Bias against Southerners misses the mark

Pasco Times ^ | July 11, 2005 | RICHARD COX

[robowombat]

Bias against Southerners misses the mark By RICHARD COX Published July 11, 2005

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Does prejudice exist in Pasco County, an area with a very diverse population and seemingly very progressive?

I am certain that African-Americans, Hispanics and people from other countries, the poor and homeless, as well as members of certain religious faiths, experience treatment different from the mainstream populace. However, I am a member of a minority who has experienced attitudes and reactions from many individuals who assume that I am intellectually and socially challenged.

A very large percentage of the population of New Port Richey in particular is from the Northeast. I personally like the outspokenness, mince-no-words attitude, the ability to criticize as well as accept criticism without being offended, that seems to represent the culture in which Northerners grew up.

My family members seem to have the disadvantage of being born and living most of our lives in the South, in our case, Tennessee. I grew up in Knoxville, a city that many people seem to associate only with the fanatical behavior of our college football fans, and my wife is from a small city near Chattanooga.

There still seems to be a stereotype that some people associate with Tennesseans. When those individuals heard the distinct accent of my wife, my stepdaughter, and myself, it seemed to conjure up that redneck image one might associate with the humor of Jeff Foxworthy and other Southern comedians. That image is of a culture of ignorant hillbillies (certainly due to inbreeding!), barefoot, living in a shack with no indoor plumbing (but certainly an outhouse in back), having a dog living under the front porch, and owning an overgrown lawn populated with broken-down, dilapidated automobiles. And, yes, we all chew tobacco and sit on the front porch swing playing the banjo. Everyone also flies a Confederate flag and reminisces about the War Between the States.

I first noticed this attitude when my stepdaughter, an honor student, came home from middle school several days in tears because several other students harassed her daily, calling her an ignorant redneck and hillbilly among other derogatory terms. My wife and I have experienced the sudden change in facial expressions from many when they hear our accent. They seem to associate our accent with ignorance, and speak in simpler terms so that we can understand what they are saying. Telephone conversations often produce the same reaction.

I beg to differ. Tennessee is the home of several major universities, four major metropolitan areas with all the drug and gang problems associated with other large cities, and the most visited national park in the United States. Oak Ridge, in the Knoxville area, probably has as high a percentage of residents with doctorate degrees as any city in the United States. Tennessee has a musical heritage equal to none, and it is not exclusively country or bluegrass genres. Many nationally prominent politicians are from my home state, including three former presidents.

Tennessee has produced many famous musicians, actors, scientists and other intellectual and talented natives.

Well, to set the story straight, rural areas of most states have their own populace and dwellings that approach this stereotype.

My wife and I grew up in your average suburban neighborhoods, we both graduated from major universities and had successful professional careers, and, to risk seeming boastful, are probably as intelligent and knowledgeable, if not more so, than the average American. Believe it or not, East Tennessee, the section of the state we are from, fervently supported the Union during the Civil War.

I have noticed in the Pasco Times notices of meetings for various groups from areas of the Northeast and from other countries. Perhaps Southerners in our area should form a similar group. With apologies to an African-American group with a similar title, we could call our group the NAASF, the National Association for the Advancement of Southern Folks, Pasco County Branch. I hope there are enough local Southern residents available to attract to our organization.

--Richard Cox, a retired middle school science teacher and department head, lives in New Port Richey

[Wampus SC]

"I'll add these other places in the South to the list of nice places to visit (and maybe even live):

New Orleans, Savannah, the Gulf Coast of Florida, Miami, the Florida Keys, Austin, San Antonio. "

The top 4 on your list of nice Southern places are surrounded by and in swamps. There's a reason for this. Swamps breed civilization. You're catching on. :)

[Wampus SC]

"I killed a copperhead last week. Now that we can't legally shoot yankees anymore they keep us sharp"

:) snake heads at 100' with a .22 is just one of our basic skills.

Copperheads were northerners who were Confederate sympathizers during the WBTS. Interesting how that was the image knocking around deep in Spinny's subconscious. He just slipped up and let his true pro-old Confederacy sentiments slip out. Getting in touch with his inner N. B. Forrest.

[Wampus SC]

[the preceeding was a recording]

[Wampus SC]

(Sneaky shift from talking about what women like (men, rather than metrosexuals like you) to what women want. But I'll answer your evasion anyway.)

"They like men."

"How would you know what women want? "

Because for the last 30+ years since my teens they've been telling me I'm giving it to them. :)

But since you had to ask - I'm sorry you missed out on this. But it's not to late to begin learning. So sit down and let Uncle Wampus have "that talk with you". Knowing what women want, and giving it to them, starts with how you view them. I see a woman as a person of innate worth; each with her unique abilities, talents and intelligence. A friend, partner and equal with whom you can share work, fun, friendship and sometimes love. An independent person who thinks and acts for herself, not an object to be controlled.

If I were asked what I want from life, one of my answers would be the companionship of a woman just like the one I've described. A man who has it together would desire no other kind of woman. He would NOT want a woman who is as viewed through the eyes of a would-be porn maker, as described earlier. Just props and objects he directs. He would NOT want some robot to be controlled at his whim. No. For example, I wouldn't say what you said when answering the same question on your homepage:
http://www.freerepublic.com/~modernman
"And an evil, robotic girlfriend: "


Nor would I, in a discussions of androids that look somewhat like a female human, bemoan the fact that real women don't have an off switch - and say that an android is better than a real woman - like you did here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1451734/posts?page=116#116
"This one has a major advantage over real women: She comes with an off-switch."

A man (or metrosexual) with those attitudes shows that he can't know what a woman wants, because he doesn't care. It's all about him and his wants, and he wants one who is totally controllable (the meaning of "robotic") who he can just brush aside anytime he takes the notion (the "off switch"). Just one step up from an inflatable doll. And interestingly enough - that desire is a desire to reduce a human to slavery. Hmmm.... Anyway... No man (or metrosexual) like this can ever give a woman anything she wants, unless she has an equally superficial and distorted view of male-female relationships.

[Modernman]

You must have a lot of time on your hands.

Maybe you should get a job or pick up a hobby.

[Modernman]

Modernman, do you include me among people who would like to lynch African Americans if they could? Either you do, or you don't. Which is it?

If you and your fellow neo-confeds were able to get your own country, I think that you would. Not necessarily because they were black, but because many black people in the South would be actively opposed to the idea of living in a revived CSA. In fact, I think you'd be more than happy to use violence against anyone living in such a new nation who opposed its secession from the US.

[Modernman]

The subject under discussion was how over the last few posts, all you have left in you is to give an "is not" response to anything said to you. "No it isn't" "no I'm not" "only in your mind", "not at all", etc. Guess what? The above section shows you did it again.

Simply put, your statements are generally not based on the truth. You come out and say aomething like: "You're so intent that everyone except you is wrong about everything, all the time, that you simply rush in and dispute whatever's said to you. Without ever thinking that with everything you say, you completely contradict yourself. Every single time."

I look at that statement and see that it is completely untrue. Unlike you, I do not feel the need to blabber on for paragraphs at a time. All I simply have to say is "Not at all." Accurate, true and to the point.

[Modernman]

Got news for you. Problems of the US does not equal "problems Wampus runs into in his personal life".

I'm glad I have been able to get you to take your head out of the swamp and look at the bigger picture. You're welcome.

[Modernman]

A man (or metrosexual) with those attitudes shows that he can't know what a woman wants

It was humor. As usual, it went right over your head. Check out the thread in question and see if anything on there was said in anything but fun.

"And an evil, robotic girlfriend: "

The truly funny thing is, if you watch Battlestar Galactica, the evil, robotic girlfriend in question is anything but a controlable, disposable pleasure 'bot. You claim that I'm looking for some sort of passive, submissive woman and yet, the "evil robotic girlfriend" I've got on my profile page is the exact opposite.

You're the worst type of stupid- the type that thinks it is smart.

[Paved Paradise]

I think it has far more to do with (1) the slowness of speach many southerners display and the (2) choice of grammer vs. the actual accent/inflection.

[M. Espinola]

"Southern places are surrounded by and in swamps."

Which one did you originate from?

[stand watie]

sadly, my business partner & childhood friend's abuses at the hands of CRETINS & CREEPS, when traveling up north, is anything BUT unusual.

fwiw, my childhood chum is 1/2 Black & 1/2 Apache, rather than Navajo. i think you KNOW that.

racists, fools & bigots still thrive in northeastern society, once they THINK nobody "who might be offended" aren't listening. i also think you are SMART ENOUGH to know that the RACISTS & ANTI-Semites are still prevalent, though you & i WISH they had all magically disappeared.

free dixie,sw

[stand watie]

every post you make further exposes your FOOLishness & lack of education/IQ.

nothing you post is worth the time it takes to read your IGNORANT & STUPID bilge.

free dixie,sw

[M. Espinola]

"every post you make further exposes your FOOLishness & lack of education/IQ. nothing you post is worth the time it takes to read your IGNORANT & STUPID bilge. free dixie,sw"

Do you consider yourself to the top PR man for the neo-confederates and the returning to the era of the 'lost cause'?

[M. Espinola]

"I'm glad I have been able to get you to take your head out of the swamp and look at the bigger picture."

The only thing he able to view clearly is more swamp & his fellow snakes.

[stand watie]

ho hum!

yet another STUPID, fact-FREE post from "m.eSPINola" the FR forum's FOOL, BIGOT & main DUMB-bunny!

once more, Mr SPIN(can you get it through your empty head?? there's obviously NO BRAIN in the way!), there are NO "neo-confederates" or at least i've never met one.

EVERYTHING you post is DUMB & ignorant, hate-FILLED bilge.

head over to DU & be THEIR FOOL!

free dixie,sw

[stand watie]

i wish i could find a COPPERHEAD to kill around here.

i'm looking for a large one to tan for a hatband.

so far, no luck.

free dixie,sw

[M. Espinola]

.."there are NO "neo-confederates"

"..or at least i've never met one."

Putzo, in terms of the overall U.S. population, the majority of people are not even aware of the 'neo-confederates' existence, because most normal citizens would never even dream there are still backward wackos still fighting the Civil War for the losing, pro-slavery side.

However, if you are not a 'neo'(a new) 'confederate', then maybe you're an original, who got stuffed & mounted in 1865, hidden from the public, then more recently dragged out of storage and what we see typed under your S.W. nametag is on battery auto pilot! lol

To simplify the topic, so you might begin to understand, you, yes you, are a prime promoter of the (new) 'neo' - 'confederate' cult, stuffed or unstuffed!

Why do you waste your time collaborating with the cult in question? The neo-confederate's agenda will never amount to anything more then a collection of half baked, repugnant irritants attempting a con job on the general public by their perpetual twisting & reinventing the history of the Old South's to fit their secessionist/insurrectionist schemes through act of violence, as you have recently stated, against anyone & everyone, not in full accord with future goals for an imaginary "Dixie Republic".

Get a hold of yourself and see a doctor!

[stand watie]

WOW!

i'm IMPRESSED. you were actually able to "string together" more than one sentence without posting something IGNORANT, STUPID, RACIST and/or FOOLISH.

could it be that i've been WRONG & that you actually do have at least a 6th grade education, as opposed to a 3rd grade education????

nonetheless ,you posts & attacks on smarter FReepers illustrate to EVERYONE, that you're a MORON, who belongs on DU with the other DU-dummies.

PLEASE go over there to post your FOOLISHNESS & NITWITTERY.

free dixie,sw

[M. Espinola]

"i'm IMPRESSED. you were actually able to "string together" more than one sentence without posting something IGNORANT, STUPID, RACIST and/or FOOLISH."

Saying that you are still unwilling to respond to any of the questions presented to you - which is very typical and not in the least surprising when the side favored by you & a few others in here resulted in the worst domestic configuration & lost of life in American history.