For the record... (zomg opinionation!)

[stoney321]

Swear to god (of your choice), this is not directed at any one person. This has been building for a long time, and I'm putting my opinion out here, since that's what this space is for. If this horribly offends you, do us both a favor and defriend me. Swear to nachos and margaritas I won't mind. (That should tell you how serious I am, for that is the food of my people and my Higher Power.)

• George Bush is not a Texan. He does not represent my people. He represents the other assholes that moved here because we have inexpensive housing and low taxes, and doeesn't know the first thing about the state I love. Go Kinky.
• Southern does not equal stupid. Even though we talk slower. (Well, not East Texans. We talk fast.) Even though some of us add extra syllables. It's called local color. Some find it charming.
• Even though I am not one, Christians aren't all evil. They aren't all assholes. Some are. Some atheists and Jews are assholes. But not Buddhists. They're all divine. Ha ha ha.
• Some poor people are great. Some are assholes. Same with rich people.
• People who enjoy the simple things in life aren't "missing out." Some are, but they'll yearn to break free. Some will. Some will not.
• Just because you say you are open minded doesn't mean you are. If you automatically think something is dumb, or unworthy before you've explored it in some fashion, you have just closed your mind to the possibility that it may not be what you thought. Hence, "close minded."
• If you think people who don't live/think/believe like you do are less/inferior/missing out, you are not open minded. Sure, you may be right when it comes to things we've all decided on as a society (slavery is wrong. Rape is bad. Etc.) but if they are law abiding citizens, who the hell are you to make judgment calls on their life?
• I may be guilty of one or all of these things. But I can at least acknowledge that.

Thank you, and enjoy your weekend. I'm off to associate with Republicans, Mormons, and two foul mouthed stand up comics while eating Mexican food and drinking covert margaritas while the Republicans and Mormons aren't looking. I'll hug each of them when I say goodnight, and love them all the same. Well, not the Mormons. They're fucking crazy.

:D

Comments

[xochitl42.livejournal.com]

[ahem]

I realize I have used this word before in response to things you have said, but it is a very effective word, and conveys both support and a sense of understanding of the ideas you communicate.

Testify!

I thank you kindly for your indulgence, and wish you an excellent weekend in turn. Now it's off to Queens on the 7 train for me!

[porridgebird.livejournal.com]

George Bush is not a Texan.
I cannot BELIEVE how many people don't know this!

and Word to the rest of your rant :)

[bitchygrrl.livejournal.com]

Here, here. This post pretty much guarantees that I will never defriend you, well this and you understand Conner. Have a goodnight. *hugs*

[brandil.livejournal.com]

I fucking love you.

I love the food of your people too and wish I had some.

As a Southerner? I don't like it when Texans and Oklahomans call themselves Southern. But that's my issue and not yours.

I call y'all Texans. And the other y'all Oklahomans.

Another of my issues is when people who aren't Southern, Texan, Oklahoman or from some other rural environment say 'holler'

Again my issue and not yours.

Your issue seems to be those crazy Mormons. OMG no caffeine, WTF?

[elcazavampiros.livejournal.com]

Just because you say you are open minded doesn't mean you are. If you automatically think something is dumb, or unworthy before you've explored it in some fashion, you have just closed your mind to the possibility that it may not be what you thought. Hence, "close minded."

I am totally making a concerted effot to teach this to my classes. I don't care if they agree with me on issues, all I ask is that they make educated decisions on what they believe.

[lettered.livejournal.com]

Word. Word mcwordy Mcwordy word.

Though I still dislike southern accents. Ha.

Just because you say you are open minded doesn't mean you are.

This really is weird. I mean, how many people think because they'd like to be open minded, they actually are. These people, because they don't beat gay people with tire irons, they think they're Buddhist divine, or something, I don't know. They are open within a closed mind, and don't realize there are things outside their minds. You know? I am open to being closed minded--that is, I'm aware that I'm stupid and bigoted about some stuff and I try to admit it when I am and *often*, but not always, try to be more accepting, but I admit that I have blocks.

Ugh. It just pisses me off how people aren't open to that.

[menomegirl.livejournal.com]

George Bush is not a Texan. He does not represent my people. He represents the other assholes that moved here because we have inexpensive housing and low taxes, and doesn't know the first thing about the state I love. Go Kinky.

Damn skippy.

I don't know what provoked this, but thank you. You have made my afternoon.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Well, granted, I think of myself as a Texan first, and southern second, but that's because my family also hails from Tennessee and Louisiana. So. Cred. (And the west doesn't officially begin until Ft. Worth, but that's arcane Trivial Pursuit knowledge.)

LOVE YOU, heading out, the car's loaded with chillens. ♥

[domenowtrent.livejournal.com]

Mormons are fucking crazy. ...That said, someone come rescue me. ;__;

[barn-swallow.livejournal.com]

Do people really defriend you over your "rants"? Because they seem pretty common sense to me.

Also, is Maryland the south? I can never get a definitive answer, so I wonder what your opinion would be as a Texan.

And it may be close-minded but I maintain that I am better than Paris Hilton, no matter what =P

[moosesal.livejournal.com]

Bitch, puleeze! You don't like it when anyone says 'holler'. *g*

[brandil.livejournal.com]

DELIVERANCE!

I said it was my issue. I have some strange ones.

[brandil.livejournal.com]

Maryland is officially Southern.

As a North Carolinian, I can tell you we say everything Richmond VA and North is Yankee.

I imagine the people in SC say it's anything North of Charlotte, NC ... and so forth

[psychoadept.livejournal.com]

*salutes*

[moosesal.livejournal.com]

Well as a former Marylander, I can agree that it's up for debate. Being south of the Mason-Dixon line technically makes it the South. And it was very divided during The War. But my father and his family who reside in rural southeast Missouri (think Arkansas, but with a different license plate) called me a Yankee for living there for nearly 20 years.

Personally, I don't think of Maryland as a whole as being part of the South. But some areas? Most definitely. Same with DC -- there's a mixed feeling. Some friends and I used to joke that Maryland/DC/No. Virginia was clearly on the line because when you come to a 4-way stop you get two things happening: 1) everyone is all polite and waving others to go ahead (Southern) and then 2) everyone just goes at once (Northern). *g*

[barn-swallow.livejournal.com]

And the Northerners say we are South, I think really just nobody wants us ;)

[barn-swallow.livejournal.com]

That stop sign thing is very, very true. And you are right that there are some parts that are more Southern, like the Eastern Shore. I guess we are a freaky limbo state and I must learn to accept that.

[moosesal.livejournal.com]

Bless you, child. Bless you.

I'm one of those North/South 'tweeners. Spent my first ten years (basically) in southeast Missouri in an area that's very Southern. I've even lived in an all-white town that shared a school with an all-black town 10 miles away. School on neutral ground in between and only because neither town was large enough for their own school (even combined we were only about 700 kids total K-12).

Anyway, after that, lived in Maryland in an area that I would consider pretty Northern really. But still had ties growing up to Missouri (where my father remained and I spent every summer) and I've spent way too much time in West Virginia.

I'm not even going to get started on my 'redneck' experiences, because that's a whole 'nother post on it's own. Anyway... I used to have a really strong accent and when I started school in Maryland (grade 6) the kids made horrible fun of me and assumed that I was an idiot based on my voice. I quickly lost the accent, but it does pop back up now and then. When I got home from Writercon? Chris looked at me like I had lost my mind because there it was. :)

So, without blathering more, I totally get your issues with about Southerners. And I recently argued with someone that Bush is not a Texan and supported your state (where I did live for a year when I was a kid -- San Angelo) as a damn good state. And if I wanted to live somewhere warm, it woudl be on my list. But Colorado is mo' better for my needs and interests. *g*

About the closed/open-minded issue. I think there's just no arguing with some people. Everyone is closed minded about something. They may not realize it until challenged by someone else, but there's always something. I'm closed minded about Mormons. And actually, I used to be that way about Catholics until I became really good friends with a few who I could actually ask questions of. But I think too many people don't WANT to question their beliefs. They're comfortable with what they "know" and don't want to rock the boat.

If you think people who don't live/think/believe like you do are less/inferior/missing out
One could say that these people are closed minded, and I don't think there's necessarily anything wrong with that. No one can experience everything and what's good for one person isn't always good for another. I think it's great to open ourselves up to new things, but everyone has their limit.

So in closing, you rock. Great post. Thanks for letting me ramble here.

[moosesal.livejournal.com]

LOL. I couldn't help myself. When I saw your comment I remembered our discussion about my fic and the use there and how you got your panties in a bunch. ;-) You know I love you.

I use the word. Although mostly in reference to "that holler over thar" or my cracktrailer "Possum Holler" (which is named after Possum Holler Pizza in Rupert, WV).

[moosesal.livejournal.com]

I used to live in Bowie (just east of DC) and grew up in Laurel (mid-way between DC and Baltimore). Southern MD is pretty damn southern too -- Calvert County, St. Mary's. And yeah, the Eastern Shore is like a whole 'nother state.

[brandil.livejournal.com]

I live in Dewitt's Holler, I completly understand *g*

And it's actually one of the reasons it gets my panties in a bunch. But it's too complicated, sometimes to explain to people what a holler is. It's as though they can grasp it's the low spot between some hills. Or mountains.

[moosesal.livejournal.com]

But it's also a verb dating back to 1699. *teases you*

[kita0610.livejournal.com]

"and doeesn't know the fist thing about the state I love."

So, what is the fist thing about your state? Talk about kinky.

[a2zmom.livejournal.com]

It's Texas, so you know it's a damn big fist.

[kita0610.livejournal.com]

I just crossed my legs a little.