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96. I'm from Arizona - home of The War on MLK Day, SB1070 and banning Hispanic studies

Mon Mar 12, 2012, 10:19 PM

Mar 2012

I was born in Tucson, Arizona and have lived here my entire life. I dislike it that Arizona is portrayed as a hick state - but the facts are out there.

History - whether 30 years ago (anti-MLK day sentiment) or 2 years ago (xenophobic, racist anti-immigration SB1070) or the present (banning of Hispanic studies programs) - paints a negative picture of my home state.

Of course that doesn't mean everyone here is a bigot. In Tucson and Pima County, voters are very largely Democratic. My district elected Gabrille Giffords and Raul Grijalva in the infamous 2010 "shellacking". Arizona went for Clinton in 1996.

Nobody in the Reality Based Community thinks everyone in The South is a bigot. Nobody denies that some racism exists in New England.

But it's also undeniable that both "The South" and "The Southwest" are areas of much more concentrated and much more open bigotry. That's not "bullshit elitism". It's a matter of fact, established by empirical evidence, and part of the current political reality.

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I want to talk frankly about the south hate here [View all] backwoodsbob Mar 2012 OP

I'm a liberal in Texas Skittles Mar 2012 #1

so EVERY person in the south is guilty? backwoodsbob Mar 2012 #4

Nice way to derail a conversation. Warpy Mar 2012 #13

I see the problem you have with reading comprehension Skittles Mar 2012 #15

I think ppl here are talking about southern GOP voters. FarLeftFist Mar 2012 #103

I don't recall anyone on DU ever claiming that "everyone" in the South is tblue37 Mar 2012 #159

Thank you - good post treestar Mar 2012 #186

Nice strawman. AtheistCrusader Mar 2012 #165

Of course not - TBF Mar 2012 #168

I remember working the primaries in 2010 w8liftinglady Mar 2012 #18

you have guts, w8liftinglady! Skittles Mar 2012 #32

she wasn't scared because iemitsu Mar 2012 #102

I lift weights! Skittles Mar 2012 #184

i can beat that - i'm in east texas, and i see where the reputation comes from too. however arely staircase Mar 2012 #61

One of my co-workers lives in Tyler...drives to Dallas to work. w8liftinglady Mar 2012 #63

tyler to dallas daily is a pretty good hike. arely staircase Mar 2012 #71

Tara Winery,maybe? w8liftinglady Mar 2012 #72

nope. wow, more than one east texas winery, who'd of thunk it lol arely staircase Mar 2012 #78

LOL... My partner and I used to go to Tara's w8liftinglady Mar 2012 #83

gun barrel city is only my second favorite texas town name arely staircase Mar 2012 #89

A moment I've not forgotten in Tyler Texas AnotherDreamWeaver Mar 2012 #113

My Populist, FDR, pro-LABOR roots are from that area. bvar22 Mar 2012 #172

I said I UNDERSTAND it Skittles Mar 2012 #69

oh, i wasn't accusing you of or chatising you for anything arely staircase Mar 2012 #74

You're not making that up. UnrepentantLiberal Mar 2012 #114

I can attest to the ethnic racism among whites. LibDemAlways Mar 2012 #121

I grew up in a small town in Montgomery Co., PA and it was the same way life long demo Mar 2012 #182

You should have heard what Bavarians (Southern Germans) used to JDPriestly Mar 2012 #194

I live in Alaska. Sounds the same. roguevalley Mar 2012 #101

Dick Army, Phil Gramm, Tom Delay Rex Mar 2012 #128

I get it, I really get it. I am a social democratic living in the south. We all aren't lemmings. southernyankeebelle Mar 2012 #131

I'm a as far left as you can get without falling off the edge liberal & am from No. FL lark Mar 2012 #144

Good rant Bob. lpbk2713 Mar 2012 #2

You are quite right. blue neen Mar 2012 #3

I live in Ohio and we have people here just as bad or worse than some of doc03 Mar 2012 #10

wow, i only hear the n word every couple of weeks arely staircase Mar 2012 #105

LOL! Withywindle Mar 2012 #109

Oh, I spent an entire summer jsmirman Mar 2012 #12

I guess the driving thing would depend on what part of PA you were in. blue neen Mar 2012 #20

In the LV jsmirman Mar 2012 #24

in east texas the kkk is pretty much only visible in the far southeast corner - you may have heard o arely staircase Mar 2012 #92

Oh, I believe it Amaril Mar 2012 #117

Same here, and they're quite proud of it, too! blue neen Mar 2012 #137

I live in Pennsylvania too. maddiemom Mar 2012 #178

K&R !!! n/t RKP5637 Mar 2012 #5

You know...as I said in another thread nadinbrzezinski Mar 2012 #6

First of all, you sound awesome jsmirman Mar 2012 #7

I live in one of the most conservative voting city's surrounding Cleveland, Ohio.... WCGreen Mar 2012 #8

This message was self-deleted by its author Tesha Mar 2012 #9

in a backwards way you made my point backwoodsbob Mar 2012 #28

The south is a near theocracy Warpy Mar 2012 #36

+1 PassingFair Mar 2012 #88

I live in the South, Atlanta, Ga, area to be exact. RebelOne Mar 2012 #11

Yeah, OK, fine. But where are ya' on NASCAR? trof Mar 2012 #14

NASCAR is hardly even southern anymore KamaAina Mar 2012 #126

"Hardly even Southern" has always described stock car racing Mopar151 Mar 2012 #136

K&R... stonecutter357 Mar 2012 #151

Well said, Bob. I'm in GA and yes, there are shitheads here CurtEastPoint Mar 2012 #16

You ain't the South, Bob izquierdista Mar 2012 #17

no you are WRONG backwoodsbob Mar 2012 #37

How am I going to change my neighbor? izquierdista Mar 2012 #87

I won't hide or hold back backwoodsbob Mar 2012 #56

midwest here wendylaroux Mar 2012 #19

People like simple solutions that fit with their preconceptions of life, complexity that challenges Uncle Joe Mar 2012 #21

I know, Baby. It makes an old liberal hippie Southerner sad. nolabear Mar 2012 #22

K&R... stonecutter357 Mar 2012 #152

It's an old story, isn't it? tledford Mar 2012 #23

RE: DU being right of personal center......... socialist_n_TN Mar 2012 #97

People make generalizations on everything. Everyone here at DU, where ever they are from could say mother earth Mar 2012 #25

I live in MS Aerows Mar 2012 #26

Hey Bob... handmade34 Mar 2012 #27

I grew up next to SC :) stuntcat Mar 2012 #29

Take this to heart my fellow American (s) showmethejedi Mar 2012 #30

Reccity rec rec! pecwae Mar 2012 #31

I live in the south. Truthfully, there are a lot of people just like you describe. Good luck in SC. Hoyt Mar 2012 #33

A Cheerwine toast to you! pinboy3niner Mar 2012 #34

Oh no you did not!! wendylaroux Mar 2012 #41

They will deliver it to your door pinboy3niner Mar 2012 #43

your the best!! thanks!! wendylaroux Mar 2012 #65

Cheerwine stonecutter357 Mar 2012 #154

I agree with you TeamsterDem Mar 2012 #35

Aren't we all somethingists? mahina Mar 2012 #38

and I grew up in the UK learning how stupid the Irish were and now I'm trying to Irish roots Demonaut Mar 2012 #46

I was born and raised in the South. Some of the most racist people I have EVER known Number23 Mar 2012 #39

a problem, Bob, is that some people MAKE FORTUNES promoting those stereotypes grasswire Mar 2012 #40

YOU NAILED IT backwoodsbob Mar 2012 #51

"Latte liberal" is also an object of hatred grasswire Mar 2012 #66

Count me in as born & raised in Richmond, VA arcane1 Mar 2012 #42

I only diss on the South xmas74 Mar 2012 #44

RTR stonecutter357 Mar 2012 #155

All over Faurot Field. xmas74 Mar 2012 #183

I lived in Arkansas and Mississippi for several years. DCBob Mar 2012 #45

Enjoy your plantation in SC! Nye Bevan Mar 2012 #47

As one of southern comics says, "Don't care what anyone says, that's funny." Hoyt Mar 2012 #75

Except he's from Nebraska, dmallind Mar 2012 #153

You're wrong. The Doctor. Mar 2012 #48

Bob. bluestate10 Mar 2012 #49

Just wondering if pipi_k Mar 2012 #50

LOL... I feel your pain here in Texas w8liftinglady Mar 2012 #53

Yes jeff47 Mar 2012 #57

aw HELL yes Skittles Mar 2012 #68

Thank you, Bob. It gets a little disheartening to read posts here that lump all of us Arkansas Granny Mar 2012 #52

you are right. w8liftinglady Mar 2012 #54

If you don't like the way the South is viewed by the rest of the country, then you change it. baldguy Mar 2012 #55

All right, now you watch mine. nolabear Mar 2012 #70

Bill Maher NAILED IT, because no one understands the south better than hughee99 Mar 2012 #127

That wasn't Bill Maher's video. It was Nancy Pelosi's daughter's. MADem Mar 2012 #150

My apologies to Bill. hughee99 Mar 2012 #162

I did not see the whole show. I did see the video. MADem Mar 2012 #163

The original post to which I replied seemed to be hughee99 Mar 2012 #166

"you could make a video just like this in New York, New Jersey" guardian Mar 2012 #200

Timothy McVeigh born and raised in New York, Terry Nichols born and raised in Michigan RedEarth Mar 2012 #134

The county red to blue map shows a slightly different picture... Hippo_Tron Mar 2012 #188

I don't really give a rat's ass what they think Gman Mar 2012 #58

I don't really give a rat's ass stonecutter357 Mar 2012 #156

I live in Kansas and I'm a huge Liberal too. mistertrickster Mar 2012 #59

In fairness, there are pockets of ignorance in New England. Dawson Leery Mar 2012 #60

My aunt still tells me stories about New Haven w8liftinglady Mar 2012 #64

East Haven is for whites only: Dawson Leery Mar 2012 #73

Pockets? POCKETS? Mopar151 Mar 2012 #190

you go, backwoodsbob nt arely staircase Mar 2012 #62

The 2nd District here in Maine is not a whole lot of different, Bob. Old and In the Way Mar 2012 #67

Pictures of Maine are always so pretty. I dream of visiting there one day. Honeycombe8 Mar 2012 #82

I'm a liberal in Louisiana. I feel your pain. juajen Mar 2012 #76

I'm from Louisiana, too! I live in Dallas now. I'm from Cajun country...southwest La. And yes,... Honeycombe8 Mar 2012 #80

Most of the Cajuns that I know in Dallas vote Democratic w8liftinglady Mar 2012 #91

The hell you say! That's where I'm from! nt Honeycombe8 Mar 2012 #99

My son lives in the south, and when I visit him I meet a lot of wonderful people. But... Speck Tater Mar 2012 #77

I am the south, too! Deep, deep, deep south. By the time I was 10, I was anti-racism. Honeycombe8 Mar 2012 #79

The GOP's Southern Strategy is called that for a reason. JoePhilly Mar 2012 #81

I was born in the midwest, grew up in the midwest,and except for 22 years spent in New York, libinnyandia Mar 2012 #84

Native Texan here. I am a third generation Democrat and live in East Texas. Manifestor_of_Light Mar 2012 #85

LOL... DON'T get me started on Smokey Joe w8liftinglady Mar 2012 #86

Are you in SE TX? That's KKK territory, so I wouldn't think there'd be many white Dems there. Honeycombe8 Mar 2012 #100

I'm in East Texas north of there. Manifestor_of_Light Mar 2012 #174

No... It Really Isn't The South... WillyT Mar 2012 #90

I don't even know if it's city versus country Art_from_Ark Mar 2012 #111

I agree....see my post about. Old and In the Way Mar 2012 #112

Hey, WillieT. Interesting blue pattern in the south. MissMarple Mar 2012 #135

That is an "All or Nothing" graphic, bvar22 Mar 2012 #173

If You Find It... I Would Love To See It WillyT Mar 2012 #181

It took me a while to find it, but here it is. bvar22 Mar 2012 #189

Way Cool... Is That The First Time That's Been Done ??? WillyT Mar 2012 #192

Indiana cornfield liberal here... Comatose Sphagetti Mar 2012 #93

This proud Az liberal knows exactly what you are talking about. jillan Mar 2012 #94

I find hate expressed towards the people of any region personally disgusting Generic Brad Mar 2012 #95

I'm from Arizona - home of The War on MLK Day, SB1070 and banning Hispanic studies NAO Mar 2012 #96

Orange County Cal progressive here. South Orange County. Overall, Orange County wiggs Mar 2012 #98

I'm with you on that frazzled Mar 2012 #108

I am a California Socialist Taverner Mar 2012 #104

Tennessee progressive here politicasista Mar 2012 #106

Haters gonna hate. I bet there isn't a fucking city, town, or burg in this whole country cherokeeprogressive Mar 2012 #107

San Francisco was voted the most hated city in the nation. AtomicKitten Mar 2012 #110

thank you! we can all hate each other like adults... and still learn to not care so much about it. NuttyFluffers Mar 2012 #118

LOL's!! It's from total jealousy I think! stuntcat Mar 2012 #120

so many years ago, barbtries Mar 2012 #161

I understand Blue_Roses Mar 2012 #115

BULLSHIT ELITIST? No, that is not judgmental. No, that is not hate. KILL THE WISE ONE Mar 2012 #116

Good thing homophobia and bigotry have been eliminated outside the South. nt jobycom Mar 2012 #130

Eliminated, No. but what I deal with on a daily basis is almost nonexistent for me here. KILL THE WISE ONE Mar 2012 #197

Yeah, but up here in Wisconsin, everyone's a liberal. Yeah, that's it. Scuba Mar 2012 #119

I'm a Virginian and I don't pay it much mind Blue_Tires Mar 2012 #122

Idaho is well north of the Mason Dixon line, IDemo Mar 2012 #123

Your point is entirely valid. hifiguy Mar 2012 #124

Yep, geardaddy Mar 2012 #125

This liberal vegetarian atheist humanitarian Southerner agrees. nt jobycom Mar 2012 #129

A frank conversation would have both pros and cons just1voice Mar 2012 #132

I live in Georgia and I understand what you call hate about the South Papagoose Mar 2012 #133

We sat down for breakfast at a B&B with a couple from Boulder. MissMarple Mar 2012 #138

This coastie salutes you wryter2000 Mar 2012 #139

I moved to Texas (Houston area) because I wanted to. ScreamingMeemie Mar 2012 #140

I thinik the reality is rural versus populated rather than north/south. Bonhomme Richard Mar 2012 #141

I believe you are on to something here. hifiguy Mar 2012 #143

A lib in the South and I'm proud to make this rec #100. n/t cynatnite Mar 2012 #142

MLK said the racism he experienced in Chicago was worse than Mississippi. Tveil Mar 2012 #145

Thank you! barbtries Mar 2012 #146

It's an uphill climb. MADem Mar 2012 #147

I love the south and I got something for everyone to hate. DeadEyeDyck Mar 2012 #148

What he said. WilliamPitt Mar 2012 #149

No one here ASSUMES anything about individuals, you included Doctor_J Mar 2012 #157

There are crappy, racist disgusting conservative people in every state. Jennicut Mar 2012 #158

If you are the south, you don't have the pulpit. The "South" has its reputation for a reason. gtar100 Mar 2012 #160

Statistically speaking, you are not "The South". AtheistCrusader Mar 2012 #164

Statistically speaking, you aid those you claim to despise the most when you describe a region Uncle Joe Mar 2012 #169

I can't help it. AtheistCrusader Mar 2012 #196

Your post makes my point Uncle Joe Mar 2012 #198

52 percent of GOP voters in Mississippi said they think Obama is a Muslim... tjwash Mar 2012 #167

Florida chimes in DonCoquixote Mar 2012 #170

Very well said!! n/t patricia92243 Mar 2012 #171

I live in Kansas and admit we are a shithole of GOP idiots. At least I have guts to admit it. Logical Mar 2012 #175

Some of the best libs/progs I know live in deep red territory north or south many a good man Mar 2012 #176

A DURec for The Beautiful South! bvar22 Mar 2012 #177

K&R... stonecutter357 Mar 2012 #201

I have deep roots in the north and the south. Its complicated. Bosso 63 Mar 2012 #179

Welcome! SouthernLiberal Mar 2012 #180

I agree! Will do. savalez Mar 2012 #185

How come all your congresspersons are such assholes? valerief Mar 2012 #187

Oh, piffle. Daemonaquila Mar 2012 #191

Thanks for all the good things you do, backwoodsbob. JDPriestly Mar 2012 #193

The Old South is rick santorum's base.... solarman350 Mar 2012 #195

You are going to have your hands full in SC adigal Mar 2012 #199