Thread: Why do people stereotype southerners to be racists without even thinking about it?

Let's clear one thing when I ask this question:Being a ''southerner'' doesn't equal white.From the way I've experienced it, as a Northerner, who's had exposure to the south, there's been plenty more prejudice in the North.Other things to consider:1) Not all southern places are stereotypically backwards or farms, likewise, not all places in the North are cities or densely populated places.Go to Birmingham and Lexington ... Than go to Scranton or Toledo.You'd think by just spending a day in those places that one's more mainstream (Birmingham and Lexington) and the other appears to be the pit of thinking at times.Now, why is there more tensions and anxiety in the North? Well, there's more immigration, which is something some southern states have started to experience.Believe it or not, white and black southerner's often share many cultural aspects that other American's don't. That includes a higher rate of serving in the military, being more religious, more commonly practicing the same denominations of Christianity...In *ss backwards areas, both white's and black's are going to be backwards. It doesn't mean they'll be racist, but if they are, it'll be harder to override those feelings, without education.Once again, southerners don't equal ''white''. During the Civil War, only 1/6 of white's owned slaves. Wealth stayed within wealth. Plenty of southerners voted for Obama too, as Georgia was very close and North Carolina went to Obama. Ironically, 4 states that are above 30 percent black were the ones that voted for McCain most, which are South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.There's various reasons for why people voted for McCain. Like I've said, many southerner's, even if not them, are related to current or people who recently have been in the military and respect his service as an attribute.Unfortunately though, McCain was a crappy candidate. I'm not a Republican though, which isn't much of a shock being from Jersey, but they were pretty dry on options. It was pretty much either him or Rudy, who would have easily been the ugliest president lolWell, what I think irritates some people is when you hear people say ''It's heritage, not hate'', in reference to the Confederate Flag. The fact is, they shouldn't be showing it, in consideration to African-American southerners, who are members of their communities, who may take it personal. This is why most people don't show that flag. Likewise to the Confederate Flag though, the United States flag and constitution permitted slavery and is equally guilty in that respect. Just because the South lost the war doesn't make them any more wrong, but I guess the dominant culture will perpetuate.Honestly, I don't think race is as big of a problem in New Jersey, or New York City, but the problem is the idea is constantly reinforced. I see parts of the Mid-West, even Pennsylvania, to have many more bigots than the south. Part of this is probably due to the extra need to blame other's some deindustrialized white's in poor towns feel the need to.

because most of the southerners voted for john mccain and because the southerners kept slaves back then.

...because they fought the abolishing of slaves and those who created the Ku Klux Klan were from Tennessee.

It is just easier to paint racism with a southern accent. Another thing some people don't realize that Indiana was once a hot spot for the KKK. In fact one scandal in the 20 or 30's nearly wiped out either the senate, or the representives becuase thy were all connected to a Klan leader

Snobbery and ignorance. I've seen a pushback on this kind of "ha, ha, you are a stupid racist southerner! nyah nyah" behavior, thankfully. I've probably been guilty of that behavior in the past. I regret it. The snobbish attitude I get from a lot of Northerners regarding other regions of the USA is pretty grating. There is a mental block of some kind for people, they have a view that the south is racist because of crap like confederate flags and "dumb people are racists, and dumb people come from the south. Therefore all southerners are racists". It's a really convenient way to not bother confronting racial problems unique to northern regions of the USA AND to hold on to their ~enlightened~ and intellectually superior positions.

Because stereotypes don't work when you think about them. I have seen racism on all sides, and I have also seen all types of people living in harmony down here.

I just moved south a couple of years ago People here are still fighting the civil war and it is crazy. They call me a yankee right to my face. My family had nothing to do with this war way back when .We were still living in Europe.The people in the north sure do not treat people from the south harshly like they treat us.I vote for McCain and so did my family back in Pa. because he has more experience then Obama.