The Dumb South: What to make of regional difference

[CherokeeDem]

51. Once again...

you twist someone's words to validate your argument. I'm certain it's a matter of perspective... you assume your's is correct and everyone else is wrong. Slavery was 'tolerated' in the South and in the North if I remember correctly, as it has for centuries throughout the world. Does that make it right? No. Racism is not tolerated except by racists and I'm willing to bet while the racists living in the South may wear their hatred on their sleeves, at least, they are not hypocrites hiding their racism.

I wonder when you visited the southern US last. I dare say that most people who continue to engage in Southern bashing, have this image of of the white overlords abusing slaves in the cotton fields. The contemporary South is nothing like that... cotton is picked by machines now. Who knew we'd be so progressive?

Yes, there are still small towns where class distinction occurs, not only between blacks and whites but between whites as well. I don't tolerate such behavior and none of my friends and most of my family do not. Unfortunately, there are a couple of tea party nuts lurking in the family. I have nothing to do with them.

I would like to request that you and the others who hold this opinion stop painting the South with such a broad and negative brush. We are citizens of this country and hold diverse, and sometimes unfortunate, views just like everyone else regardless of location. Please stop maligning Southerner's for something which occurs everywhere.

By the way, I believe I read in another post that you are from Michigan. I ask you to consider how you would feel if you were painted as a racist or at least, tolerance of racism due to the horrors that have befallen Detroit. Detroit stands as a symbol of racial unrest and now thousands of people who live there have been abandoned. Would you like for someone to call out your state as tolerant of racism. Doesn't feel good and it is unfair, isn't it?