Is there any point in liberal Southerners sticking around DU?

[QC]

It's a question I've often asked myself, and the answer is increasingly looking like "no."

After all, it's not as though the past two days' orgy of bashing is something new or unusual. It's actually one of the most predictable, certain things in the land of DU. We do this once or twice a month, apparently whenever things get slow and the same obsessed freaks get bored and want to see some fireworks.

Southern liberals catch a good bit of flack in real life, so there's really no point in coming to a discussion board to catch more. If DU is not a supportive place for liberals, then what good is it? And if DU is not a place where we come to get information and energy to help us fight the good fight, then once again, what good is it? Does the Internet really need another place where social cripples sit in their parents' basements furiously tapping out half-literate attacks on total strangers?

[bowens43]

1. I haven't seen anyone bashing

southern liberals.

[inthecorneroverhere]

20. was your electricity off yesterday??

You must not have been here yesterday. If you were in the blackout and had no access to your computer, I understand that.

If you visited DU yesterday and didn't 'see' it, there's something wrong with this picture....

It was all over GD, in at least 4 or 5 loooooooooooooooooooong threads.

[fishnfla]

24. Know something?

the sexism thread was shut down by the mods last week, the misoginist thread was too. The Southern bashing threads were allowed to linger. And then there were copycat threads. The original poster said he was "tired" and going to bed,when funny he started an insulting poll. I emailed the mods twice saying "hey enough uncle already" they let them run. Get it?

[QC]

28. Yeah, there's a strange tolerance for those threads.

Same with that regrettable epidemic of "Rush Limbaugh is Gay," "George W. Bush is Gay" and other copycat threads a few months ago. They were offensive as hell, and drove off some good people, but they went on and on, just like the Energizer Bunny.

And those of us who objected to them were told then, like now, that we had thin skins and needed to lighten up.

[Gringo]

56. What's so offensive about that?

Speculating about whether the filth Limbaugh was/is gay is probably factually wrong, and totally irrelevant, but offensive?

If he were gay, it would be perfectly right to attack him for his hypocrisy, since he is a grade-A gay-basher.

Haven't heard about the Bush-as-gay thing, but the same would apply. Personally I'm more concerned with his destroying our country than I am with his sexual pickle-dilloes. :-)

[QC]

Well, the constant repetition and snickering tone,

along with the "jokes" about fudge-packing and pillow-biting, made it seem that "gay" was being used as a generic insult, much like in junior high school.

Of course, if the same remark were made about Drudge then no one could say a word, because it is established fact that he is gayer than a tree full of parrots--just ask David Brock. If anyone had wanted a discussion of why closet-cases are often drawn toward reactionary politics (like Roy Cohn, J. Edgar Hoover, etc.) that could have been really interesting.

[inthecorneroverhere]

43. Yes I do

It's clear that those of us who live south of the Ohio River and roughly east of the Brazos are not welcome here.

I repeat my little 'prediction:' At some point in the next 10 years (hopefully after 2004), the Democrats will become a regional party associated with New England.

[Gringo]

52. I was tired, I did go to bed, and the poll had only the lightest barb

of satire. It may not have been very funny - that's a matter of taste, but it was hardly insulting. I imagine that people with skin so thin as to compare a poll making fun of slash pines to rape would be better off someplace that does NOT allow the free exchange of ideas. And what are you so mad about? Most of the bashing that went on in that thread was gringo-bashing.

It is only a few who are making a mountain out of this molehill, but I have never seen such unbelieavably hypersensitive overreaction. I've never gotten pissed like this when people have attacked/poked fun at the regions I've lived in - there is not a single area of this country that is above being made fun of or criticized, and not one area that doesn't deserve praise as well.

Southerners may very well be the "kindest and most hospitable" people in the land, but a few of them are apparently thin-skinned to the point of hysteria. Maybe it's because the crux of the subject was racism, and the truth about that hurts, I dunno.

I've allowed several times that my thread was poorly made and probably wrong-headed. I also suggested to the mods that they lock the blasted thing when it started to get ugly. They chose not to. I've also apologized sincerely for starting the thing, only to have my anecdotal experiences called lies in my absence.

I live in Florida now. I am a native Texan, and lived for many years in California. I don't bat an eye when these places get ridiculed- so what is it with this unbelievable southern hypersensitivity?

[fishnfla]

65. Why didnt they lock it?

thats telling IMO

[inthecorneroverhere]

85. snide remarks

Well, heee heee, tee heee, let's all start making snickering snide comments about the pollution, ghetto problems, race riots, South Boston racists, etc. that are up North.

Oh, but nooo we can't do that. Then the Northerners will start getting thin-skinned....and say, 'the rednecks are up to it again.'

By the way, Gringo, what went wrong on your little vacation in the South? I'm sorry that it didn't seem like you had an enjoyable vacation time.

Did some gift shop/tourist trap owner throw you out on your ear for making rude jokes or something?

[antineocon1]

2. I hear ya...

We had a couple of really good discussions about this last night. A lot of support for southern liberals and the south in general. But, I'm glad you brought it up again. Most of my family is from the south and I am from Texas. I just ignore insults and chalk it up to immaturity and ignorance.

[LosinIt]

3. Oh for Christ's sake

just because some people don't think before they type is no reason to go away.

[MuseRider]

4. It is hard

but you are needed. Unless you want to fight just try to stay away from those who just want to fight. We need your insight and some of us want to learn what you know by living there. I am in Kansas, we get it too. Unless we can all understand the dynamics going on in your part of the country we will lose. Try to stay. We really do need y'all.

[preciousdove]

5. 30509 of us don't participate in the war between the states

Use your ignore feature it makes life so much more pleasant.

:hi:

[greatauntoftriplets]

13. Well said, preciousdove.

I'm a northerner who has made some good Southern friends at DU. While I might bash an individual Southerner -- Tom DeLay or Trent Lott, for example -- I won't bash Southerners as a whole.

[Jawja]

57. Amen!

I zap the South/Southern bashers to my Ignore list, where they are forever exiled from my consciousness, along with the trolls.

Very handy, indeed.

[Clete]

6. Yeah, everyone gets bashed at one time or another.

Look at the gender wars. I am a woman. And look at the flack vegetarians take from meat eaters. (I know that sounded funny, but it's true.)

[fishnfla]

7. Its obvious we ain't welcome

but I'm a-staying. I urge my Southern brethren to do the same. Next time some loser wants to flame bait, no matter what, just ignore the fuck out of the useless fucker. Let the yanks have a circle jerk.

[Cheswick2.0]

8. Stick around please

Don't let that crap get you down. We need to stick together even if we don't all agree all the time.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

9. Yes in order to combat ignorance about liberal southern DU'ers

I am part of DU and I am supportive of liberal southern DU'ers. They will always have a fan and an advocate in me.

[Gringo]

60. Nobody EVER bashed LIBERAL southerners

I defy you to cite an instance of that.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

87. I don't think you did and in fairness to you

I think you were trying to convey a point that got lost in the fact that far too much southern bashing has occurred on DU. Part of it you caught yourself and tried to correct but by then it was too late.

[Lars39]

92. There is one poster in particular that WILL NOT diffrentiate between

liberal OR neo-con southerner, no matter how much the broad-brush technique is pointed out to her/him. It amounts to troll-like behavior, which has also been pointed out to said poster.

[Rex]

10. Actually, I've seen quite a few of us here

As for the ones that seem to love to bash the South...screw em.

[MasonJar]

11. DU and the South

Maybe you were not on the site on Friday then; there was quite an explosion of anti-South posturing. WE should all be working together for our common cause: defeat GWB and defeat as many Pugs as possible no matter their office.

[sandnsea]

12. maybe we'll get somewhere if you stay

I was really disappointed with the variety of stereotypes and attacks on this board directed at all kinds of people, but southerners do take a big hit. It's one thing to be in a frustrated mood and lash out on occasion, I'm sure I do it too, it's another to think that momentary frustration is actually a permanent truth. But maybe if we keep wading through the mire, we'll come out the other end with a way to move forward as a whole.

[retread]

14. Can you imagine how you would feel if you were

a southern African-American woman who was a vegetarian and a member of PETA ?

[helleborient]

19. Or how about

A white male bisexual Christian among fellow liberals. Come along with us and develop the thick skin - we need all of the Southern liberals we can get!

[Ramsey]

15. I think we need to stick around

And get a little thicker skin too. In fact, a lot of groups around here are hypersensitive about the perceived "bashing" of their particular group, from Southerners and feminists (of which I am both), to various groups supporting one candidate or another, etc. The truth is though that the stupidity is usually expressed by a TINY minority of the DU populace, with most of the people here being intelligent and tolerant.

It's a tough world out there with a lot of ignorance and stereotyping. As much as we like to believe we liberals are perfectly tolerant and informed, it isn't always true. Stay and educate those who are misinformed, and help us all band together to oust the Bush Junta in 2004.

Edit: typos

[arcane1]

16. as a southern liberal who moved to kooky Kalifornia...

I get it from both ends, and it rolls right off...

what are there, like, maybe 10 whole people who are "bashing" the south?

these blanket condemnations of DU based on the remarks of an ignorant few are getting old and tiresome. Either confront the actual people who are upsetting you, in the relevant thread, or grow a thicker skin.

Your post is no better than the ones you complain about :eyes:

[inthecorneroverhere]

23. thicker skin here, anyone else ready for the fight?!

Yep, I grew a thicker skin all right!

Let's make this the roughest meanest nastiest clash n'bash board on the Internet!

Let's make that garbage dump known as Usenet look like a well-moderated site!

Let's trash this place to the ground, Baby!!!! Burn, baby burn!!!!

[fishnfla]

27. here we go again

n/t

[keopeli]

17. If you are living in the South and you are surprised that progressives are

critical of the South in general, then you're not being realistic. I'm from Texas, and I now live in Seattle. Texas is a bastion for conservative nut-cases, like the majority of my family. Seattle is a bastion for blinded liberals and libertarians. The laws, the culture, and history make it that way.

When overgeneralizing (as we, and all of the media, frequently do), we always do the minority a disservice. But the truth is that we must look at things realistically without taking things personally. Texas is full of dumb hicks who believe what their culture tells them. The same is true for Washington and California and New York. The solution is education. Meanwhile, we must realistically thwart those who take advantage of this large part of our population.

So, don't take offense at people overgeneralizing...it happens to all of us. Instead, look on it as a dose of reality, and a way to help you, and all of us, learn what we need to do to improve ourselves and our country.

Lecture over. :)

K

[inthecorneroverhere]

25. OK, gotcha....

OK.

Let's just totally write-off the Dem presence in the South.

How are you going to expect even open-minded, nice people to vote for a party that jumps down their throats criticizing them?!?

In the future, Dem's will be a New England regional party.

Californians will form their own Progressive party, while Southern moderates and, yes, even liberals will form a third party that is based in the Midwest, Border and Southern states. They will find a new home in a party that doesn't constantly criticize them.

[arcane1]

30. yeah, that's what the psoter meant

:eyes:


geez, you are taking overgeneralizing to a whole new level! Break out the strawmen!

[sandnsea]

58. What's the solution for blinded liberals & libertarians???

Just wondering.

[buff2]

18. I don't think anyone here is bashing liberal southerners

:hi:From what I've seen it's been the REPUKE bu$h loving southerners. That is a HUGE difference,IMHO. :D

[Catherine Vincent]

22. I agree.

If the poster is speaking of the post of Gringo from yesterday, a lot of southern posters took it the wrong way. That's all.

We all need to stick together and oust that illegitimate nut in the WH!

[fishnfla]

31. took it the wrong way???

Dude said that liberal southern members of this forum, merely by defending the south, were complicite in its problems. Merely by where we live. We could not defend ourselves, because if we did we were defending a racsist institution. Thats what he said. When I get painted into a corner like that I'm gonna fight back.

[inthecorneroverhere]

44. amen

n/t

[Gringo]

69. That's the best summation of what was wrong with my thread.

You're completely right about that and that's why I backed down, only to be bashed endlessly anyway. If you southerners had responded that way in the first place, instead of with disproportionate blind rage, it wouldn't have gotten so awful, IMO. But the final blame rests with me for starting the thing.

Of course, now someone will respond with "Yeah Gringo, you f-ing a-hole, it's all your fault so stick it up your a##!"

Just thought I'd save you the time.

[inthecorneroverhere]

88. So, what went wrong on Gringo's little vacation???

So, what went wrong on your little vacation in the South?

I think had you had an enjoyable vacation, you wouldn't have posted the thread in the first place.

Obviously, Gringo didn't enjoy his little vacation.

[Gringo]

95. Nothing I've said can compared to the bile you and your buddies

continue to spew.

My "little vacation" was fine, thanks although I had to have about $1800 in car repairs.

But my experiences are not pure 100% "good" or "bad", they are both. The mountains and scenery were mostly good. The racist symbols were bad, but they admittedly only were a fraction of what I experienced. None of the southerners I met, even the apparently racist ones, were anywhere near as mean and persistent as you are acting.

[Pepperbelly]

91. Although I resolved to stay out of these stupid threads ...

what you wrote demonstrates a certain ignorance that is downright insulting. If you want to see where the ignorant Bush supporters live, look no farther than the West. Utah, the Dakotas, Wyoming, Montana are far more gopcon than any state in the South and we NEVER hear an unkind word about that. Instead, we have more bullshit stereotyping.

[Old and In the Way]

21. I see those threads, but can't say I find anything constructive in them

Regional generalizations are plain silly topics to start a thread on, IMHO.

[mandyky]

26. Yes, we have to stay

Southerners are great - please ignore poeples' ignorant comments about the south.

[roughsatori]

29. Stay and point it out every time you see it

I used to lurk here for a long time. I started posting after reading "white trash," and "trailer trash" comments. I could have just gotten my feelings hurt, but instead I mention the classist connotations of such words. And that they are antithetical to progressive values.

What shocked me was that it was people of the more moderate Dem persuasion who also called people on this issue. I have always had a problem with moderate Democrats but now I find some of them to be excellent, thoughtful posters.

Some will refuse to even admit the truth of what those words say about the person slinging them. But I have had people apologize or explain they did not think of that and would try not to do it again.

I was raised in a trailer park by Democrats (parents). So I boil when I hear: "Those freepers all live in trailer parks." That last time I mentioned that phrase the poster defended themselves with this nugget: "I did not say that all the people who live in trailer parks are Freepers, I said that all Freepers live in trailer parks."

[QC]

77. That breezy, casual class prejudice is a particular gripe of mine.

It's closely related to the region stuff, of course, and as you point out, for liberals to heap such scorn on the lower classes is a pretty bizarre contradiction that many people seem not to pick up on.

And even fewer people pick up on how that class prejudice might be who most blue collar people do not consider liberals to be their friends. People generally don't like those who look down upon them.

[U4ikLefty]

32. Maybe the question you should ask yourself

Do you consider yourself "Southern" first or do you consdier yourself "liberal" first?

There is no need to defend an entire region. You are only responsible for your own choices.

[fishnfla]

35. maybe you should ask yourself

Where is the need to bash an entire region. Tell me why?

[U4ikLefty]

48. Don't know why anyone would "bash" an entire region

perhaps they had some bad experiences. I happen to love the south.

[cprise]

72. Perhaps you should ask why

An entire region must engage in lock-step conservative politics and drag the country into militarism, debt and economic despotism.

Let's see...

* The South is the least productive workforce, and more dependant on Federal funds than the rest of us. BUT they (collectively) tell the rest of us we'll all a bunch of lazy asses and welfare leeches, and deserve to lose OUR jobs of they are moved offshore.

* The South is the seat of Christian Fundamentalism; for the country and the world.

* The South's representatives (and Bush et al) push energy deregulation on the Northeast and West Coast, and sit in air-conditioned safety and comfort from their REGULATED power grid, as they listen to stories about the largest economies in the country suffering harrowing BLACKOUTS as a result of right-wing economic experiments.

* The South is the perrennial victim. Turn on your TV and listen to rich, white Southerners and their drawl of (economic, religious) victimization. 24 hours per day. Their solutions? Measures that would (and DO) make the Southern poor even less educated and more desperate.

* I heard the South wants to Blame Canada! B-)

[TNDemo]

82. You're wrong about being most dependent on federal funds.

This was a topic in yet another southern thread a few months back. There was a federal website cited that had the top ten states for federal funding. Only 3-4 of the top ten were southern.

[QC]

37. Why choose one or the other?

Should I drop parts of my identity that others find displeasing?

[fishnfla]

45. Do liberals not oppose prejudice in all its forms?

I guess not. It takes the guts of a Southern liberal to stand up to all prejudice and bigotry of all types

[U4ikLefty]

68. Who asked you to "drop parts of your identity"?!?

Certainly not me. Displeasing?!? I never said Southerners were dipleasing...wow, you read a lot into a little question.

[QC]

70. OK, but *how* would one choose one or the other?

We're all a product of many things, including the place(s) where we have lived.

Honestly, I am having a hard time even understanding the question.

[U4ikLefty]

76. Let me clarify

What does your identity as a Southerner have to do with you posting on a "liberal" message board?

I'm a Southern California native & I've got family from Mexico to Alaska, but I don't get all riled about generalizations about my state/region.

[QC]

79. Fair question.

As I said in another post below, I and other Southern DUers seldom make region an issue here. I don't think it has a lot to do with my politics. But there are those who insist of making a big song and dance of region, and to some degree they shape the debate, like it or, as in my case, not. I prefer to be thought of as an individual.

And I'm not saying that we should never discuss such things. Far from it. I'm writing a dissertation on social class relations in Southern lit right now, so I obviously think these things are interesting and worth knowing about. And we have managed to have one or two lively, civil discussions here about things like why the GOP has so much support here, why religion has so much influence, etc. But we managed to have those only because people refrained from the kind of inflammatory, offensive generalizations that always set off a fight.

[TennesseeWalker]

33. I'm not going to leave.

DU is the most thought-provoking forum in which I've ever participated, and has helped me in understanding events in a way I've never had before. It is a mind-opening universe, full of diversity, thoughtful opinions, and humor. Even when folks get a little testy here, there really isn't usually anything hateful being said.

I don't even mind a little south bashing, if it's done in a constructive way. I think in many ways, people here are simply uniformed.

I really think I would go into withdrawal and have to be heavily sedated if I didn't have DU for an outlet.

[Kamika]

34. well why not

Its not like theres alot of ppl doin it, out of what 20000 theres maybe 5 so what, screw them.

We know were better then those ppl


I think those threads just show how insecure the posters are

[liberalhistorian]

36. I think a lot of people who get off on bashing the South

are really bashing the ignorant rednecks who still think it's the 1860's, who can't get over the fact that they lost and it's time to move on, who fly confederate flags from every pole, including their car antennae, and plaster it on everything else, who wear t-shirts saying "The South will rise again", who think blacks are inferior beings who were actually happy under slavery and were much better off, who still believe they had a right to secede and consider themselves separate from the rest of the country, who refuse to recognize that "Southern heritage" includes the horrors of slavery and the brutal oppression of overwhelming racism, bigotry, and hatred, who continue to think of Lee and Jackson as heroes when they were, in fact, traitors, who continue to observe Jefferson Davis's birthday as a holiday, etc., etc., and not Southerners as a whole.

The problem is, a lot of people still associate the South with the images I've described above instead of recognizing that most Southerners aren't like that anymore, that a lot of the South has changed for the better, and that there's just as much racism and bigotry in the North, West, and East as there is in the South. Unfortunately, there are still too many rednecks, though.

[FARAFIELD]

38. I completely agree with you!

Yes every once in a while when it does get slow, the other DU'ers (not from the SOuth) seem to enjoy slamming on various things of Southern Culture, and when we make a point to say that the "facts are wrong on that account" we get our posting priv. revoked or Banned for a few days for making "personal attacks".

[Ishoutandscream]

39. It bothers me, too. But this Texan ain't going nowhere

There, I let my accent do the talking. And mine is real, unlike the Boy King.

[Sophree]

40. Of course! Don't leave!!!!

You guys can't leave, we need you. It would be quite stuffy and not nearly diverse enough in here without you.

Lots of groups take a lot of flack here- Ya just have to have a thick skin. And there's always the ignore button for the more offensive types.

Tough it out. For me? Please?

[QC]

74. I'm too stubborn to leave a place

I've been around so long and generally enjoyed.

But I did think it was worth pointing out that if the board becomes a place where progressives eat their own, as is sometimes the case, then it's not very useful.

We seem to spend a lot of time here directing our anger at people who are not our enemies--rural people, Southerners, religious people, etc.--rather than at BushCorp, which most assuredly is our enemy.

[oasis]

41. Fritz Hollings, Dale Bumpers, Al Gore and Bob Graham are four aces

from the south which has an overflowing deck of beloved citizen statesmen and women.

I'd mention Ann Richards but she moved to New York. :-)

[cprise]

42. There has been litte, if any

...bashing of Southern Liberals. If you really wanna feel the heat, then lets try posing the South's history as the repeated failure of Southern Liberals to gain influence.

You haven't seen this kind of aside precisely because we are rooting for you and assume we are all in the same movement together. But if you feel that solidarity with your geographic region is more important (a considerable impulse in the South, home of lockstep politics) then by all means leave.

You shouldn't take criticism of the South as a whole as a personal attack. However, we are completely sick of being talked-down to on a national scale by Southern politicos who represent the least productive, most Federally-dependant segment of the population.

Enough!

This time around BOTH major parties are holding their national conventions in the MOST productive part of the country, and we may even see two politicians born in the Northeast compete with each other for the Presidency next November.

I detest blind regionalism, and wouldn't force it on anyone. For the same reason, I think, many DUers and probably the country have had it with all the Southern poster-child candidates and general brand of politics.

[fishnfla]

47. define southern poster-child candidates

you mean like Bill Clinton? Jimmy Carter? LBJ? or who exactly?

[QC]

50. "solidarity with your geographic region"

One really does not have much choice in that matter. When living and traveling in the Northeast, I have found that to most people there, I am my region first and later, if they stick around, an actual person. You would not believe the abysmally ignorant questions that people have asked me there. On the other hand, when I go west I am treated like an individual, which is why I enjoy California so much.

But again, my point is that it's not Southerners who tend to make a big deal about region, and that is particularly true at DU.

You shouldn't take criticism of the South as a whole as a personal attack.

That reminds me of when people make homophobic remarks around me and then rush to assure me that they're not talking about me, just those other disease-ridden degenerates. Sorry, but if you make a broad-brush bash of a large group of people, you're attacking everyone in it.

the least productive, most Federally-dependant segment of the population

Do a bit of reading into why that is so and you will begin to understand the political dynamic here and what must be done to change it.

[inthecorneroverhere]

55. Cali is great!

I :loveya: California, too. Folks are treated as individuals there. It's just too expensive...

QC, your experience with the Northeast is the same as mine. Northerners are loyal to their region first.

As is glaringly obvious on this board.

[Alenne]

67. I have had the same experience with the Northeast and the South

When I moved to New Jersey from Virginia, my accent was made fun of and I got a lot of stupid questions. When I moved back to the South my accent was made fun of and I got a lot of stupid questions.

[cprise]

80. Solidarity

"That reminds me of when people make homophobic remarks..."

Does it? I fail to see it. "The South" in the DU context is not a loosely-associated group of people, but a political block; a group of states where you would expect the people to hold their politicians accountable at least most of the time. So, is it the people or the politicians?

As for California, I don't think I would enjoy it as much if they allow a group of Southern energy despots ruin their economy and the Democratic party. Notice how the California governor is being held responsible for power company theft. Saying they're gracious is an understatement.

It is time we (incl. Southern Liberals) recognize the South as a political block and take steps to ameliorate that effect. Holding up the mirror and making sure they get a good look will be no small part of that process.

[QC]

83. If you're going to use your own personal definitions,

then at least do us the courtesy of letting us know.

When most people hear "the South" they think of a geographic region and the people in it. That's the common usage.

If you want to speak of the political establishment in the region, then say so. Liberals here probably hate that political establishment more than you do, since we have to live with it, and we are fighting it.

And that, I think, is what really stings about the generalizations we've been seeing lately. When you're in the trenches, it's a bit galling to have people in places where it's safe--even stylish--to be a liberal heaping scorn on you.

[inthecorneroverhere]

94. dittos!!!!

" " " "

Had to steal that from LimpLizard! D:

[inthecorneroverhere]

51. OK....shall we concede 2004 right now?!

OK. Obviously you wish the Repukes to win in 2004. Anyone with any cognizance of 20th century American history knows that...

No Northeastern Dem since John F. Kennedy in 1960 has won an election. The previous northeastern Dem winner was Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who helped the South greatly and most certainly was a friend to the region (TVA etec.).

A midwestern Dem has a much better chance of winning than does someone from your much-vaunted 'most productive region of the country.'

Gotta love that burning Lake Erie, the result of that wonderful Northern 'productivity' before the EPA was thankfully created!!!!!

[cprise]

84. I will let that BS speak for itself.

See how the South gains influence through little more than, "Oh, not THEM!"

A perfect example... thanks!

[inthecorneroverhere]

103. Hogwash!!!!!!

If you had any kind of sense in your head, you would know that the last Northern Democrat to win an election was JFK in 1960.

Ready to concede 2004 by amputating the Southerners from the Dem Party?!?

Go for it!!!!! I dare ya!!!!

[Gringo]

104. Go wash your own hogs

"the last Northern Democrat to win an election was JFK in 1960."

Big deal - it was an incumbent southern dem who gave us one of our worst-ever defeats in 1980 thanks to his stupefying incompetence. And I say that as a great fan of many of the things Carter has done since.

Really, anyone who votes for or against presidential candidates because of the region they hail from is an IDIOT. That is the last thing I consider. It's entirely irrelevant whether Dumbya is from Maine, pretending to be a Texan, or from Connecticut pretending to be a Texan. All that matters is that he's an evil idiot, and I'll vote for the screamingest drag queen in Greenwich Village or Chelsea if he/she is a democrat and willing to take the gloves off and kick some Dumbya ass.

We don't need a southern candidate, or a northern one. We need a DEMOCRAT- one who will stand up and wipe the floor with that incompetent bastard.

[Pepperbelly]

93. do you try to be as offensive as possible in your prattle?

What is your trip anyway? Who the fuck are you to tell people how they should react to drivel such as your post. And who the fuck are you to tell anyone to leave the site?

Are you Skinner-incognito or something? I don't know anyone else who should be able to tell people that they aren't welcome and I don't think I've ever heard (or read) Skinner voicing such chickenshit thoughts.

As I peruse this thread, if I find another post from you that is as blatently insluting as that one, you will go on ignore because you clearly have little to add to any discussion except hate and discontent.

[gully]

46. Stick around!

WE need you!

Minnesoootan here BTW.

[Droopy]

49. This is the 2nd thread like this I've seen today and

I don't think either one of them was warranted. I've seen one blatantly anti-southern thread on here and if I remember correctly the person who started it got smoked. I've seen a lot of people talk about the southern states in a strategic way saying they were all red states. That doesn't have anything to do with southern liberals, it just means we need to get more Dem votes down that way.

I really don't see why you are so hurt by this that you would want to discount the whole board and the 99.5% of people who are not bigoted toward the south. On the whole, this is a very tolerant message board and when somebody gets out of line they are usually rightly berated.

Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't think so.

[Alenne]

53. not only did he get smoked but he is from Texas

and lives in Miami. A Southerner bashing the South and the whole board gets blamed for it.

[QC]

54. It's the sheer repetition that wears on me.

Fighting a battle once is fun. Fighting the same battle every two or three weeks gets really old.

[fishnfla]

63. this aint the first time

it was the worst time

[inthecorneroverhere]

61. ONE?!?!

ONE anti-Southern thread yesterday?!?! There were more like FOUR or FIVE of them!!!!

Excuse no. 101: 'slow news day.'

All this went down Friday, which was NOT a slow news day!!! The largest electrical blackout in U.S. history was being mopped up.

[Northwind]

59. Do not let one (or even more than one) self-righteous bigoted a-hole

Make you leave behind all the good people here. I am from Texas. I have to hear slams all the time just because Bush calls himself Texan. Don't the bigoted a-holes make your decisions for you.

[Lone Texan]

62. Good Question

I've been visiting DU for several years on a daily basis, but I don't post very much. I have been in Texas my whole life, and I love this state. The few times that I have posted a message defending my home state I have been flamed. One time in particular, I replied to someone for their unfounded attack on Texas and Texans, and I was told that he/she would not stand being flamed by a "newbie". I was called that presumably because I don't post much, and I was treated as though my opinion was not valid because I didn't have hundreds or thousands of posts under my belt.I've read posts from people at DU that have said that Texans are crazy, stupid, uninformed, that we have sex with our brothers or sisters, that we are rednecks, haters, racists, and as Eddie Murphy once said backwoods country fucks. This came not from the occassional freeper disrupter, but from posters with sometimes thousands of posts. The only reason for this I think is because shrub claims to be a Texan, even though he was born and grew up on the east coast. This just shows the ignorance of the people who write such shit in my opinion. Will I still come to DU? Absolutely , on a daily basis. Do we catch a lot of shit for being liberal in the south? No doubt. Is it worth coming here to get the energy to fight the good fight, even though you have to put up with the occassional asshole? Without question. I think the majority of DU'ers are supportive of any liberal no matter where you reside, and I must say that many more DU'ers have come to my defense when I have confronted these types, than have piled on to flame me. It is funny though that Texas has taken a lot of shit here the last couple of years, that is until the Texas Dems showed some balls and stood up to the power hungry pukes in the redistricting fiasco.

[wryter2000]

64. Hey, waitaminute

There was considerable negative reaction to those threads yeserday, including a couple of posts from moi, a NY/CT/CA resident.

[leftofthedial]

66. nope

we might as well go home and beat our slaves with our Support the troops signs and wave confederate flags while telling racist jokes.

[ScreamingMeemie]

71. Then is there any point in anyone staying at DU...I am a thousand

stereotypes...a soccer mom, my daughter goes to a private school, my husband's family is southern AND he wears his name on his shirt AND he owns guns. Yet, I belong here, even though I might not always agree with you, or vice versa. A fair share of bashing goes on of all different "types" of humanity. I do like to call people on it, but leave, heck no. There's no place better to go. So I post a rebuttal, hope they rethink their insensitivity to whatever the subject happens to be and move on to the next interesting post. Face it, we are all HUMANS first and foremost, and because of that-I believe- we are allowed to have faults.

[DemLikr]

73. Another "I'm leaving please don't let me go" thread

:eyes:

[QC]

75. See post 74.

[wildmanj]

78. none

:nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity:

[inthecorneroverhere]

81. Just another wonderful, lovely hospitable Northerner....

This is exactly the sort of attitude that QC meant in his post.

I am sure there is complicit support for South-bashing behind that :nopity: .

[TennesseeWalker]

101. He's just so sweet!

How do you guys make those little violins? lol

[ButterflyBlood]

86. No one has been bashing liberal southerners

some people accused me of this after I started bashing racists who still haven't got over losing the Civil War and everyone started screaming how I was a bigot who hated ALL southerners.

[Octafish]

89. Hey, QC! It's not you.

It's THEM. I don't know if their organization can be called loose or a tight-knit, but what these turds do is work to build dissension and disrupt DU. Their obvious tools include division, anger and condescension. Their subtle ones are phony favor, funny flattery, and disguised agreement. Please don't let their work succeed by choosing to stay silent. I give them all the what's for — by continuing to post what I want to post. Even if we disagree, I welcome others' opinions and ideas. It's how I learn and it's how DU gets stronger.

[displacedtexan]

90. if you can't take DU...

you're neither southern enough nor liberal enough. some of us southerners appreciate DU for its diversity of opinion. i can't count the times someone has written 'i never thought about it that way before.'

[TennesseeWalker]

96. Here HERE!

I agree. I can handle the Yankee sabre rattling...dodging and parrying is fun! Plus, I learn interesting things here...:)

[Q]

97. Are you asking if we think you should leave DU...

...because some of the threads piss you off? That's up to you.

- I've never participated in the 'Southern' threads because I just don't see the point. It's a stupid thing to discuss as our country falls to facism.

[joycep]

98. Well, here is a Southern Liberal

who will be around for a while. I am a Democrat and I belong here just as much as anyone. I get a lot of information from here and I will keep on coming back. In fact someone would have to take a stick to me to get rid of me.

[KoKo]

99. YES! Southern Liberal DU'ers Should STAY AND FIGHT! We can Swing/Election

So, Hell Yeah! Stay and Fight Back.........get a THICK SKIN......AND Hang in There!

:-)'s

[TennesseeWalker]

100. I'm with you, Koko!

eom

[ulysses]

102. of course.

(In answer to your first question, that is...)

[w4rma]

105. I am a liberal Virginian, born in North Carolina, and I say, yes (n/t)

[newyawker99]

106. I am locking this thread.

Questions about Democratic Underground policies belong in the "Ask the Administrators" forum. All discussion topics relating to Democratic Underground policies, procedures, enforcement, etc., which are posted outside of the "Ask the Administrators" forum will be locked or deleted.



NYer99
DU Moderator