So Anti-South Region Bashing is All the Rage at DU now?

[FlaGatorJD]

It's really not new here, but I'm a bit surprised at
the level. I'm not sure about any of you, but
I'm certain that I didn't choose where I was born.

I chose to come to DU to commiserate with fellow
liberals after Bush was elected. I stuck around
through the next election, as I had been hired by the campaign,
and was spending my days doing that, and DU was a great way to
keep pumped in the fight against the neocons and to relax in the evening.

Nowadays, I usually just check the LBN or Greatest list,
and use the info to contradict all the conservative crap
on FB. The overall tone at DU has changed though.
There has always been emotional arguments, especially during
primaries, but this is different, and since intelligent and
respectful discourse has devolved into angry stereotyping,
I guess DU just may not be the place for me anymore.
I'm willing to accept that.


Besides, it's getting tiresome battling RW nutjobs on
FB in the day and the angry self-righteous group here at night.

I just thought I might share a FB post of one of my
ignorant racist Southern friends before I go, so you can
see how some of us ignorant racist Southerners
are talking about and handling this situation :


(FB post)
Seems to me the argument for keeping the flag is that it represents our Heritage. I say "Our" because I was born and raised in the South. But which heritage exactly should we hitch our wagons to? The Confederate States of America existed for four years. I have underwear older than that. I'm probably wearing it now. During those four year the CSA had three (3) national flags; the last of which was adopted a month before the end of the war.

The region that comprises the South shares a longer history with England (Jamestown 1607) but no one wants to fly the Union Jack over their capitol or sport the of Cross of St. George on their license plate as part of their "heritage". And for those citizens that are calling for tougher immigration standards; too late... The Spanish colonized parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Texas and Louisiana five hundred years ago. Anyone for integrating the symbol of Spain or France into your state flag?

Heritage and symbols both make and represent who we are. Good, bad or indifferent. I understand that. I empathize with that and I realize that people can lose their minds and sometimes their perspective when told that what they believe is out of step with the mainstream or in the case of the Confederate flag just plain wrong.

I appreciate the "American by birth, Southern by the grace of God" adage. It's part of who I am. My manners and demeanor were shaped by Southern parents and grandparents that preached "Yes Ma'am" and "No Sir", standing up to greet someone and never speaking ill of another despite their shortcomings, "God bless 'em".

Change can be hard. It can be sad. Or, it can be a catalyst to push us forward to a better place. As Southerners we do have many things to wave in the face of the rest of the world: Blues, Rock n Roll, college football (of the SEC variety), Soul food, world class authors, the voices of James Earl Jones and Morgan Freeman, Coke, NASCAR, sweet tea et al. The one thing we should not be waving is a flag that represents a period of time when oppression ruled the land politically, economically and socially.

If we want to be honest about our heritage then we need to embrace it warts and all. There is much to be proud of but "we" also have a heavy cross to bear but one that is easier to carry when everyone helps to lighten the load.

The Southern way of life, how ever you define it will not come crashing down. I suspect you'll find we will become a better, stronger South. Certainly more respected... and what's wrong with that? To paraphrase William Faulkner, "I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail." We in the South are a lot like that. Or, as the quintessential Southern Belle Scarlett O'hara reminds us, "Tomorrow is another day."

Thank you

[randys1]

1. I live in a state that has some real bad racist history with racism going on today, like

everywhere else.

If you point that out to me, and you mention my state, and you get angry about it, I wont even think about defending my state or arguing with you.

That thought would never enter my mind, I attack my own state constantly, while trying to make it better.

Having said that, the bashing is too much, you are right.

[FlaGatorJD]

4. Are you kidding? Most people get angry when they talk about Floriduh!

Rightly so, and some of them don't live here. Like you said, just too much.
Thanks TxPro, I've actually been around since the early days,
but I changed usernames when we had the chance, and Autumn
I'm glad that brought you nice memories.

[randys1]

5. oh never mind oops

[TexasProgresive]

2. Welcome to DU, gator

This is a recurring theme. It comes and it goes. It's like people who jump to the conclusion that Roof is mentally ill. He may be or maybe not, but people tend to paint with a broad brush when their emotions are high. It's best to take the high road and be the proof that there are exceptional good people in the southern tier.

At least that's my advice, even though I sometimes don't walk the walk. and this is for me

[Autumn]

3. "American by birth, Southern by the grace of God"

That brought back memories of the most Liberal man I ever knew. My Grandfather. Thank you for this.

[NaturalHigh]

6. Now? It's been going on for years.

[DrDan]

7. spot-on Gator - the good thing is that it will be gone in a few days

just the latest rant soon to be replaced by another.

Completely agree that the tone here has changed. Been here since '01 and have seen many changes. I think the biggest transition occurred during the run-up to the '08 election - and not for the better. Your description of the "over-all tone" is quite accurate imo. The region-bashing does get tiring. I was actually naïve enough to think liberals/progressives were above that. Boy was I wrong.

[Stardust]

13. Don't dare bring up Bob Dylan or Ruth Bader Ginzberg, or msnbc, for that matter! Or prepare to be

shocked! Shocked, I tell you!

[FlaGatorJD]

15. Thanks Dr Dan, I was hoping I wasn't the only one

As far as noticing the tone. I remember the '04 primaries got
more contentious than it had been before. In fact, it got pretty nasty.
I started out as a Clark supporter and we were hated by the
Dean group, etc.

The funny thing was I met Kerry at the Florida State Dem convention,
as he was standing all alone in the hall. At the time, Dean was the man,
but we turned out a Clark contingent that was strong. Later, I was hired by the party
to organize, early register, and GOTV, in Ft. Myers, for Kerry . . but I digress.

I wasn't on DU much before or during the '08 election, but the few times
I did check in, I felt it changing. So I'm glad I might not be the only one
pining away for our long lost kinder & gentler DU.

Maybe I'm just an older progressive dude who's a little tired of all the
fighting amongst people who are supposed to be on the same side.
The Sanders vs Clinton supporters are already in battle mode.
I just hope they save some of that vigor and emotion for the Repugs.

[Stardust]

8. Odd isn't it? A Progressive website that basically denigrates a quarter of our country.

I lived in the South for probably 3/4 of my life (I'd have to add it up) and cringe when DUers lambaste the region. I'm well aware of its faults but c'mon, we're better than that, right?

My advice, try to stay away from posts that look as though that may be the path it's heading down. Easy to say, I know, but you'll be better off for it.

[DrDan]

10. region-bashing used to be against the TOS - not sure why it was removed in this iteration

[Stardust]

12. Well, reading legalese is not my strong suit, but you're right:Region bashing should be in there,

even though it seems self-evident to me.

[FlaGatorJD]

17. That's a little odd isn't it?

It was against the TOS, but now it's not?

[FlaGatorJD]

16. Thanks Stardust, Good advice :-)

[dembotoz]

9. Natural here to yammer about red areas and well the south tends to be rather red

If California was red we would yammer about California

Wisconsin where I am elected scum walker
It has a bunch of very stupid cheese heads
Actually I always thought those damn cheese hats made folks look stupid

When conservatives do stupid things folks here notice and they comment
South and Wisconsin has more CONservatives hence more comments

[Throd]

11. Was in ever NOT the rage?

[GusBob]

14. The biggest overall threat to our country right now is a cheesehead

By the name of Scott Walker. And some of the most ignorant racist armed fucks I ever ran into were from Wisconsin

And fucked up accents too

[pogglethrope]

18. I was born in the South and will always consider myself a Southerner.

My response to some of the bashing has been to go completely overboard with my own bashing, hoping that at least a few other posters may come to realize just how unpleasant their uncalled-for South-bashing can be.

In other cases, I've just added posters to my Full Ignore List. Their South-bashing has persuaded me to take action -- and convinced me that they're unlikely to ever have anything entertaining, informative, or interesting to say. About anything. If you happen to notice that I've put you on my Full Ignore List, please reciprocate.

Sending me an e-mail also gets you placed on my Full Ignore List. Say whatever you have to say to me publicly. If you think I don't know exactly what I'm doing -- all the time -- you're wrong. I know. If a discussion I start gets locked, I fully anticipated that as a possibility or even a probability when I started the thread. If I should get banned because of a post, rest assured that I fully anticipated that as a consequence of posting. (Those who run the site can ban us for cause or for no cause at all. I read the T's & C's.)

Not many people in forums I've posted to have been able to figure out what I'm up to -- certainly not all the time. I know. Always.

I anticipate continuing to post here until I get banned or until I get bored. When I get bored, I may commit "suicide by mod."

And yes, I may be doing exactly that with this post. If so, so be it. I figure I've probably said enough already to make a lasting impression. That's what I had in mind -- as well as stimulating people to think a bit more than they usually do. After, I'm an educator at heart.

[dogknob]

19. Anything to avoid guns, Sanders, TPP, or Net Neutrality... right?

Well played, evil media overlords. Well. Played.