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

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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

[ohioman]

I am so glad that Whiskey papa is gone. He was #1 on my list of most despised freepers. Good to hear that he went to DU, he belonged there.

[stand watie]

well, there you are, MORON.

i see you're still posting the same IGNORANT, mean-spirited,hate-FILLED bilge as always.

you are being laughed AT by all & sundry.

free dixie,sw

[stand watie]

to bad he didn't take "m.eSPINola" with him.

they are 2 of a kind = DUMB, arrogantly ignorant of the truth & hate-FILLED.

of the two however, WP was/IS smarter.

free dixie,sw

[stand watie]

too bad he didn't take "m.eSPINola" with him.

they are 2 of a kind = DUMB, arrogantly ignorant of the truth & hate-FILLED.

of the two however, WP was/IS smarter.

free dixie,sw

[stand watie]

Mr. spin, i just got a PM from a "nice lady" from OK.

her comments, to me, about you follow in full:

Dear stand watie,

I've been reading this thread & found your comments to "m.espinola" to be unkind. it's NOT NICE to make fun of "mentally challenged" persons. It is obvious to me that "m.espinola" is unable to take up for him/herself, as he/she seems at best to be only semi-educated, ignorant of both the facts & the simplest of concepts about the Civil War & pitiable in the extreme. You should "pick on somebody your own size", as everyone has not had the benefit of your education & experience.

GIANT HUGS to "duckie" & you,Leeza

fwiw, i sent the following response to her:

dear L,

"m.eSPINola" is a DY & a HATER of the first rank. i believe he deserves both the abuse i pile on him AND the public ridicule that his POSTINGS have heaped on his little pointed head.

all he has to do (for me to stop tormenting him AND for others to stop laughing AT him) is to LEAVE FR for good & head over to DU to be one of the premier DU-DUMBbunnies , RACISTS & HATERS. imVho,DU is his natural turf.

XOXOXOXO, duckie/sw

[M. Espinola]

See that doctor expeditiously, 'duckie' lol

[stand watie]

one presumes that you TOO DUMB to know that "duckie" is another FReeper & a VERY attractive female too.

you're a MORON & a HATER of the first rank. be gone to DU!

free dixie,sw

[stand watie]

since you must be TOO DUMB to figure out that "duckie" is another person (rather than me) perhaps Leeza is CORRECT & you are "mentally challenged", rather than just a MORON,an arrogant HATER (and based solely on your IDIOTIC postings) & a RACIST too.

why not head over to DU, to be with your own sort???? whiskey papa,cvn 76 ,#3fan & a host of HATE-FILLED ex-freepers are there to welcome you.

free dixie,sw

[Modernman]

Looks like sw has even more friends who exist only in his head.

[stand watie]

it looks like you still are STILL clueLESS & a "wise acre", as well.

perhaps you should rethink your DUMB-bunny positions, counselor. you supposedly have the education for it.

free dixie,sw

[M. Espinola]

In relation to contributing to ongoing national or international breaking news discussions effecting conservatives, or posting news worthy threads himself, the screwball schlub in question exists in a bizarre world of his own loony creation.

His continuous demented displays of daily neo-confederate convulsions, coupled with outrageous, non-stop verbal panic attacks, directed at everyone not in absolute agreement with his hallucinatory 'history' of the Civil War era, and even more insane, the unhinged loudmouth's bellowing about his latest, invented, future 'neo-confed republic' = wacko!

All these new, like minded 'friends' are simply an extension of his undeniable delirium. Any doctor willing to take him on as a patient might look like the one below - after just one visit!

[stand watie]

GM, MORON!

i see you are still posting your usual STUPID, arrogantly IGNORANT nonsense & off-point bilge.

PITY that you're SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DUMB!

free dixie,sw

[stand watie]

btw, aren't you HUMILIATED that you have "m.eSPINola" the IDIOT,arrogant EMPTY-headed BIGOT (and from his deleted post #645,an OPEN RACIST as well.)on your team???

free dixie,sw

[Modernman]

btw, aren't you HUMILIATED that you have "m.eSPINola" the IDIOT,arrogant EMPTY-headed BIGOT (and from his deleted post #645,an OPEN RACIST as well.)on your team???

M. Espinola is not a bigot. One silly throwaway post from months ago is hardly enough evidence to conclude that he is a bigot.

I'm not surprised that you would latch on to something like that, though, since you never seem to have any facts on your side.

[M. Espinola]

"GM, MORON! i see you are still posting your usual STUPID, arrogantly IGNORANT nonsense & off-point bilge. PITY that you're SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DUMB!"

Well if it's your opinion posting threads, images of the shame of the Gaza retreat, increasing energy costs, Iran's nuclear threat to US, etc, is "IGNORANT nonsense & off-point bilge" then you really do need a doctor. Were you already lobotomized? lol

Please post your last thread...........=zip!

[stand watie]

a "throwaway"????

i think NOT. "mr. spin" won't even, with his LIMITED BRAINS, repost that piece of RACIST FILTH, as he knows it would get him PERMANENTLY BANNED.

try another tack, counselor. this silliness of yours is UNpersuasive.

free dixie,sw

[stand watie]

GA, MORON. i see you're up to your usual LOW ebb.

head over to DU & sup with the other BIGOTS & NITWITS.

otherwise, hang around here & make the DY team look SMARTER by comparison to YOU.

free dixie,sw

[M. Espinola]

I asked you post some news thread - you posted, and this was your response?

"GA, MORON. i see you're up to your usual LOW ebb. head over to DU & sup with the other BIGOTS & NITWITS."

Do everyone a huge favour & stfu, or I will have you committed.

[stand watie]

yet another STUPID post from "m.eSPINola"!

OBVIOUSLY,he is BOTH a BIGOT & a MORON of the first rank.

one wonders why "the damnyankee coven" puts up with such a creature in their ranks, as he makes them ALL look BAD.

free dixie,sw

[stand watie]

to SEE how DUMB "m.eSPINola" IS, check out the FACT that he was SO STUPID & CLUELESS that he could NOT figure out that "duckie" is another FReeper of the FEMALE gender.

tell us,counselor, are you STILL glad to that this EMPTY-headed FOOL is on YOUR team????

free dixie,sw