From: joet@dcatlas.dot.gov (Joe Trott)
Subject: Re: Northerners moving south - questions
Organization: U.S Dept. of Transportation
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 19:45:38 GMT

harryb@phred.UUCP (harry barnett) writes:

>In article 5551@rock.concert.net, alight@rock.concert.net (Alan R Light -- Personal Account) writes:
>>In article <1993Jan4.192259.15011@dcatlas.dot.gov> joet@dcatlas.dot.gov (Joe Trott) writes:
>>>
>>>Oh, one more thing about the South; one of the very few bad things I have
>>>to say about it.
>>>You may find a more pathological level of religion and related ignorance
>>>there.  You'll never wonder "Now why can't I find a bible-thumper when I
>>>want one?" because you will probably receive fairly regular visitations
>>>from various churches and religious groups in your community.
>>>Unfortunately, such groups probably have enough influence that it is best
>>>to be polite to them, even as you are suggesting that they bugger off.
>>>They won't be rude to you; sadly a great many of them probably actually
>>>believe the nonsense they are preaching at you.
>>>
>>>-JTT
>>
>>As a Southerner, I would just like to say that this is the sort of
>>"Damn Yankee" attitude that many of us dislike.  Some idiot proclaiming
>>that you ought to be polite because they have influence, for example.
>>You ought to be polite because they are people, members of the human
>>race.  As for the nonsense, some of it is, some of it isn't.  Be a bit
>>more careful in broad condemnations.

I did not mean to offend you.  I didn't say "because they are people..." for
two reasons.  One, doesn't that go without saying?  I try to be nice to just
about everybody, even the person who gets my number by mistake at 3:00AM.
Two, one of the characteristics of human beings is the presence of a
substantial reasoning ability.  To have turned it off to the point of being
able to 1) accept _beliefs_ as _knowledge_ and especially 2) expect others
to do so, borders on mindlessness and is certainly not worthy of respect.
It should be obvious from my tone that having rejected as knowledge anything
that cannot be demonstrated or proven to be, I am of course an atheist,
though I am an extremely open minded person.
Maybe it was just the small town in NC where I lived (Lincolnton), but I
could count on an average of one visitation per month in warmer seasons.
Otherwise, like I said, I don't think I have anything bad to say about the
South.  I hope to return there someday, hopefully to settle and live out the
rest of my life.  The people are warm and friendly (much more so in rural vs.
urban areas), it is typically quieter (ditto), and the cost of living tends
to be a little lower.  The rural areas seem to be a lot safer too.

>I wish to address the following two comments to rebut the first, and
>answer the second:

>>>They won't be rude to you; 

>>You ought to be polite because they are people, members of the human
>>race. 

>I would be interested in knowing how polite you would be, Alan, at
>being awakened at 8:00 a.m. Sunday morning by repeated poundings on the
>front door of your apartment in Pensacola after you had been up all
>night (and all the previous day) because your presence at the Naval Air
>Station had been required to serve in an emergency.  The pounding was
>being done by a very insistent fist right in the middle of a BIG sign
>on my front door, with BIG Day-Glo orange letters that said ABSOLUTELY
>NO SOLICITING!  The jerk wanted to know if "I had found Jesus in my
>life yet".  I did NOT respond politely, since I found it too ironic
>that this guy who could not read a sign expected me to believe that he
>had ever read a Bible.  These types are sometimes VERY pushy and VERY
>rude, Joe.  

I agree, but fortunately none of the ones who visited me were ever this bad.
Of course, I never had a sign out, and in many cases I actually spoke to
these people, by choice, at least long enough to realize that their
individual message(s) was/were mindless drivel; excuses to not think.

>That said, from having lived in the south for eight years, I found
>these types are very much in the minority among Southerners, and I find
>Southerners MUCH more kindred spirits than Damn Yankees!  I loved lots
>of things about living there, especially the people, and I wouldn't
>hesitate about going back (except for South Florida thank you very much
>but no thanks. :-)).

I agree with this too.  Wholeheartedly.

>The South Shall Rise Again!  (This requires non-networkable accent to
>be properly understood! :-)

Having lived there, I too understand and can agree with some of the attitudes
regarding the Northern war of agression against the South.  That doesn't
excuse practices like slavery of course, but that was only one small part
of what that war was about.  

-JTT
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