<p>How about this, people are more apt to use a religious base to promote hate, discrimination, racism, and insight violence. Not saying they are representative of the religion but they use religion to substantiate their behavior and actions.</p>
<p>I would agree with that. People use religion to veil their actions which causes people to incorrectly think that that religion is the one propogating the act. Sorry to be nitpicky, but I get really defensive about religious issues like that.</p>
<p>I enjoyed that flash thing very much.</p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
No offense to you, but if you really live in the SOUTH, you are either lying or are extraordinarily sheltered and do not interact with the common people very often. Don't jump to the conclusion that I am an outsider trying to characterize you, because I am a lifelong Southerner who lives in the "beltbuckle" of the bible belt. I have met southerners all my life and I am a realist and most are conservative and there is a minority that is racist. Most of the racists are definately closet ones though. I have oft had discussions in private with people when they suddenly bring up a racist thought. Be realistic. Don't try to exculpate the South unnecessarily. Trust me, I love the South and am extraordinarily angry at the bad press that it is given, but truly - be realistic.
[/QUOTE]
I understand your skepticism, but I'm not lying. Perhaps my memory is faulty, and I have passed the other racists out of memory; even so, the number is very low.</p>
<p>Except for my last two years at a boarding school, I've spent most of my life in the southeast. I'm in a small town close to the buckle of the Bible belt and the only thing liberal about the "conservative Christians" around here is their use of the "N" word and their eagerness to legislate their "values" into the bedrooms and bloodstreams of everyone in the country from the Federal level. A very common belief is that the First Amendment was only intended to protect the free exercise of Christian religion, too. The rest don't count. When I was at work the other day, the wife of the local dentist asked me where I was going to college. I told her and she got this sly look in her eye and whispered, "At least you aren't going to New York with all the Jews and [N words]." I kid you not.</p>
<p>Geez, where do you live thesbohemian?!? It sounds like a bad movie. I live in a big city in the south that has every size, shape, ethnicity, religion, culture, etc. Most neighborhoods that I have been to are fully integrated, both racially and culturally. Some neighborhoods are populated more heavily by recent immigrants, and the city has street signs in the various languages represented by the majority of the population of the neighborhood. The areas are awesome, with fabulous shops and restaurants to discover and enjoy. I love the diversity as do (I believe) the majority of the people here! I am sure there are plenty of ignorant hicks too, I just don't happen to associate with them.</p>
<p>ag54,
It's in a semi-rural area of the state that brought you Strom Thurmond and the majority of the state is semi-rural. It's also the state that began flying the Confederate flag over the capital building in protest of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s and only removed it in the past few years when an NAACP boycott started to seriously sting the tourism industry. The only time we've had a Democratic Governor in recent years came as a direct result of the incumbent Republican suggesting a compromise on the flag. It is no longer over the capital, but instead flies in front of it at the head of Main Street in clear and obvious view of anyone entering the grounds. Our distinguished legislature also recently made cockfighting a felony, but could not get a bill protecting women from domestic violence out of committee and, yes, we have one of the highest domestic violence rates in the country. I don't know where we rank in cockfighting though the state's flagship university uses a spurred fowl as its mascot. What's your best guess? ;) I hate being ashamed of where I'm from ...</p>
<p>Wow! I know the state of which you speak. Don't be ashamed, it isn't your fault that the legislature is made up of a bunch of mysogenistic, fowl protectors. I've heard it's real purdy there though! :-D</p>
<p>"Homophobe, being against the legalization of gay marriage does not necessarily insinuate fear or hatred."</p>
<p>no of course not, neither does being against interracial marriage imply any hint of racism</p>
<p>I'm sorry, but I have many gay friends, all of whom disapprove of gay marriage, and for some reason I doubt that they are homophobes.</p>
<p>I'm sorry, I don't get threads like this. I associate myself with a particular party but I understand why the other party feels the way I do. I don't shut myself off to opinions from the other side. When my party loses, I do not sink so low as to begin threads calling them names and criticizing them. The person who started this thread stereotypes the republican party tremendously but if I stereotyped black people by stating that "all blacks like rap" (which i don't mean to be true, I am just stating a common stereotype), he would probably cry racism and hate me. It just seems stupid to me. Grow up and try to be understanding. People's ideas are influenced by their backgrounds. Maybe they see things differently than you. Call me crazy, but I think you're the one afraid of outsiders and their opinions.</p>
<p>The South and the Confederate flag.... It's like Berlin flying the Nazi flag as a fixture of "heritage."</p>
<p>
[quote]
and the majority of the state is semi-rural
[/quote]
Ever heard of Greenville, Spartanburg, Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Lexington, West Columbia, Columbia, Cayce, Georgetown, Myrtle Beach, Charleston, etc... Trust me I have lived in SC my whole life. A lot of the state is rural but there is a distinction between rural and suburban - and very little mix.
[quote]
Our distinguished legislature also recently made cockfighting a felony, but could not get a bill protecting women from domestic violence out of committee and, yes, we have one of the highest domestic violence rates in the country.
[/quote]
Have you even looked at the reasons why the bill wouldn't get out of committee? Because the way it was written was stupid and ineffective. Haven't you watched the news?
[quote]
I hate being ashamed of where I'm from ...
[/quote]
No offense, but if you hate it so much, get out...we don't want you.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Ever heard of Greenville, Spartanburg, Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Lexington, West Columbia, Columbia, Cayce, Georgetown, Myrtle Beach, Charleston, etc... Trust me I have lived in SC my whole life. A lot of the state is rural but there is a distinction between rural and suburban - and very little mix.
[/quote]
I will give Charleston props for being a fairly decent city though they are the ones responsible for giving us Glen McConnell (Mr. Redneck Flag) and John Altman. As for the rest Oh, yeah ... Each is a major metropolis and cultural Mecca making its unique contribution to the advancement of Western culture much like they claim the real USC is in Columbia. LMAO! Palmetto Ivy indeed. :rolleyes: Ever heard of Lugoff, Elgin, Cassatt, McBee, Pacolet, Manning, Ridgeway, Dalzell, Kershaw, Six Mile, Elgin, Cowpens, Great Falls, Inman, Summerton, Winnsboro Due West? The list goes on and they are the real SC and if youve really lived here your whole life you know it. I live in one of them and will admit that perhaps my calling them "semi-rural" might be overly kind.
[quote]
Have you even looked at the reasons why the bill wouldn't get out of committee? Because the way it was written was stupid and ineffective. Haven't you watched the news?
[/quote]
You aren't suggesting that I partake in getting information from watching the "liberal media" are you? ;) Ive read the news. The reason it was poorly written and never got out of committee was due to the dang Republicans refusing to work on its revisions! Perhaps if they spent a little less time and money on their attack ads trying to sell people on their scheme to take money out of the public schools to give the Governor and his buddies a tax break for sending their kids to Heathwood, they couldve gotten something done. But nooooooo! Its save the chickens instead! Theyre such humanitarians
[quote]
No offense, but if you hate it so much, get out...we don't want you.
[/quote]
I'm not offended at all though I think you could be more original than that. I assure you I cant wait to leave this this God forsaken Bible-thumping, gun-toting, xenophobic, homophobic hellhole next fall and wont be looking back! Enjoy your Mighty Fighting Spurred Chickens next year or is that Fighting Convicts based on their recent escapades? ;)</p>
<p>hmmmm....stereotypes...:)....doesn't everyone love em?</p>
<p>now why don't we all just go call every Muslim a terrorist, every African American a criminal, every Chinese American a commie, every Japanese American a bomber, every Indian a "dot head," every southerner a redneck, every liberal a tree hugger/pothead/atheist/poor guy...lets accuse every Hispanic of getting in here illegally, every homosexual of being promiscuous......i think you all get the point...</p>
<p>I found the site pretty funny. And if you think that the cartoon was attacking Christians, you severely misinterpreted the entire point of including the religious references in it. It was calling out those Capitol Hill-ites who manipulate the Christian religion to suit their own purposes, which is uncalled for and, in my eyes, a disgrace to the Christian religion itself. Christianity is not by construction as it was portrayed in the cartoon; however, the fundamentalist manipulation of the religion was captured to a tee, I thought :)</p>
<p>
[quote]
I found the site pretty funny. And if you think that the cartoon was attacking Christians, you severely misinterpreted the entire point of including the religious references in it. It was calling out those Capitol Hill-ites who manipulate the Christian religion to suit their own purposes, which is uncalled for and, in my eyes, a disgrace to the Christian religion itself. Christianity is not by construction as it was portrayed in the cartoon; however, the fundamentalist manipulation of the religion was captured to a tee, I thought
[/quote]
YES! I will be going to school with an intelligent man.</p>
<p>WOOHOO! The feeling's mutual. Tigers '09!</p>