I Love Living Down South Where We Have Our Guns And Our Religion

[Darryl]

As that great unifier EX (Love writing that) president Obama once stated.

Alabama has sure been good to me.

Darryl

[bigsky]

Cheers. Same in Montana

[MickintheHam]

As that great unifier EX (Love writing that) president Obama once stated.

Alabama has sure been good to me.

Darryl

+1

[suncat05]

Agree 100%!
Florida has been good to me. And for me.

[KSRBEvans]

On a perhaps unrelated note: I wanted to ask the Floridians if it ever stops feeling like the South to you at some point?

When we vacation on the panhandle it seems to have a big "SEC" vibe to it--lots of folks from Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, etc. When we're in Orlando it feels a lot less that way, more international. And I'm not talking about the theme parks--grocery stores, etc.

(Not that there's anything wrong with that--just different.)

[Catonahottinroof]

Now now that I live in Naples I can tell you the southern feel here stops once you get past the warm weather. Too many New Yorkers down here to have that accommodating feel....

On a perhaps unrelated note: I wanted to ask the Floridians if it ever stops feeling like the South to you at some point?

When we vacation on the panhandle it seems to have a big "SEC" vibe to it--lots of folks from Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, etc. When we're in Orlando it feels a lot less that way, more international. And I'm not talking about the theme parks--grocery stores, etc.

(Not that there's anything wrong with that--just different.)

[ukpumacat]

I've been lucky/blessed. I have lived in 7 states:

Kentucky, Texas, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, Alaska and California. And I have visited all 50 states (and one territory ha).

My time in Alabama was the shortest because I was living almost full time with my mom elsewhere but my dad lived in Hoover at the time.

And I can honestly say I loved different things about all of them. I wouldn't fault anyone for living in any of them as they all have positives (in my mind) and weaknesses (in my mind). Alaska was my least favorite place to "live" but its a beautiful place to visit.

I moved back to Florida (was there for a time as a child) on my own accord and really enjoyed it. And then to California when I was 21. And once I was here....I was in for good (22 years now).

I certainly know California's reputation across the U.S. (it scared me to move here because I had many of those same thoughts).

But for me, its perfect (with its many flaws).

Most of the things most would call "weaknesses" here are things I believe in. So I am good sacrificing some of those things for what I consider the greater good. Others wouldn't. And that's great. Its why as adults we all have the ability to live where we want to. But for me, the strengths far outweigh any weaknesses. Its home and I absolutely love it. My favorite things: beaches, weather (lack of humidity and bugs), so many great places to visit and things to do, the diversity, easy access to Mexico (which we adore), etc etc.

I do get asked a decent amount when I meet someone else from the South (since I lived a good portion of my life there): do you miss it? Or what do you miss?

And I always give the same answer. Not the guns because we have those here. I'm not much of a gun person and never fell in love with hunting the way some of my family and friends did (I do enjoy fishing) but we have them if you want them. And my answer is not religion as you can find any church you want on every block in California. I used to miss the food but I eat healthier now so some of the things I used to dream about aren't quite as appealing as they once were or at least I don't want them to be (plus my mom still makes my favorite Gravy and Biscuits in the world).
My answer is always the traditions. I love the cultural traditions in the South. That's a broad term that can mean a lot of things (good and bad). In California, it is such a melting pot that it lacks a lot of the same family, school and community traditions that I remember fondly in the South.

Like I said, everywhere I have lived has good and bad. And I am very thankful I was able to experience them all. I am especially lucky that I spent time in the South as my family has a lot of traditions (like UK basketball) that others here never experience.

So when I read a post like this, it always puts a smile on my face. Because we should love where we live. And we should never want to trade it for anything.

I love living in California and wouldn't trade it for the world.

Like Bigsky said, "Cheers". I think that is the most appropriate response.

[CitizenBBN]

On a perhaps unrelated note: I wanted to ask the Floridians if it ever stops feeling like the South to you at some point?

When we vacation on the panhandle it seems to have a big "SEC" vibe to it--lots of folks from Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, etc. When we're in Orlando it feels a lot less that way, more international. And I'm not talking about the theme parks--grocery stores, etc.

(Not that there's anything wrong with that--just different.)

Tim wilson had it right. The South stops at about Gainesville and then you're back up East.

[MickintheHam]

Kentucky will always be home, but I sure like living in Alabama. I find a lot in common between the two states. I spend about 50 to 60 days a year back in Versailles/Lexington and the people are very much the same as they are here.

[suncat05]

I love living here in Florida. The only other place I would ever consider living would be the Philippines, but since my bride's parents have passed away, and my youngest brother-in-law is going to move to Australia soon, we will only go to the Philippines for the occasional vacation visit. And truthfully, we'll very likely be traveling to Australia more than the Philippines.

[Doc]

Where I am at is Non-South. Get to the center of the state, ie Okechobee, and it is Southern crossed with Western. Some Johnny Reb Rednecks and lots of horse/cattle people

[Catonahottinroof]

Now that I live here, I’ll tolerate the Yankees here lol

[suncat05]

Now that I live here, I’ll tolerate the Yankees here lol

You haven't had enough exposure to them yet. Just give it some time. Your patience with them will begin to erode, and when it does, you won't want to be around them.
The ones from anywhere in Jersey, New York City, and French-Canadians.

[Catonahottinroof]

Our neighbors are from Massachusetts. Not bad folks past the accent. We’ve been warned about happy hour and BOGO dinners though.
Best thing the New Yorkers have brought with them is pizza and bagels. Good stuff around here.

You haven't had enough exposure to them yet. Just give it some time. Your patience with them will begin to erode, and when it does, you won't want to be around them.
The ones from anywhere in Jersey, New York City, and French-Canadians.

[suncat05]

Yeah, those guys from Massachusetts are really big on 'paaaaaarking the caaaaaar in the gaaaaaarage. 😂

[kingcat]

I've had several friends from New York State. They loved keg parties, Hank Junior, beans and taters, and were a kind and soft heart'd bunch.
And they do not consider NYC dwellers representative of the State. More like a mosh-pit of international diversity.

[Catonahottinroof]

Fixed it lol

Yeah, those guys from Massachusetts are really big on 'paaaaaarking the caaaaaar so farrrrr from the baaaaaarrrrrr. ��

[suncat05]

😂

[suncat05]

THAT is great stuff right there, Catonahottinroof! Kudos!

[TRUCKERCATFAN]

I've had several friends from New York State. They loved keg parties, Hank Junior, beans and taters, and were a kind and soft heart'd bunch.
And they do not consider NYC dwellers representative of the State. More like a mosh-pit of international diversity.

A guy I graduated with back in 1995 was from New York and was and still is one of the biggest rednecks in several counties. He always explained to anyone who would listen “there are two New York’s. New York City which everyone knows and New York Country where I’m from usually on the outskirts of a dairy farm and a Walmart”.

[TRUCKERCATFAN]

I’ve been in 46 states, Mexico and Canada during my travels. I’ve been lucky enough to meet all kinds of wonderful people everywhere and truly see the beauty of this country from coast to coast. If I ever had to live anywhere besides Jamestown KY, it would be panhandle Florida, Northeast Texas or anywhere in Alabama. Are these spots the best? Maybe, maybe not. I’m sure opinions vary.

Now the one place you could never get me to live would be California. Just not my cup of tea. However, I will say that Cali doesn’t get enough credit for its beauty. From the mountains in north to the beautiful farmland in the San Joaquin Valley, and even the barren desert in the south, California has a lot of beauty. In my 13 years traveling the roads, the drive down US Highway 101 is still the most beautiful I’ve seen.

[Doc]

I’ve been in 46 states, Mexico and Canada during my travels. I’ve been lucky enough to meet all kinds of wonderful people everywhere and truly see the beauty of this country from coast to coast. If I ever had to live anywhere besides Jamestown KY, it would be panhandle Florida, Northeast Texas or anywhere in Alabama. Are these spots the best? Maybe, maybe not. I’m sure opinions vary.

Now the one place you could never get me to live would be California. Just not my cup of tea. However, I will say that Cali doesn’t get enough credit for its beauty. From the mountains in north to the beautiful farmland in the San Joaquin Valley, and even the barren desert in the south, California has a lot of beauty. In my 13 years traveling the roads, the drive down US Highway 101 is still the most beautiful I’ve seen.

I would agree. Our dream destination is Colorado, which is where we will be retiring. FL gets old. I like seasons and like snow so 26 years here is plenty. As for California, it is the people and cost of living that make it unpalatable. I was born there and been back many time to see the natural beauty of the state. It is the people I don't get. People with jobs who are homeless because the can not affort to own a home or rent one? Years ago (20?) we drove by the home we rented when I was born. Literally a 60 x 60 cinderblock pillbox on maybe a 1/4 acre lot just outside San Jose, on the market for over $1,000,000. Had a beautiful view of a strip mall parking lot. We were in San Fran last summer and conatantly accousted by homeless. Now many California's will claim the climate draws the homeless. I live in FL which has a similar climate and we don't have human feces on our streets.

So yeah, Florida is great if you like the environment. I find the panhandle a bit of a tweener climate wise and tourist wise. Winter are sort of crappy but not snow crappy. And much of it is touristy trappy, but that is me. I am due east of the big lake in FL, on the Atlantic coast. That is the farthest south I would consider (Jupiter/West Palm Beach....twist my arm and maybe Boca Raton work). Once south its just the megalopolis of Lauderdale/Miami and English becomes a second language

[ukpumacat]

California is 163,000 square miles. The homeless problem that is somehow on the front page of Fox News every single day (including right at this very moment) is in two cities: Downtown LA and Downtown SF. I wouldn't want to live in either city so it certainly doesn't affect me. And its completely overblown in relation to the rest of the state (and even in relation to the surrounding areas around that city). I am not downplaying its issues there. I love visiting SF and its tiresome seeing and dealing with the homeless. They need to fix it. I am just saying that with the size of California, saying that "California has a homeless problem" would be like people in Raleigh, North Carolina being concerned over the subway homeless in NYC (same relative distance).
I suspect just about everyone knows that Newsom will be the Dem nominee in 2024 (especially if Trump wins) so anything and everything about California is constantly on Fox News.

As for the housing prices being high...bring it on! Ha. I own my home so I am hoping for them to skyrocket.

Again, I have lived all over America (and been in all 50 states). Much of America has a weird fixation/fascination with California I will never quite understand. When I travel and people ask where I am from, its just funny seeing their reaction. The VAST majority of the time, their stereotype is so far removed from my everyday life that its comical.

[dan_bgblue]

In 2017, Los Angeles County reported, to Judicial Watch, 144% more registered voters than there were citizens of a legal voting age in the county. They reported 112% overage to the state in 2017.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-...g-age-citizens

[Doc]

California is 163,000 square miles. The homeless problem that is somehow on the front page of Fox News every single day (including right at this very moment) is in two cities: Downtown LA and Downtown SF. I wouldn't want to live in either city so it certainly doesn't affect me. And its completely overblown in relation to the rest of the state (and even in relation to the surrounding areas around that city). I am not downplaying its issues there. I love visiting SF and its tiresome seeing and dealing with the homeless. They need to fix it. I am just saying that with the size of California, saying that "California has a homeless problem" would be like people in Raleigh, North Carolina being concerned over the subway homeless in NYC (same relative distance).
I suspect just about everyone knows that Newsom will be the Dem nominee in 2024 (especially if Trump wins) so anything and everything about California is constantly on Fox News.

As for the housing prices being high...bring it on! Ha. I own my home so I am hoping for them to skyrocket.

Again, I have lived all over America (and been in all 50 states). Much of America has a weird fixation/fascination with California I will never quite understand. When I travel and people ask where I am from, its just funny seeing their reaction. The VAST majority of the time, their stereotype is so far removed from my everyday life that its comical.

Its fine if you
1) don't live in those city or
2) you don't visit those cities

It was far from overblown when I had a psychotic 250 black man in a dirty wife beater following me and my family at 10pm SCREAMING to stop the voices in his head in downtown San Fran last summer. It sure did not seem overblown when the guy camped out front of our hotel was acousting patrons to the point the hotel manager came running out as he called the police. Nor did it seem overblown when some junkie was shooting what I assume was heroine on the street by the window as we were eating breakfast. None of which was on "FOXNEWS" but was seen by me. Fortunately I didn't step in any human feces while I was there. So minimize your states problems. Bottom line is that the is a problem in those cities. It may not affect you personally but that does not mean there is no problem, just not one you can ignore if you want and not care about.

As for the home prices, it exacerbates the problem. Had a long discussion with our Uber driver over it and he explained it quite well. It was an issue to him because the homeless pbm is an issue to him since he has to interact with the filth and disqust that is pervasive throughout the city

As for any weird fixation...not really. I only care because I was there, because I don't like to see any animal, be it pet or human, live in filth and substandard conditions regardless of location, and because I see it as a direction the ENTIRE country is going and the thought of that being constantly in view of me and my family is revolting. If you Californians like it or even tolerate it then MORE POWER TO YOU if you can assure me that like Vegas...what happens in California stays in California.

[Catonahottinroof]

According to the market watch link, California has 47% of the nation’s homeless people. It’s on the news....because it is news.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/th...-us-2019-09-18

[CitizenBBN]

California gets the image for two reasons IMO:

1) yes, the perception that "California" is LA and San Fran, etc. But that's the same as New York, which is dominated in image by NYC.

2) Cali politicians have long seen themselves as leaders in policy and issues, and in fact a lot of things they go after do filter up to become national points of the left leaning agenda. So things seen in the news like banning straws usually happens in cali first then becomes a more national debate or issue.

I think that's accurate, they do lead on a lot of those issues. The point being that a lot of the country thinks it's leading in the wrong direction.



that all being said, if you run the numbers, much of Cali is red, it's just that the major cities are so large and so blue the run the state, just like Illinois and New York.

In fact if you just took a crowbar and pushed greater San Fran out of the state and the Union, and certainly if you did San Fran and LA, Cali would be come pretty solidly red and just about lock up GOP wins in national elections. Obviously their electoral count drops a lot, but it would give a real red lean to things.


The other reason Cali should get attention is the political corruption of having a one party system. Democrats have been able to build corruption and disenfranchisement right into their system.

[Basket Case]

I live in FL which has a similar climate and we don't have human feces on our streets.

The problem is bad enough in San Fran that a poop map exists:
Story about poop map

And per another article San Fran employs 5 people - to clean up human st*t!!:
"Nobody doubts that San Francisco’s streets are getting dirtier. Last year, then-Mayor Mark Farrell directed an extra $12.8 million toward street cleaning in response to public complaints, including a five-person “poop patrol” specifically aimed at feces-related complaints."

[ukpumacat]

Its fine if you
1) don't live in those city or
2) you don't visit those cities

It was far from overblown when I had a psychotic 250 black man in a dirty wife beater following me and my family at 10pm SCREAMING to stop the voices in his head in downtown San Fran last summer. It sure did not seem overblown when the guy camped out front of our hotel was acousting patrons to the point the hotel manager came running out as he called the police. Nor did it seem overblown when some junkie was shooting what I assume was heroine on the street by the window as we were eating breakfast. None of which was on "FOXNEWS" but was seen by me. Fortunately I didn't step in any human feces while I was there. So minimize your states problems. Bottom line is that the is a problem in those cities. It may not affect you personally but that does not mean there is no problem, just not one you can ignore if you want and not care about.

As for the home prices, it exacerbates the problem. Had a long discussion with our Uber driver over it and he explained it quite well. It was an issue to him because the homeless pbm is an issue to him since he has to interact with the filth and disqust that is pervasive throughout the city

As for any weird fixation...not really. I only care because I was there, because I don't like to see any animal, be it pet or human, live in filth and substandard conditions regardless of location, and because I see it as a direction the ENTIRE country is going and the thought of that being constantly in view of me and my family is revolting. If you Californians like it or even tolerate it then MORE POWER TO YOU if you can assure me that like Vegas...what happens in California stays in California.

This is the problem....you are talking about San Francisco. Not "California". As you know, this is a GIGANTIC state. So because something happens in one city 8.5 hours away (which in most of the US is several states away) does not mean that its a "California" problem. But no one ever says, "I would never live in San Francisco because of the homeless". They spray paint the entire state.

I have experienced that exact same scenario you described with your family in large cities all over the world. I was on a beach in Ft. Lauderdale at 10am and had to literally pack all of my stuff up and leave because a homeless man who was tripping on heroin wanted to lay on our towels. But I don't paint the entire state of Florida that way. Big cities deal with different problems. Downtown San Francisco has a serious homeless problem. THAT isn't overblown. So does downtown LA. But "California" doesn't. THAT is overblown.
But the headlines on Fox News will always say "California". Like its rampant across the state or something. And that is just silly.

Its like saying that a tourist should avoid a certain neighborhood of Miami because of a drug cartel and therefore Pensacola better beware.

And like Chuck's other thread.....these people are by in large not homeless because of home prices. That is just simply not true. They are homeless because of drug/alcohol use and/or mental illness.

[ukpumacat]

Btw, on a related but more personal note....

Anytime I visit SF (and I love that city to visit) it baffles me that there are any homeless people there. San Diego...oh I would get that. LA, same. But SF?? Even on a hot summer day, it gets FREEZING there most nights. The wind is ruthless.