Living in the land of Dixie and proud of it!

[Darth Denkay]

Hey ya'll! We've got threads for individual states but I thought one for a broader geographical region might be fun. As a proud Southerner, of course that's the one I am going to create.

I was born in Tennessee (Chattanooga) and have lived my entire life here (although I now live in Memphis). I have no intention of ever leaving. Sometimes though I read references to the South that are fairly disparaging, often around how we communicate, how smart we are, or whether we wear shoes. Honestly I'm offended by those statements. It seems as though folks in other areas of the country look down on us - anyone else get that feeling.

Proud Southerner!

[NotAnAverageGuy]

the only term I get offended by is: dumb redneck

ahem I am a redneck but I am far from dumb

[Zimmeh]

It upsets me that people say how Florida is no longer a part of the South because of the Hispanic population.

[apretty]

Originally Posted by ZimmygLrL

It upsets me that people say how Florida is no longer a part of the South because of the Hispanic population.

i've been thinking about this since you posted, could you say more?

[Toughy]

Originally Posted by NotAnAverageGuy

the only term I get offended by is: dumb redneck

ahem I am a redneck but I am far from dumb

......laughin...........but ya got to admit there are indeed some rednecks that are not the sharpest pencil in the pile.....and some of them are my relatives.....

[Write14u]

Originally Posted by Toughy

......laughin...........but ya got to admit there are indeed some rednecks that are not the sharpest pencil in the pile.....and some of them are my relatives.....

Yeah Toughy, I agree with ya, but let me tell ya: There are rednecks all over. It is in no way exclusive to the South. *grin*

The confederate flag is definitely a racist symbol, but there is plenty of legit pride to be found within the region that doesn't require that symbol.

I'm definitely proud of where I come from. And there's a lot more intelligence among us than we get credit for. It's just like Jeff Foxworthy jokes, however: It's the least intelligent among us who end up on TV describing how the tornado sounded as it came through. *grin*

Just my 2 cents.

[Kast]

I just moved from the 'Land of Dixie' after being born and raised there... to Germany the other day. I thought it would be a big culture shock...but upon leaving the Frankfurt airport, I noticed the countryside looks just like all the Southern states, NC, SC, Georgia, even the Florida woods in places.

I made a web page yesterday to show my family how similar the deep South is to Germany so that they wouldn't worry about me:

http://my-stuff-dot-com.com/Heidenhe...heim2index.htm

[weatherboi]

Originally Posted by Kam

I just moved from the 'Land of Dixie' after being born and raised there... to Germany the other day. I thought it would be a big culture shock...but upon leaving the Frankfurt airport, I noticed the countryside looks just like all the Southern states, NC, SC, Georgia, even the Florida woods in places.

I made a web page yesterday to show my family how similar the deep South is to Germany so that they wouldn't worry about me:

http://my-stuff-dot-com.com/Heidenhe...heim2index.htm

Wow what an adventure!! Love the pics and yes very similar!! Pizza place looks cool too!!

[Zimmeh]

Hey Kam,

Very nice pictures and thank you for sharing them. I have a friend in Ireland and it is very gorgeous there.

Have a good Christmas,

Zimmy

Originally Posted by Kam

I just moved from the 'Land of Dixie' after being born and raised there... to Germany the other day. I thought it would be a big culture shock...but upon leaving the Frankfurt airport, I noticed the countryside looks just like all the Southern states, NC, SC, Georgia, even the Florida woods in places.

I made a web page yesterday to show my family how similar the deep South is to Germany so that they wouldn't worry about me:

http://my-stuff-dot-com.com/Heidenhe...heim2index.htm

[NotAnAverageGuy]

Originally Posted by Toughy

......laughin...........but ya got to admit there are indeed some rednecks that are not the sharpest pencil in the pile.....and some of them are my relatives.....

yeah but classing me with the rest of them doesn't sit well with me, as far as the flag I own one and display it in my bedroom, I do not see it as a racist symbol but a source of pride.

The confederate flag or the "rebel flag" "the navy jack"

The Confederate Navy Jack, also called "The Southern Cross," is a rectangular precursor of the Battle Flag, usually about 5×3 feet. The blue color in the saltire (the diagonal cross) is much lighter than in the Battle Flag, and it was flown only on Confederate ships from 1863 to 1865.

The design was originally made by South Carolina Congressman William Porcher Miles with the intent to be the first national flag, but it was rejected by the Confederate government for looking too much like crossed suspenders. It was used by a few army units, including the Army of Tennessee as their battle flag from 1864-1865. (After General Joseph Johnston took command of the Army of Tennessee from Braxton Bragg, he ordered its army-wide implementation to improve morale and avoid confusion.) Today, it is the most universally recognized symbol of the South, where it is commonly called the rebel or Dixie flag. This flag is often erroneously called "the Confederate Flag". (This Flag is often incorrectly referred to as the Stars and Bars; the actual Stars and Bars is the First National Flag.)


The Confederate Navy Jack, 1861-1863Sometimes, the saltire is described as a "Saint Andrew's Cross." But it is unclear if this was the original intent, since Miles' proposals never mentioned this. "St. Andrew's cross" refers either to the national Flag of Scotland (a white saltire over a blue field), or the naval jack of Russia (a blue saltire on a white field). St. Andrew is said to have been martyred on a diagonal cross and is a patron saint of both Russia and Scotland. A legend dating from medieval times held that Saint Andrew's remains and relics washed up on Scottish shores, after a ship intended to convey them for safe keeping in a remote monastery was lost at sea. Most of the white Southern elite at the time of the War traced their ancestry to Britain, and Southern elites tended to identify their heritage as Anglo-Saxon, although much of the white population were in fact either Scots or Scots-Irish during the 19th century.


What is usually called "The Confederate Flag" or "The Confederate Battle Flag" (actually the Navy Jack as explained above) is still a widely-recognized symbol. The display of the flag is a controversial and very emotional issue, generally because of disagreement over exactly what it symbolizes. To many in the US South it is simply a symbol of their heritage and pride in their ancestors who held out during years of war under terrible odds and sacrifice. Others see it as a symbol of the institution of slavery, or of the Jim Crow laws established by the many Southern states enforcing racial segregation within their borders for almost a century later. As a result, there have been numerous political fights over the use of the Confederate battle flag in Southern state flags, at sporting events at Southern universities, and on public buildings. According to Civil War historian and southerner Shelby Foote, the flag traditionally represented the south's resistance to northern political dominance generally; it became racially charged during the Civil Rights Movement, when protecting segregation suddenly became the focal point of that resistance.

Over time the flag has acquired a wide range of meanings, some apparently contradicting one another. Since the CSA was fighting for independence during the Civil War, much as the United States did during the Revolutionary War, the Confederate Flag has always had connotations of rebellion, patriotism, self-determination, dissent, freedom, and liberty. Since the issues of slavery and, later, segregation, are deeply intertwined with the CSA and the Civil Rights Movement, the Confederate Flag has connotations of racism and slavery. Part of the enduring power and controversy of the flag stems from its symbolization of both liberty and slavery, both freedom and segregation. The United States flag, the "Stars and Stripes", can be seen to stand for similar contradictory symbols as well. Racism has been as much a feature of the North as of the South. The Antebellum slave system depended on financial investment from the North. The Confederate Flag can symbolize treason, yet the American Flag is seen by some to symbolize empire and conquest. But because the Stars and Stripes is the national flag today, it remains relatively free of the kind of controversy that surrounds the Confederate Flag. As John M. Coski put it in his book "The Confederate Battle Flag", the Confederate Flag remains a powerful symbol and is unlikely to go away.

On April 12, 2000, the South Carolina state senate passed a bill to remove the flag of the former Confederate States of America from on top of the statehouse dome by a majority vote of 36 to 7. Placed there in 1962, according to one local news report, "the new bill specified that a more traditional version of the battle flag would be flown in front of the Capitol next to a monument honoring fallen Confederate soldiers." The bill then went to the House, where it encountered some difficulty. But on May 18, 2000, after the bill was modified to ensure that the height of the flag's new pole would be 30 feet, it was passed by a majority of 66 to 43, and Governor Jim Hodges signed the bill five days later. On July 1, the flag was removed from the South Carolina statehouse. Current state law prohibits the flag's removal from the statehouse grounds without additional legislation. Police were placed to guard this flag after several attempts by individuals to remove it. Some regard the flag as easier to see in that location than when it was atop the State House Dome.

More recent studies, however, show changing attitudes toward the Confederate battle flag, particularly among blacks - perhaps due to media reports of the issue stemming from legislative battles regarding the flag's official use in Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina. In 2005, two Western Carolina University researchers found that 74% of U.S. African-Americans polled favored removal of the flag from the South Carolina Capitol building. Cooper & Knotts, 2005 As battle lines over the use of the flag have (again) hardened, the NAACP and many civil rights groups have attacked the flag. Other groups such as the Sons of Confederate Veterans have actively protested the use of any Confederate flags by the Ku Klux Klan and other hate groups, stating that the hate groups are blemishing the memory of the ancestors of the SCV.[1] Some members of the SCV have even faced down Klansmen at their rallies and marches, to protest the inappropriate usage of these flags.[1] The NAACP maintains an official boycott of South Carolina, citing its continued use of the battle flag on its Statehouse grounds.


there is a tad bit of education about it, cited from yahoo answers

[weatherboi]

Originally Posted by NotAnAverageGuy

yeah but classing me with the rest of them doesn't sit well with me, as far as the flag I own one and display it in my bedroom, I do not see it as a racist symbol but a source of pride.

The confederate flag or the "rebel flag" "the navy jack"

The Confederate Navy Jack, also called "The Southern Cross," is a rectangular precursor of the Battle Flag, usually about 5×3 feet. The blue color in the saltire (the diagonal cross) is much lighter than in the Battle Flag, and it was flown only on Confederate ships from 1863 to 1865.

The design was originally made by South Carolina Congressman William Porcher Miles with the intent to be the first national flag, but it was rejected by the Confederate government for looking too much like crossed suspenders. It was used by a few army units, including the Army of Tennessee as their battle flag from 1864-1865. (After General Joseph Johnston took command of the Army of Tennessee from Braxton Bragg, he ordered its army-wide implementation to improve morale and avoid confusion.) Today, it is the most universally recognized symbol of the South, where it is commonly called the rebel or Dixie flag. This flag is often erroneously called "the Confederate Flag". (This Flag is often incorrectly referred to as the Stars and Bars; the actual Stars and Bars is the First National Flag.)


The Confederate Navy Jack, 1861-1863Sometimes, the saltire is described as a "Saint Andrew's Cross." But it is unclear if this was the original intent, since Miles' proposals never mentioned this. "St. Andrew's cross" refers either to the national Flag of Scotland (a white saltire over a blue field), or the naval jack of Russia (a blue saltire on a white field). St. Andrew is said to have been martyred on a diagonal cross and is a patron saint of both Russia and Scotland. A legend dating from medieval times held that Saint Andrew's remains and relics washed up on Scottish shores, after a ship intended to convey them for safe keeping in a remote monastery was lost at sea. Most of the white Southern elite at the time of the War traced their ancestry to Britain, and Southern elites tended to identify their heritage as Anglo-Saxon, although much of the white population were in fact either Scots or Scots-Irish during the 19th century.


What is usually called "The Confederate Flag" or "The Confederate Battle Flag" (actually the Navy Jack as explained above) is still a widely-recognized symbol. The display of the flag is a controversial and very emotional issue, generally because of disagreement over exactly what it symbolizes. To many in the US South it is simply a symbol of their heritage and pride in their ancestors who held out during years of war under terrible odds and sacrifice. Others see it as a symbol of the institution of slavery, or of the Jim Crow laws established by the many Southern states enforcing racial segregation within their borders for almost a century later. As a result, there have been numerous political fights over the use of the Confederate battle flag in Southern state flags, at sporting events at Southern universities, and on public buildings. According to Civil War historian and southerner Shelby Foote, the flag traditionally represented the south's resistance to northern political dominance generally; it became racially charged during the Civil Rights Movement, when protecting segregation suddenly became the focal point of that resistance.

Over time the flag has acquired a wide range of meanings, some apparently contradicting one another. Since the CSA was fighting for independence during the Civil War, much as the United States did during the Revolutionary War, the Confederate Flag has always had connotations of rebellion, patriotism, self-determination, dissent, freedom, and liberty. Since the issues of slavery and, later, segregation, are deeply intertwined with the CSA and the Civil Rights Movement, the Confederate Flag has connotations of racism and slavery. Part of the enduring power and controversy of the flag stems from its symbolization of both liberty and slavery, both freedom and segregation. The United States flag, the "Stars and Stripes", can be seen to stand for similar contradictory symbols as well. Racism has been as much a feature of the North as of the South. The Antebellum slave system depended on financial investment from the North. The Confederate Flag can symbolize treason, yet the American Flag is seen by some to symbolize empire and conquest. But because the Stars and Stripes is the national flag today, it remains relatively free of the kind of controversy that surrounds the Confederate Flag. As John M. Coski put it in his book "The Confederate Battle Flag", the Confederate Flag remains a powerful symbol and is unlikely to go away.

On April 12, 2000, the South Carolina state senate passed a bill to remove the flag of the former Confederate States of America from on top of the statehouse dome by a majority vote of 36 to 7. Placed there in 1962, according to one local news report, "the new bill specified that a more traditional version of the battle flag would be flown in front of the Capitol next to a monument honoring fallen Confederate soldiers." The bill then went to the House, where it encountered some difficulty. But on May 18, 2000, after the bill was modified to ensure that the height of the flag's new pole would be 30 feet, it was passed by a majority of 66 to 43, and Governor Jim Hodges signed the bill five days later. On July 1, the flag was removed from the South Carolina statehouse. Current state law prohibits the flag's removal from the statehouse grounds without additional legislation. Police were placed to guard this flag after several attempts by individuals to remove it. Some regard the flag as easier to see in that location than when it was atop the State House Dome.

More recent studies, however, show changing attitudes toward the Confederate battle flag, particularly among blacks - perhaps due to media reports of the issue stemming from legislative battles regarding the flag's official use in Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina. In 2005, two Western Carolina University researchers found that 74% of U.S. African-Americans polled favored removal of the flag from the South Carolina Capitol building. Cooper & Knotts, 2005 As battle lines over the use of the flag have (again) hardened, the NAACP and many civil rights groups have attacked the flag. Other groups such as the Sons of Confederate Veterans have actively protested the use of any Confederate flags by the Ku Klux Klan and other hate groups, stating that the hate groups are blemishing the memory of the ancestors of the SCV.[1] Some members of the SCV have even faced down Klansmen at their rallies and marches, to protest the inappropriate usage of these flags.[1] The NAACP maintains an official boycott of South Carolina, citing its continued use of the battle flag on its Statehouse grounds.


there is a tad bit of education about it, cited from yahoo answers

This is great NSAG but can you find where the info on yahoo answers came from. I am just wondering the source...yahoo answers can't be source....just place you pulled it from.

The confederate flag is a symbol of pain for a very large and relavent group of people. The "pride" associated with it has been the cause of many deaths of innocent people over our country's history. Some symbols and the history behind them are not meant to be worshipped. IMO Only!!

The Confederate battle flag, called the "Southern Cross" or the cross of St. Andrew, has been described variously as a proud emblem of Southern heritage and as a shameful reminder of slavery and segregation. In the past, several Southern states flew the Confederate battle flag along with the U.S. and state flags over their statehouses. Others incorporated the controversial symbol into the design of their state flags. The Confederate battle flag has also been appropriated by the Ku Klux Klan and other racist hate groups. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, more than 500 extremist groups use the Southern Cross as one of their symbols.

I personally wouldnt want to be associated with it. I am 100% Southern guy born and raised...There is soooooo much more history in this great region to be proud of. People are not forced to use the flag as a symbol of pride they choose to. In doing so it just makes progressing the attitude towards the south that much harder.

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/confederate1.html

[NotAnAverageGuy]

Originally Posted by weatherboi

This is great NSAG but can you find where the info on yahoo answers came from. I am just wondering the source...yahoo answers can't be source....just place you pulled it from.

The confederate flag is a symbol of pain for a very large and relavent group of people. The "pride" associated with it has been the cause of many deaths of innocent people over our country's history. Some symbols and the history behind them are not meant to be worshipped. IMO Only!!

The Confederate battle flag, called the "Southern Cross" or the cross of St. Andrew, has been described variously as a proud emblem of Southern heritage and as a shameful reminder of slavery and segregation. In the past, several Southern states flew the Confederate battle flag along with the U.S. and state flags over their statehouses. Others incorporated the controversial symbol into the design of their state flags. The Confederate battle flag has also been appropriated by the Ku Klux Klan and other racist hate groups. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, more than 500 extremist groups use the Southern Cross as one of their symbols.

I personally wouldnt want to be associated with it. I am 100% Southern guy born and raised...There is soooooo much more history in this great region to be proud of. People are not forced to use the flag as a symbol of pride they choose to. In doing so it just makes progressing the attitude towards the south that much harder.

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/confederate1.html

No sources were sited for her entry. Sorry, people pull snips from anywhere and don't cite them.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...0204138AAYMKLx

I notice alot of people look at the negative parts instead of the exact history and the positive parts of it but hey that's their thing, not mine.

[Sam]

i love the south and honestly i wouldnt live anywhere but...

[katsarecool]

I love the south too; having spent most of my childhood and adult life here. Am I proud right now to be a Southernor? No. Georgia for the most part is a hard-liner Red State where Republicans, Tea Partiers, homophobics and racists abound. Though it is better than say twenty years ago. I have a hard time finding like-minded individuals. I might be happier living in a Blue State or a city like Asheville. I could put up with the snow and ice.

[Queerasfck]

Originally Posted by WicketWWarrick

Hey ya'll! We've got threads for individual states but I thought one for a broader geographical region might be fun. As a proud Southerner, of course that's the one I am going to create.

I was born in Tennessee (Chattanooga) and have lived my entire life here (although I now live in Memphis). I have no intention of ever leaving. Sometimes though I read references to the South that are fairly disparaging, often around how we communicate, how smart we are, or whether we wear shoes. Honestly I'm offended by those statements. It seems as though folks in other areas of the country look down on us - anyone else get that feeling.

Proud Southerner!

How do you feel about the Confederate flag? Do you (or any one else that cares to respond) view the flag as a symbol of culture or as a symbol of racism?

[weatherboi]

Originally Posted by EzeeTiger

How do you feel about the Confederate flag? Do you (or any one else that cares to respond) view the flag as a symbol of culture or as a symbol of racism?

Symbol of racism. I am a 4th generation Floridian. It is a racist flag!! The south has the reputation it does for a reason!!

[Darth Denkay]

Originally Posted by EzeeTiger

How do you feel about the Confederate flag? Do you (or any one else that cares to respond) view the flag as a symbol of culture or as a symbol of racism?

To be honest I do view it as both, it is a part of history - however, knowing what it does symbolize I would never display it.

Originally Posted by weatherboi

Symbol of racism. I am a 4th generation Floridian. It is a racist flag!! The south has the reputation it does for a reason!!

Weatherboi,

Could you explain what you mean by the sentence in red?

I guess I shouldn't be terribly surprised, but I had actually hoped that this thread would be a place where southerners who are proud can hang. It is interesting though, and I think part of the problem, that just mentioning the South brings up the Confederate flag and rednecks. This is what I am speaking to in terms of stereotypes that really bug me. There are aspects of our history that I am not proud of - of course there are aspects of the entire country's history that I'm not proud of, but since we're talking about the South I won't go there.

As Write14u stated, there are so many things about the South that I am proud of, that I prefer. Our cooking, the beauty of the area, the hospitality, the slower tempo of conversation - SWEET TEA!!!!! So much more than a flag and rednecks.

Let me add that I am not defending slavery in any way, form, or fashion. It is a terrible part of our history, but I wonder why it still defines us today? I can't remember the last time I saw a confederate flag displayed.

So, anyone else proud of who we are???

[weatherboi]

Originally Posted by WicketWWarrick

To be honest I do view it as both, it is a part of history - however, knowing what it does symbolize I would never display it.



Weatherboi,

Could you explain what you mean by the sentence in red?

I guess I shouldn't be terribly surprised, but I had actually hoped that this thread would be a place where southerners who are proud can hang. It is interesting though, and I think part of the problem, that just mentioning the South brings up the Confederate flag and rednecks. This is what I am speaking to in terms of stereotypes that really bug me. There are aspects of our history that I am not proud of - of course there are aspects of the entire country's history that I'm not proud of, but since we're talking about the South I won't go there.

As Write14u stated, there are so many things about the South that I am proud of, that I prefer. Our cooking, the beauty of the area, the hospitality, the slower tempo of conversation - SWEET TEA!!!!! So much more than a flag and rednecks.

Let me add that I am not defending slavery in any way, form, or fashion. It is a terrible part of our history, but I wonder why it still defines us today? I can't remember the last time I saw a confederate flag displayed.

So, anyone else proud of who we are???

Hey there Wicket!!

The south has the reputation it does because it is still deeply influenced by generations of a region of people that were brought up to think it is ok to oppress. I see it influence in my nieces. I hear the "n" word used by ingnorant southern guys and gals constantly that surround my everyday life through work. Like it is no big deal. The south has always been the slowest part of the country to progress since the beginning of this country. It is in our history. This is what I meant by that statement. Hope this helps!!


Ohhh BTW I am proud of my southern heritage. I just dont feel a need to address it. I do feel a need to address the flag and people who feel a need to defend it. I think it makes the south look bad and goes against the progression of the region.

[Darth Denkay]

Here's another reason I love living in the South. When we get a few flurries or *gasp* a bit of sleet the whole city shuts down. All schools and government offices closed, the grocery store gets wiped out of all basic stuff...and I get to go home from work early!!!!!!

Now, in our defense, we don't have any equipment to deal with snow and ice - snowplows, salt trucks. And we don't get too much practice dealing with it. Even so, it cracks me up how the city responds to just a bit of winter weather.

[Blade]

Yeah I hear ya! My company closed at 6pm today for the weather and it isn't even raining here yet! They NEVER close completely for anything. But they had a learning experience with Hugo, so if it looks for real now they shut us down.

Originally Posted by WicketWWarrick

Here's another reason I love living in the South. When we get a few flurries or *gasp* a bit of sleet the whole city shuts down. All schools and government offices closed, the grocery store gets wiped out of all basic stuff...and I get to go home from work early!!!!!!

Now, in our defense, we don't have any equipment to deal with snow and ice - snowplows, salt trucks. And we don't get too much practice dealing with it. Even so, it cracks me up how the city responds to just a bit of winter weather.