Why is the South (of the US) Ignorant?

"Wondergirl" gave an excellent historical summary, rural areas, division among poor and wealthy, etc... Both "kindj" and "speechlesstx" added important observations concerning typical stereotyping of southerners, speech patterns and movie dramatizations. Education, transportation technology, the marvels of communication via cell phone service and the Internet, are all part of the dynamics that have helped in overcoming any lingering ignorance, north, south, east, or west. For the first time in history we have candidates legitametly running for the highest office in the county that have broken through the race and gender barriers; both gaining strong support from southern states.


I'll mention a few accomplishments dear to me concerning my original home state of "Texas."

NASA? Located in Houston, Texas.

The most nationally recognized medical treatment centers and surgeons available for advanced medicine? Again Houston, Texas.

President Lyndon Baines Johnson that was willing to listen and accommodate MLK Junior civil rights movement is from? Stonewall, Texas.

Location of the fourth most diverse University in the United States? Austin, Texas.

True or False: The first Jews arrived in Texas in 1958 because a flight out of New Jersey was redirected due to a radar malfunction? False. My own mother's family, Jewish, migrated to Texas in the late 1800's. Handbook of Texas Online - JEWS

People that live in California just think they are better than anyone else. I know this for a fact because I am from San Diego. I have lived in Idaho for 10 years and I am from Idaho now. No pretenses. When Californians move here, they usually need a good a$$ whoopin (and get it) to get them straight. I look at this post more from a troll's point of view than from someone with enough sense to present an intelligent question.

I'm not sure what you would like to know exactly. You bring up the reference to the Civil War but following this question with further explanation on your part, I'm still a little unclear but would like to help. If I can...

I live in the heart of self entitlement, pretentious, private school, lacrosse playing, over bearing, arrogant, flaming liberals, with no real clue as to what anybody but them thinks, nor do they care.

Are there many that do not think that and care what others think, enough to want to hear their voice heard? Absolutely, their called transplanted-Bostonians, kidding..kidding.

Seriously there are many caring people. However, do you take notice in the way I started those remarks? Everybody knows how people in the East are. I grew up in the Midwest and there is a huge difference. When I first moved here I would fill up my gas, go to pay and ask the guy behind the counter how they were doing today. You know what that got me? An angry glare, that's what I got. One of those, 'get the hell out of here, what do you want, you over the top, way too happy and friendly, lady? But I still do it, and now they have just begun to realize, I ask it, because I mean it.

In the Midwest they are extremely friendly but they are also behind the times, slow and appreciate that type of lifestyle very much. So I can appreciate the differences but also respect them. Nobody has to picks sides here. We are all on the same team, living in this great country. A country that allows us the freedom we take advantage of typing our thoughts and opinions, right here and right now on AMHD.

I think you have to be careful as to what are truly the differences between the Western States from those in the South. Make sure its history that divides us, and not propaganda, or general realizations.

Boy Howdy,

Now you gone and bit off a fair bit more tobacco than any man ought have a claim to, and surely more'n any good spit calls fer.

But seein how's yous brought it up, let's chew on it a bit.

First, unless that hunk of dirt called Californy fell off into the ocean, I believe the McGuffey Reader showed it as being on the border of Mexico... Which would place it along the Southern border of the United States.

As fer not takin' kindly to do-gooders from far off places, medlin in our affairs, we done been doing that with carpet baggers many a year. Many o' the ancestors of the folks from the south went there with the purpose of findin a place where they could live the way they wanted to without the government or other outsiders imposing taxes or other laws on them.

Many of those beliefs have done been whittled away a little here and a little there, with outsiders takin advantage of the poor economic conditions as a source to ridicule and justify the need for the ignorant southerner to get the help from the far superior people from other regions of the country. Funny how all that help came with the price of exploitation of natural resources as well as the culture... Through the widespread propiganda painting southerners as stupid and ignorant, it became more acceptable to force them into the coal mines, or off of their family lands, for economic developments. The practice was much the same as what was done to the Native Americans....and in some ways to African Americans. With people still believing that people from the south are ignorant, it is easier for those people who think their ways are the best to ignore the problems of southerners, caused by outsiders, and blame it on the ignorant rednecks as if they brought it upon themselves.

I'll be the first to admit that some people in the south are ignorant, but California as well as other states have their share as well. If you want proof, look at the OJ Simpson case, or Rodney King situation... And how come people would be foolish enough to live along that fault line anyways? Hope they ain't too ignorant to learn how to swim for what good it'll do them.

I'm not even a southerner by birth nor a transplant, but I've got a line of ancestors going back to the early colonies, and don't think you should believe all the hogwash about how ignorant they was. The traditional knowledge that had to have been possessed to live in those times and prosper, could not have been possessed by those lacking intelligence. Consider the sources of those ideas that prompted your question as a lasting result of outsiders with a clear bias and lacking in entirety.

Mark Twain and George Washington Carver are the first two examples of ignorant southerners I thought you might like to think about related to your question.

I have to spread it around, life1973happened; but your avatar could also include "grace".

I've heard that before, Bobby. What do you think about Zach Thomas coming to "America's Team," the the most valuable sports franchise in the world, winners of 5 Super Bowls, 8 Conference Championships & 40 Monday Night Football games - the NFL team with the most consecutive winning seasons (20), most seasons with at least 10 wins (24), most postseason appearances, most postseason games (55), most appearances in the NFC Championship Game (14), and the most Super Bowl appearances (8)?

Only when it comes to football - I don't even own a pair of them there Cowboy boots or a Stetson. I do drive a pickup truck though, it's a Toyota

Zach's experience and leadership is a good pick-up for D'boys. Tom Laundry, whom learned as an assistant under Lombardi, had the vision and determination putting the franchise on it's course to meet the goals of record setting post season appearances. Hard to deny their following and attraction across the United States.


PS. Dell Computers, Applied Materials, and Advanced Micro Devices.

Let me just round out the list for you:

Remember if Texas ever left the union: Please note that Texas is the only state with a legal right to secede from the Union; refer to the Texas- American Annexation Treaty of 1848. We Texans love y'all, but hack us off one time to many and buh bye. There isn't a thing out there that we need and don't have.

Remember: if Texas ever left the union: In case of a foreign invasion, we have the Texas National Guard and the Texas Air National Guard. We don't have an army but since everybody down here has at least six rifles and a pile of ammo, we can raise an army in 24 hours if we need it. If the situation really gets bad, we can always call DPS and ask them to send over a couple Texas Rangers.

Remember if Texas ever left the union: We have enough colleges to keep us going: you.T., Texas A&M, TCU, Texas Tech, Rice, SMU, University of Houston, Baylor, UNT, Texas Women's University, etc. Ivy grows better in the south anyway.

Remember if Texas ever left the union: We have control of the paper industry, plastics, insurance, etc.

Remember if Texas ever left the union: Computer Industry - we currently lead the nation in producing computer chips and communications: Small places like Texas Instruments, Dell Computer, EDS, Raytheon, National Semiconductor, Motorola, Intel, AMD, Atmel, Applied Materials, Ball Semiconductor, Dallas Semiconductor, Delphi, Nortel, Alcatel, Etc, Etc

Remember if Texas ever left the union: Defense Industry. (We have over 65% of it) The term "Don't mess with Texas," will take on a whole new meaning.

Remember if Texas ever left the union: We are totally self sufficient in beef, poultry, hogs and several types of grain, fruit and vegetables and lets not forget seafood from the Gulf. And everybody down here knows how to cook them so that they taste good.

Remember if Texas ever left the union: We refine over 85% of the gasoline in the United States.

Remember if Texas ever left the union: Health Centers - We have the largest research centers for Cancer research, the best burn centers and the top trauma units in the world and other large health planning centers.

Remember if Texas ever left the union: NASA is just south of Houston, Texas. (We will control the space industry.)

Remember if Texas ever left the union: Natural Gas - Again we have all we need and it's too bad about those northern states.

Remember if Texas ever left the union: Oil - we can supply all the oil that the Republic of Texas will need for the next 300 years. Yankee states? Sorry about that.

Remember if Texas ever left the union: since you won't have the refineries to get gas for your cars, the rest of the United States will have to walk or ride bikes. You won't have any TV, as the space center in Houston will cut off your communications. You won't have any natural gas to heat your homes but since we have predicted global warming, you will not need the gas.

Not quite . You are talking about the golden age of the Giants . Lombardi was offensive coordinator and Landry was defensive coordinator under head coach Jim Lee Howell. Together the Giants won the championship in 1956 against da Bears . But they lost to the Colts in 58 and 59 . Still the Giants had one of the leagues best defenses during his tenure.

What an ignorant question!