Posted on 07/14/2005 6:10:21 AM PDT by robowombat
Bias against Southerners misses the mark By RICHARD COX Published July 11, 2005
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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
I have a friend who is living in Geneva Switzerland where many folks do not live with air conditioning. My friend gets miserable with the heat. I was very surprised.
Don't worry your little mind,honey. The President of the United States has done pretty well for himself after being transplanted to Texas which is a close enough neighbor to the South to have him "misunderestimated" regarding his mental acuity, and he continues leaving his opponents in a state of confused defeat at the end of the day. You must learn to be gracious, like your mama said, and allow them to believe that they know more than we do, bless their hearts.
I have deep rural Southern roots. Even though I have been gone from the South for a number of years I still retain my Southern twang. As soon as I start speaking around a group of Yankees I see the smirks of superiority. They are sure they are in the presence of an ignorant, gun-toting, knuckle-dragging hillbilly. They soon learn that I have more education than two of them put together. I speak three languages besides English, and my research has been cited in a scholarly work by a distinguished historian.
Let the Yankees be smug and act superior if it makes them feel better. By the way, the current occupant of the White House has a Texas accent, not a Boston Brahmin accent.
I love your tagline...
South Carolina...the original rebel.
We just had DENNIS and IVAN last Sept. My freezer is clean and so is my yard (except for the huge pile of brush that used to be my trees awaiting pickup from the county).......
For your entertainment
> KNOW YOUR STATE MOTTO
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Alabama : Hell Yes, We Have Electricity
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Alaska : 11,623 Eskimos Can't Be Wrong!
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Arizona : But It's A Dry Heat
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Arkansas: Literacy Ain't Everything
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> California : By 30, Our Women Have More Plastic Than Your Honda
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Colorado : If You Don't Ski, Don't Bother
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Connecticut : Like Massachusetts, Only The Kennedy's Don't Own It Yet
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Delaware : We Really Do Like The Chemicals In Our Water
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Florida : Ask Us About Our Grandkids
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Georgia : We Put The "Fun" In Fundamentalist Extremism
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Hawaii : Haka Tiki Mou Sha'ami Leeki Toru (Death To Mainland Scum, Leave Your Money)
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Idaho : More Than Just Potatoes...Well, Okay, We're Not, But The Potatoes Sure Are Real Good
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Illinois : Please Don't Pronounce the "S"
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Indiana : 2 Billion Years Tidal Wave Free
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Iowa : We Do Amazing Things With Corn
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Kansas : First Of The Rectangle States
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Kentucky : Five Million People; Fifteen Last Names
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Louisiana: We're Not ALL Drunk Cajun Wackos, But That's Our Tourism Campaign
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Maine: We're Really Cold, But We Have Cheap Lobster
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Maryland : If You Can Dream It, We Can Tax It
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Massachusetts : Our Taxes Are Lower Than Sweden 's (For Most Tax Brackets)
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Michigan : First Line Of Defense From The Canadians
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Minnesota : 10,000 Lakes...And 10,000,000,000,000 Mosquitoes
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Mississippi : Come And Feel Better About Your Own State
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Missouri : Your Federal Flood Relief Tax Dollars At Work
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Montana : Land Of The Big Sky, The Unabomber, Right-wing Crazies, and Very Little Else
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Nebraska : Ask About Our State Motto Contest
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Nevada : Hookers and Poker!
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> New Hampshire : Go Away And Leave Us Alone
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> New Jersey : You Want A ##$%##! Motto? I Got Yer ##$%##! Motto Right here!
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> New Mexico : Lizards Make Excellent Pets
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> New York : You Have The Right To Remain Silent, You Have The Right To An Attorney...
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> North Carolina : Tobacco Is A Vegetable
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> North Dakota : We Really Are One Of The 50 States!
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Ohio: At Least We're Not Michigan
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Oklahoma : Like The Play, Only No Singing
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Oregon : Spotted Owl...It's What's For Dinner
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Pennsylvania : Cook With Coal
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Rhode Island: We're Not REALLY An Island
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> South Carolina : Remember The Civil War? We Didn't Actually Surrender
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> South Dakota : Closer Than North Dakota
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Tennessee : The Educashun State
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Texas : Sí, Hablo Ingles (Yes, I Speak English)
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Utah : Our Jesus Is Better Than Your Jesus
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Vermont : Yep
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Virginia : Who Says Government Stiffs & SlackjawYokels Don't Mix?
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Washington : Help! We're Overrun By Nerds And Slackers!
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Washington , D.C. : Wanna Be Mayor?
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> West Virginia : One Big Happy Family...Really!
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Wisconsin : Come Cut The Cheese
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Wyoming : Where Men Are Men...And The Sheep Are Scared!
Yeah...I've had my fair share of hurricaines.
I was in Charleston for Hugo, and on the Outer Banks for those four that hit during the 90's.
Unfortunately, the only exposure most of those Northerners had had to Southerners came from the carriactures of the Beverly Hillbillies and the Dukes of Hazard.
It took a few weeks of watching Johnny Carson to perfect a midwestern neutral accent, but it was worth it to not have to fight the uphill battle for credibility from the onset.
There is little doubt about my roots, however, when I'm mad...
We have neighbors from Massachusetts, and they have a vanity license plate, proudly proclaiming their MA loyalty. They are nice enough people, but brains are not their strong suit. We have other neighbors who are from New York, and they love the whole New England area. They are also very nice people, and they do not seem to look down on the ignorant rednecks down the street. The most arrogant neighbors we have had were Texans. I liked them as well.
Tennesseans are some of the nicest, friendliest people I've ever interacted with.
Well, EVERTHANG'S BIGGER 'N BETTER IN TEXASS!..............
I grew up in the South, but after 25 years in North Dakota, I can outdrive most Yankees in snow any day.
Add a few 'bootleg driving' skills to a few long winters of practice and you get to watch Northeasterners and Chicagoans for entertainment.
Well, thank you, ma'am - we do our darnedest. :)
I'm from VA. Several years ago, my then boyfriend and I went to Tennessee to visit his family. Everywhere we went, we were greeted with "Hi. How ya'll doin'?" and big, friendly smiles. I kept asking him if he knew these people. He just laughed and said that's how people are in Tennessee. No one is a stranger. :-)
When the Olympics were in Atlanta in 1995, my sister and I drove downtown, and I would say "Hi, Ya'll" to everyone. My sister was so very embarrassed.
There's a difference between a Southern country accent and a Southern cultured accent. I'm working on the cultured thing, but it's hard to say "Hi, ya'll" and sound cultured.
Every Oct. I go up to northern Mich. salmon fishing, all the waitress in the resturants love my accent and they ask me questions just to get me to talk.
When I lived in the NYC more than one woman told me how much they loved my southern accent. There's another advantage to exploit.
No, YOU get over it.
I was stationed at Nellis, in Las Vegas, NV - and that used to tick my now ex-wife and ex-sister-in-law off something fierce. We'd be walking along Las Vegas Blvd, and I'd be nodding and saying Howdy to folks. If I saw a car with Tennessee plates, I'd walk up and start talking - and they'd hang back all embarassed - funniest part was when the Tennesseeans I was talking to would see them hanging back and acting embarassed and would ask "They're not from back home, are they?"
Don't try to change your accent. The "country" sound is charming. :-)
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