Southerners, does the stereo type of the South being less kind to Northerners who move there still hold true to a point or is that more of an out dated myth? Also is there still an anti Catholic sentiment in most places or is that just a rarity in specific areas of the South? Thanks.
Yes and no.
People from the north and more recently California get a bad rep, and there’s this general feeling that we don’t want you here, but it’s not that simple. Southerners aren’t really mean. It’s more we get defensive because people come here and then want to change things or force their views on us.
Especially when it comes to California, there’s this idea that “you” (Californians) messed up your own state so much you had to leave, so why do you want to come make the same bad decisions here?
People who want to assimilate are welcome. People who want to come here change everything and lecture us on everything we are doing wrong are not. I think some people feel their culture is being threatened.
Definitely not saying the south is perfect or doesn’t have room to improve, but no one wants to be put down or lectured by someone else, especially someone not from here who may not fully understand an issue. It’s easy to think something is black and white from the outside.
For instance, let’s say you are anti hunting. Ok great, but couple of problems. If we stop that, someone still has to take over handling population control and thinning out the diseased deer right now. Second thing, in the south, there are a lot of low income families that depend on hunting for food. We even have charities where you can donate deer meat if you don’t want to keep it, and it goes to the needy. A lot of people depend on hunting season to feed their families the rest of the year. If you take that away, you’ve got to have alternatives to provide those families meat. Not to mention all the cultural aspects to it. It’s a big part of life here. If someone moves here and starts lecturing about how it’s wrong and needs to be stopped, people aren’t going to respond to that well.
Another example, I knew a super feminist girl from the north who would throw the biggest fits if a man held a door for her, said yes mam, offered to carry something, or pulled out a chair, even if the man was like 70+. He has been taught this is being respectful. There’s nothing to be offended over. He doesn’t think you are less of a person, but she would make a huge fuss and yell at the poor unsuspecting man. Its people like that that cause problems. If you are nice and polite, we will be nice and polite back.
So because of stuff like that, there is a definite wariness to outsiders, but overall, we are super friendly and accepting of anyone new until they give us a reason not to be.
Hope that makes sense.