How Southern States Are Harming America And What We Can Do About It (addictinginfo.org article)

[meow2u3]

There are currently two versions of America operating in this nation. One comprises the states in the North, the other, the states in the South. At first glance, the average visitor wouldn’t notice much of a difference. After all, we nearly all speak the same language, eat the same kinds of foods, share common histories, customs, religions, wear similar clothing, and enjoy the same sports. The only thing that seems to be dividing us is politics and how we view government. In the South, conservatives are in control. Fear and hatred of the federal governments run rampant, which leads to the election of those who want to dismantle it. In the North, liberals are the majority. Government is generally viewed as a bastion for the common good, which leads to the election of those who seek change to advance the country and solve its problems. The question is, can these two visions of governing co-exist or do we have a problem that only separation of the union can solve?

In an article published on Alternet, an argument is made explaining why allowing Southern states to secede would be good for America as a whole. But is this a viable option, or just a fantasy of what a perfect world would look like?

It is clear that there are major differences between the North and the South. The South is anti-union while the North is largely pro-union. The South is anti-choice while the North is pro-choice. The South is anti-gay while the North is rapidly expanding gay rights. Religious fundamentalism is more prevalent in the South than it is in the North. The South is still fighting the Civil War while the North has moved on. Furthermore, Southern states oppose gun regulations, government health care, increased voting rights, lower taxes, do not fund public education as much as they should, and are profoundly more racist. To be sure, lower taxes appeal to just about every American, but when the nation has a debt problem, it is the liberal North that generally supports raising taxes as part of the solution to debt issues. And even though all Americans support Second Amendment rights, the liberal North realizes that common sense regulations can prevent gun violence without infringing on gun rights. And there is no doubt that racism can be found in every state in the nation. It’s just that the South has a deep-seated history of it.

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/07/05/how-southern-states-are-harming-america-and-what-we-can-do-about-it/

Disclaimer: the subject line is not my own. It has little to do with gratuitous South-bashing and more to do with bashing the Southern Repukes in power.

[jehop61]

1. I'm afraid

You offer way too many generalizations. Think Maine, Michigan, Ohio and Wis., for example. All with right wing officials. Where do you draw your border? And what about the West? Do you leave Ca, Ore and Wa. Out there alone when you take Texas, Ok and the other rightie states out of our nation? How about working to change minds and attitudes instead?

[AlinPA]

5. Exactly. Look at PA. It is controlled totally by republicans. Although I do agree that the US is

not united now. It is the worst I've ever seen it (I lived through Vietnam and the Civil Rights battles). It's mostly the political division.

[TM99]

2. Explain Wisconsin & Ohio then.

[meow2u3]

4. The Dixiecon fascists invaded the North by another means

They can't come out and start a shooting war, so they resort to provoking an economic war because they count on the hope that the people won't see it as war.

[djean111]

3. As a Floridian, I hope some of us can move to the North.

But not to any of the Northern red states. Not to Wisconsin or Pennsylvania or Indiana or Kansas or the Dakotas or Idaho or GOP-ruled states like those, please.
Geographic generalities don't really work all that well for me.

[octoberlib]

6. Not just southern states.

I'd suggest they also add Montana, Maine, Wyoming, Michigan, Wisconsin, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Utah, Ohio, North and South Dakota, Indiana to their list then. And they should probably include Pennsylvania as well. This article is ridiculous.

[cordelia]

7. Why we need the "unrec" feature. Promoting region bashing.

And that, in my opinion, equates to bigotry.