Reply #30: I did read the whole thread before replying...and it's an interesting ques

[mike1963]

tion.

The "south", whatever it really amounts to these days, is for obvious reasons distinctive from the rest of the nation and not only because of the Civil War.* The phrase "southern pride" actually occupies a place in our lexicon - nobody that I know of has ever commented on 'northern', 'western' or 'eastern' pride.

From my fairly significant exposure to the phenomenon, it seemss much more cultural than political. Probably an even more ubiquitious notation is that of "southern hospitality" which contains a lot of truth. I've been the recipient of quite a lot of it. To the degree it was extended to me as a white male is not something I care to delve into for the nonce.

* But that is probably the essence of it - the collective rememberance of having 'stood up to' the mid 1800s' sociopolitical realities and the perceived subjugation of their value systems. There are parallels in Iraq as we debate.