With the recent news about LBGT laws and now the proposed change of the 20 dollar bill, I've read quite a few disparaging (and largely inaccurate) posts about the American South. So here are a few things that I love, and maybe some that you don't know, about Dixie. My Home.
The elephant in the room is always the Confederate battle flag, so let's dispense with that first.
There are metric TONS of information available to read on the history of this flag, so I'm not going to spend much of this Take trying to explain it. But here's a very brief view point for you.
For most southerners, we don't love it or hate it, it's simply history. I don't own one, there are none in my home, but it doesn't offend me when I see people that love it. What offends most of us, is how it gets associated with hate groups like KKK. Again, there are metric TONS of information to read about the klan, and not what this take is about. But just so you know, most southerners loathe the fact they're now using this flag. We never gave those assholes our blessing to use it. In fact, at the height of the klan's existence during Prohibition, they were for decades, flying the U.S. Stars and Stripes (look it up). Their power base was in Indiana (a Union state during the Civil War). So just know, that for most of us, that flag does NOT represent hate, slavery, racism, or any of those horrendous things. It's simply honoring that heritage, and those who fought and died for their country, which at the time, was the Confederate States. There are many African-Americans in Dixie that understand and acknowledge it for what it simply is. But they're not the ones screaming the loudest for the TV cameras, making it a bigger deal than it ever had to be. Either way, it's slowly fading further and further into history.
If you listen to any type of American music, chances are that you can trace your favorite parent genre back to Dixie.
Nowadays, there are many sub-genres of music like grunge, punk, hip-hop and on and on....but outside of a few, most types of American music, can trace their ancestry back to Dixie. Everyone knows that Nashville, Tennessee is known as the "Country Music Capital" of the world. But many other genres of music, including Jazz, Blues, R&B, Rock, Bluegrass, and their offspring, came from Dixie. This might very well become the single subject of another myTake. There's plenty to be said.
We speak and live at a little bit slower pace than the rest of the country.
It's true. We do. And we're OK with that.
The thing is, we like it that way. We're just not in that damn big of a hurry. Many of you have heard cliche' southern sayings like "bless your heart", "y'all come back", etc. They're true. But don't mistake slow dialect for lack of intelligence. Yeah, the median income is lower, but so is the cost of living and the taxes. The public primary education may be below the nation's average, but someone has to be below for there to be an "average" in the first place. Fair enough. We make it back up in secondary education and jobs. So while jobs are leaving big industrial northern cities, many are relocating to Dixie. You may have heard of little companies like FedEx, BMW, Nissan, Toyota, AutoZone, International Paper and more. The Research Triangle is in North Carolina, and I'm very proud to say that the world's leader in children's cancer research and treatment, is in my hometown. When I'm home from school, I volunteer at St. Jude. There a patients and workers of all types of ethnic and racial backgrounds. I've never seen nor heard of one single racist statement made in my many, many hours there. Ever.
Southern Food & Beverage is so delicious you'd "slap yo' momma" to get some!
OK, not really, but seriously. Kentucky has the world famous "Bourbon Trail". Tennessee is known for epic "sippin' whiskey", and there are many fantastic micro breweries, like here are in other places. And the Sweet Tea, well you'll just have to try it for yourself.
But the food, OMG the food. I'm a fairly skinny girl, but if I lived in New Orleans, I'd weight 500 pounds. You cannot walk 20 feet there without finding an amazing place to eat. And the music...oh the music is everywhere in Dixie. While you eat. Where I'm from, "barbecue" is NOT a verb. It's a NOUN. And not a noun meaning a device upon which to cook outdoors (i.e. "fire up the barbecue") or a verb meaning to cook outdoors ("let's barbecue something"). No. Not at all. It's a noun meaning slowly smoked pork, or if you're from Texas it could also be beef.
Yeah, there area few more overweight people in Dixie in general compared with some other places... But DAMN we eat well! And it's all about family, friends, sharing, and having a good time with people you like. Lastly, contrary to urban legend, while we may not be NYC or LA, there are plenty of 4 and 5-star restaurants to be found in Dixie.
Dixie has an eclectic mix of cross cultures, traditions, large cities, small towns, open country, beaches, mountains, and beauty.
In Dixie, you can find just about anything you want. Even snow skiing (although admittedly not the Colorado type). Some of the most beautiful and historic places you have ever seen in America can be found here. Visit the big city of Atlanta, or the serenity of The Great Smoky Mountains. And if you like beach life, we have LOTS of it, and not just in Florida (side note: most of Florida is viewed by true southerners as a haven for snow birds, and only the panhandle is part of Dixie).
You can visit historic colonial towns like Charleston, Williamsburg, and Savannah. Or hit Orange Beach, Myrtle Beach, and Virginia Beach. You can go to the Kentucky Derby, The Grand Ole Opry, Historic Beale Street, and tour The National Civil Rights Museum. Just a sample of a few of the things to do and see in Dixie.
Before buying what they sometimes try to sell you in the movies and on TV, give Dixie a chance before you judge her.
I won't babble on anymore about the awesomeness of our college football and basketball, etc. But really....come visit....give us a chance. We will welcome you with a smile and show you a great time, albeit at a little slower place than some others you may have been. You'll meet friendly people, hear great music, eat amazing food, and see some of the most beautiful scenery in the U.S.
Every place has it's history. Some parts are good, some may be ugly. But it's history. Crime and poverty can be found anywhere, as can racism and simple-minded morons. Bigotry is "to be prejudiced". Prejudice is to judge something without personal experience. I've seen quite a bit of that on GaG lately. Some were innocent ignorance, others were parroting bullshit they'd heard, and a few were just downright atrocious falsehoods. Don't be one of those people. We're not a "third world country" or a "dark place with nothing but backwater towns". Far, far from it.
Come visit. Slow down. Sip on a Kentucky Bourbon or a Tennessee Whiskey. Find some live music and sample some southern cuisine like Shrimp 'n Grits or Memphis Barbecue. Sure, you will probably hear folks say "hey y'all". Just say "hey" back. Sit down and join us. Black, white and otherwise. Its not like "Mississippi Burning" down here. Don't ASS-ume things. Check it out for yourself. I'm betting you'll like it.
There are many places in the U.S. that I've yet to see, and want to experience. I hope that if you live near one of them, you feel the same way I do. Welcome me to visit, and hope that I don't negatively pre-judge it without cause or reason.
PEACE from The Great State of Tennessee, part of the Land of Dixie!
PS. Comments are welcome, but arguing about The Civil War, The Confederate Battle Flag, Human Slavery, etc. are NOT. Please write YOUR OWN Take if that's what you'd like to debate. This myTake is not about those things. It's about The South, as I know it, live it, and love it, TODAY. We welcome you to come and see it for yourself. Come on down!
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