and tourist stuff. But, I agree with you, it has helped that area so much, financially and bringing a diverse group of visitors. It is for sure a good thing. My grandpa helped build the clock tower on the court house in Sevierville and it's still standing!!! I love that area and travel there as much as i can.

Maybe sometime the Tennessee peeps could meet up there and do some dollywood stuff or have an old timey photo done.....just a thought (didn't mean to derail).

hugs to all the Dixie folks.

[DomnNC]

Apolcalipstic, whether you know it or not you just hit upon the main reason the civil war was fought to begin with with this statement:

"There is so much resistance in the South to the Federal Government,"

Many people believe it was the issue of slavery that was the dominating factor, it was a factor indeed but not the main one. The main issue was the soverignity of states, the ability of states to govern their own and adopt what federal guidelines the young and loosely formed federal government came up with at the time. The states wanted the right to say no to some of those laws and guidelines, they were denied, seven states had already seceded from the Union before Lincoln was ever elected.

As for the flag, I don't own one, I don't fly one, however I believe all individuals should have the right to express themselves as they please, after all that is what we are asking for, the right to live our life in freedom, to be recognized as a group, to have the same rights and equality as "straight" people. I do not view the flag as racist, it was created as a battle flag and a way for southern troops to distinguish themselves from the northern troops. The original flag of the confederacy was the Stars and Bars and was to close to the federal flag, Bars and Stripes, in design that it was hard for the troops to distinguish themselves apart. To many people of the south it merely represents the ancestry of their forefathers in fighting for the rights of state soverignity against the federal government. It is people whom make it racist as people can make "anything" racist. That being said racism exists across all states/countries in one form or another and it always will. There will always be a class of people who will be frowned upon, looked down upon. Is it right, heck no, and I'll always stand up for those that I see being oppressed, bullied, beat, and spat upon. All of us know firsthand that oppression as it's the life that we lead. There will always be a bigot out there shouting to be heard. It is we (people) who empower the bigots of the world by giving them a platform to spew their hatred and rhetoric upon. If no one listened, if no one acknowledged them, if no one gave them a platform then it would merely fizzle out and die it's own slow death.

All that being said, am I proud to be a suthurner, damn right. Am I proud of my southern heritage, damn right. You will not find a more welcoming hospitable group of people anywhere in the US. There is a reason that people from the north and west move down here. It's the hospitality, the slower pace of life, the lower cost of living, the ease with which we go through our day, it's the food, it's the beauty of the land, the strong familial ties and our bond with the land.

Here in NC, in a couple hours I can be in our majestic mountains (the Smokies, there is a reason it's the most visited state park in the nation), in a couple hours I can be standing on the sand in front of the great Atlantic ocean. I love my home state and wouldn't think of moving out of it for anything or anyone.

It is my hope that one day that all of us can embrace one another, look past our differences and sit for a spell, have a glass of iced tea (suthurn style of course) and just chit chat about anything and everything without discord.

Have a great day and weekend everyone.

ps. If I've offended anyone with my post that was certainly not my intention at all. I can only be the one person I know I can be and that is me.

[ravfem]

hey y'all

Hope it's ok for me, a SC native, to post here!

i was raised in SC and except for a few years in Va & Fl, i've always lived here. When i was younger, i was *dying* to get out, to escape this place. i hated everything about the south, both real & imagined, and wanted to move to NYC. i wanted a BIG city and people all around and a place that was alive 24/7, instead of a place that rolled up the sidewalks at 6 pm, for the most part.

It took moving to FL to make me realize that maybe i didn't hate SC as much as i thought. i experienced Orlando, and hated the big city feel of it immediately. Everyone was behind tinted car windows and no one smiled or waved at each other, much less actually greeted others!

So, i moved back home, and began appreciating what was good about here. i have to admit i am not proud to be southern, though i no longer hate that fact. i know the actual history of "the flag", but still....most people, around here at least, fly it as a statement of their racism - which they call their "white pride" (trying to compare it to black pride or gay pride).

Anyway, though i would have no issue moving away from here, i no longer crave that. i love the weather here (except for the dead of summer), the city of Greenville has revitalized the downtown area and it is just awesome now.

Asheville is a city i would love living in, except for the dead of winter lol. i do not know how to live/drive in snow & ice. But i love the charm and progressive nature of Asheville!

[Apocalipstic]

Many people do say the the Civil War was fought over Federal intervention in State issues, but I still think it did have more to do with how the states out West were going to get split up on the subject of Slavery.

The "keep the Federal Government out" rhetoric continues in the South, which is why I keep mentioning all the great things the Federal Government has done for us. I am kind of a Socialist at heart and believe in a strong central government.

The Confederate Flag? Say what you want, but it makes so many different groups of people feel unsafe. People of Color, Jews, Catholics, Romas and Queers....to mention a few. To me it is very unwelcoming at the very best and far beyond racist at it's worst.

East TN is lovely, but when I first went up there to college, I saw a cross burning and it made me quiver in my young lesbian loafers. I just knew someone would show up at my apartment with pitchforks to get me. It is not the usual occurrence it was 30 years ago, but it continues to affect my life choices...and that of so many Southerners.

I do agree that we have free speech and people have the right to the flag...but I wish it would just go away.

Like my signature line states, things don't change much, we just call them different things.

Can we sit and chat? Would love to! Will be disagree on the Civil War? Very likely!

Iced tea? Hell yeah!

[Jet]

Originally Posted by princessbelle

((((apocalipstic))))) You certainly did not sound in any way that you were afraid of small towns. To the contrary, I completely agree with you. There are some places in the mountains here that you would not venture into if they didn't know you were visiting for reasons of help or just being neighborly. The culture and ideals of some people here are shoot first and ask questions later. I know that....because it is the truth. I have been fortunate to be known in a few of these areas as "Doc" which is sorta funny to me just being a nurse, however, it is amazing and a blessing that sometime I or another nurse are the only medical professionals these people ever see. Again, it is NOT to say I would be a martyr or want to take any chances and it would be foolish to not recognize that some properties are protected at all costs....shotguns are abound in some places, I've seen it first hand and I completely understand it.

Of interesting fact.....In East Tennessee, Fort Sanders Hospital (which is where I was born, my kids were born and where I worked previously) is built on the land where a Fort was constructed by the Union Army, not Confederate. There are a some Union areas in West Tennesee also and throughout the South that supported the Union and where confederate flags did not fly. Just goes to show you, people in Dixie can be as diverse and nonconforming as parts of the rest of the world.

Interesting post.

[Blade]

Perfectly beautiful post.

Originally Posted by apocalipstic

Many people do say the the Civil War was fought over Federal intervention in State issues, but I still think it did have more to do with how the states out West were going to get split up on the subject of Slavery.

The "keep the Federal Government out" rhetoric continues in the South, which is why I keep mentioning all the great things the Federal Government has done for us. I am kind of a Socialist at heart and believe in a strong central government.

The Confederate Flag? Say what you want, but it makes so many different groups of people feel unsafe. People of Color, Jews, Catholics, Romas and Queers....to mention a few. To me it is very unwelcoming at the very best and far beyond racist at it's worst.

East TN is lovely, but when I first went up there to college, I saw a cross burning and it made me quiver in my young lesbian loafers. I just knew someone would show up at my apartment with pitchforks to get me. It is not the usual occurrence it was 30 years ago, but it continues to affect my life choices...and that of so many Southerners.

I do agree that we have free speech and people have the right to the flag...but I wish it would just go away.

Like my signature line states, things don't change much, we just call them different things.

Can we sit and chat? Would love to! Will be disagree on the Civil War? Very likely!

Iced tea? Hell yeah!

[Blade]

Revision.....this is the quote that is perfectly and beautifully said......Yes DomnNC you are right there is a reason people call this "God's country" it is the best of almost everything.

Originally Posted by DomnNC

Apolcalipstic, whether you know it or not you just hit upon the main reason the civil war was fought to begin with with this statement:

"There is so much resistance in the South to the Federal Government,"

Many people believe it was the issue of slavery that was the dominating factor, it was a factor indeed but not the main one. The main issue was the soverignity of states, the ability of states to govern their own and adopt what federal guidelines the young and loosely formed federal government came up with at the time. The states wanted the right to say no to some of those laws and guidelines, they were denied, seven states had already seceded from the Union before Lincoln was ever elected.

As for the flag, I don't own one, I don't fly one, however I believe all individuals should have the right to express themselves as they please, after all that is what we are asking for, the right to live our life in freedom, to be recognized as a group, to have the same rights and equality as "straight" people. I do not view the flag as racist, it was created as a battle flag and a way for southern troops to distinguish themselves from the northern troops. The original flag of the confederacy was the Stars and Bars and was to close to the federal flag, Bars and Stripes, in design that it was hard for the troops to distinguish themselves apart. To many people of the south it merely represents the ancestry of their forefathers in fighting for the rights of state soverignity against the federal government. It is people whom make it racist as people can make "anything" racist. That being said racism exists across all states/countries in one form or another and it always will. There will always be a class of people who will be frowned upon, looked down upon. Is it right, heck no, and I'll always stand up for those that I see being oppressed, bullied, beat, and spat upon. All of us know firsthand that oppression as it's the life that we lead. There will always be a bigot out there shouting to be heard. It is we (people) who empower the bigots of the world by giving them a platform to spew their hatred and rhetoric upon. If no one listened, if no one acknowledged them, if no one gave them a platform then it would merely fizzle out and die it's own slow death.

All that being said, am I proud to be a suthurner, damn right. Am I proud of my southern heritage, damn right. You will not find a more welcoming hospitable group of people anywhere in the US. There is a reason that people from the north and west move down here. It's the hospitality, the slower pace of life, the lower cost of living, the ease with which we go through our day, it's the food, it's the beauty of the land, the strong familial ties and our bond with the land.

Here in NC, in a couple hours I can be in our majestic mountains (the Smokies, there is a reason it's the most visited state park in the nation), in a couple hours I can be standing on the sand in front of the great Atlantic ocean. I love my home state and wouldn't think of moving out of it for anything or anyone.

It is my hope that one day that all of us can embrace one another, look past our differences and sit for a spell, have a glass of iced tea (suthurn style of course) and just chit chat about anything and everything without discord.

Have a great day and weekend everyone.

ps. If I've offended anyone with my post that was certainly not my intention at all. I can only be the one person I know I can be and that is me.

[Sam]

i love the south and honestly i wouldnt live anywhere but...