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“The Curse of Southern Culture, Part V”

I am infuriated and deeply saddened by how rural and small town southern refuse to see how harmful many of their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors are to themselves and to others. They are their own worst enemies. I grew up with these people. They were my friends and neighbors. I truly wish that I could respect them again.

The culture and economy were built around agriculture. Much of the farm land was not rich soil to begin with. The fertility that it did have was greatly depleted by a century or more of growing the cash crops of cotton and tobacco, That depleted the soil of much of the fertility it did have. And, most of them did nothing to conserve or enhance the fertility of the soil they depended on. . They were locking themselves into and intergenerational struggle for mere subsistence, and losing ground. little by little.

By the mid 19409s cotton farming had crashed and most of the local cotton gins were gone. That left tobacco as the only real cash crop. And, the acreage that a small farmer could plant in tobacco was severely limited by the USDA.I knew a lot of small farmers would cash in on their tobacco crop but, tobacco, by itself, was not enough to prosper. I knee more than a few farmers who had to get loans in the spring just to get seeds, plants, ad fertilizer to plant the spring crop.

And, now tobacco is gone as the cash crop. Many, many small farmers have stopped farming. Instead they have leased their land to paper companies who planted the land with slash pine for pulpwood, gone into specialty farming, or sold their land. The small towns and rural areas continue to decline in population and in economic opportunity.

They know that they were not among the people who really “matter” in the social order, but they had their pride. They resent being told what to do. And, because few who are not among them rally care about them. They knew that they were on their own and that caused them to see that they are largely o their own. That – and reality -- lead them to feel independent. When I was growing up, many of them greatly supplemented their nourishment by hunting and fish and by hunting. But, the necessary of survival meant that when you needed food, you got it any way that you could. Fishing and game laws did not matter. When they needed food, they needed food.

You did what you needed to do to ensure that hunting and fishing cost you less in ammunition or fishing licenses, tackle, and bait cost. As a teenager, I hunted out of season if necessary. In fishing I occasionally gigged (speared) fish in fresh water, caught more fish than the allowed limit, and used illegal fish traps. Some even used nets in fresh water or even used dynamite to kill fish.

Living near poverty, many rural southerners chaffed at any restrictions because those restrictions often limited their means of getting by. Some made moonshine or were bootleggers. Others deliberately planted more cotton or tobacco than allowed by the USDA. In dry (no-alcohol-sales allowed) counties there were always illegal places to buy booze and unlicensed juke joints. Almost everybody did home repairs or modifications without permits. I could go on and on.

Yet, on the other hand they listened closely to charlatan demagogic preachers and tried to do exactly as they were told to do. More than a few of them genuinely enjoyed being stirred up by corrupt politicians railing against socialists, communists, fellow travelers, Jews, carpetbaggers, homosexuals, Blacks, immigrants, Moslems. Huey Long really understood the psyche of poor rural white southerners when he said “Everyone once in a while, you gotta stir up their bowels and let ‘em know they are alive.”

And, they believe the local power structure and the parasitic politicians who told them that they had to live on their own two feet and not depend on any kind of group to gain more money or leverage. They are taught that labor unions are bad and “pinko” and that any kind of collective action by farmers is not proper. So, lacking any leverage, those who work as employees continue to have lower wages than in any other part of the country.

So, you can see why I am deeply saddened by how rural southerners are used and abused to the point that they don’t trust most authorities, yet look to the people who use and abuse them for countenance. They deserve a chance, but – due to their own behavior – are unlikely to ever get that opportunity. I also cannot keep myself from feeling anger at them and those who exploit and use them.

wordywalt 9 Aug 28
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6 comments

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1

I grew up in a small southern rural town in Georgia. It was extremely racist, xenophobic, misogynistic and whatever else you want to throw in. I have been slowly reprogramming since my teenage years with final deprogramming to leave the church. I’m a big believer in truth and having respect. I realized that my culture disrespects just about everyone who is not a Christian white male. It’s been hard work but I’ve finally opened my mind and no longer judge others different from me. It’s very hard and you have to be committed to it but it can be done

I understanxd. I sent my first 11 yars in south Georgia, then grew u0p in north Floria, just across th state line from Georgia.

@wordywalt I’m just coming to terms with the ignorance I was taught. It’s almost like you’re in a fog and don’t realize how stupid you are and how you’ve been taught

2

I lived in N.Y. most of my life. Everything you attribute to "Southern Culture" exists in and around New York City.

3

I hear you and most of it goes on to this very day. In earlier life I was extreme right wing and worked against my own best interests. Today I am a Progressive.

0

So essentially, you copy and pasted an essay to demonstrate your bigotry and hatred for people from the South. Like the US as a whole, the South has come a long way. It demonstrates that you probably spending your days huffing your own farts, convinced of your intellectual superiority but really laying bare your stupidity. For example, a lot of the auto industry has relocated to the South because Detroit and northern states altogether are unfriendly to business and have corrupt unions. Also, states like North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Texas, and Alabama have grown in population. States like New York and Michigan have lost ground. Lastly, you should not trust the government anyways. Who’s being the sheep here?

You just don't like the truth. I grew up in the north Florida, rural bible belt. I know the culture first hand. I seak from experience. Two of my nephews are racist, ractionary bigots, as is my grand=nephew. I could name ozens of people I know who behave as I describe.

Everyone of those southern states you name is full of racist people.

@xenoview racism exists everywhere. Stop acting like where you live is more enlightened

@wordywalt I know the truth because I have lived in the South all my life. There are plenty of good hard-working folks down here who are not obsessed with race like you are

@Heavykevy1985 Your opinions are noted.

@Heavykevy1985 Thuere atre some good people in the south who are not still under the curse of southern culture, but they are in a minority. I do not think that you have the nerve or wherewithall to get out from under th curse.

@Heavykevy1985 never said where I live wasn't racist.

@wordywalt nope. I actually like it here. California is cursed. Been there. In San Francisco, you got homeless shitting in the streets in full view of the public and shoplifting so bad that Walgreen’s closed down 15 different locations there.

@xenoview All State have many racists included in their population. While I now live in N.C. I lived in N.Y. most of my life and N.Y was at least as racist as N.C. maybe more.

@wordywalt I’ve lived in south too (Georgia) all my life. It’s much better than it was but I agree majority is still racist. When you can think and see clearly you realize that racism was basically the way of life in the South. Owning slaves is not the only racist thing. Most southerners have racist opinions of any non- white race

2

They haven't changed a bit since the confederacy. A bunch of stupid hillbillies.

Citation needed. I live in the South and it has come a long way.

You are wrong the South has changed a lot especially in last few years

@Heavykevy1985 You would've owned slaves and fought for the confederacy. Have you stopped flying rebel flag yet?

@abyers1970 Would you admit the that Robert E Lee was a traitor and that he and Jefferson Davis should've stood in front of a firing squad?

@barjoe I actually ancestors that fought for the Union, dumbass. Also, flying a confederate is no bother to me.

@barjoe Robert E. Lee was loyal to Virginia and in order to bring the South in quicker, it was important to reconcile differences. Both sides incurred many casualties. Your lack of perspective and history is astounding

@Heavykevy1985 I was talking about you, not your ancestors. Ulysses S Grant was the hero and the honorable and loyal man. Robert E Lee was a traitor and so we're all the other Virginians. My lack of perspective is of revisionist history. President Grant is one of our most maligned historical figures. History is more like mythology when it comes to Robert E Lee. [theatlantic.com]

@barjoe again, you have no perspective. Robert E. Lee opposed slavery. He only fought for the CSA because Virginia joined it and he was a Virginia patriot. Also, Grant was an alcoholic and an imbecile. It was Sherman that secured victory for the North. Since you have no evidence of me being a racist, what you said was idiotic and of pure conjecture.

@Heavykevy1985 Bullshit lies that racist motherfuckers choose to believe. Don't use such big words, you might hurt yourself [slate.com]

@barjoe he don’t use profanity. You might hurt yourself there, cuck

@Heavykevy1985 I like profanity. It pisses Christians off. I need to let them know how much I hate them.

@barjoe I am not a Christian and the only thing it does is make you sound like an uneducated teenager trying to act edgy

@Heavykevy1985 I hate conservative atheists as well. I'm not going to censor my choice of speech because I don't give a flying fuck.

@barjoe not asking you too. You do not use profanity well at all. Not a conservative either. Your tactic seems to be to throw shit against the wall and see what sticks. Not working here, fam

7

I lived in Louisiana for almost 2 years, left in 1983, and was never so glad to leave a state. The education system is a joke, the attitudes of the locals just drove me nuts. They seem to be proud of their ignorance.

And corruption. They joke about it as a means to dismiss it. LA Highway Patrol is known to have implanted drugs into out of state cars passing through so they could steal the victim's assets (all gained from drug money, don't ya know). It's a pathetic state, imo.

@rainmanjr OMG, I remember the governor's race in 1983. It was a brutal, back stabbing, shit show. I don't even remember who was running, except I learned how to say "Let the good times roll" in French. The state has a history of corrupt government. Huey Long died of over air conditioning. That was caused by the several bullet holes that were drilled into him. I left the state in January 1984 with a 6 week old baby. I was so glad to get out of that state.

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