Something I realised about America this Holiday

[Firstmark_Bannor]

Hey, I live in the "Bible Belt". Georgia to be exact. Everyone I know would fit the bill the OP just described. You're basing your opinion on people in the so called Bible Belt on a vocal minority. Most people are pretty decent. Even if they do have some opinions you might not agree with.

At the risk of sounding like a bit of a prick, I too live in the bible belt, And unfortunately people who would be considered part of the vocal minority are the majority here. North Carolina (my home state) is one of the most backwards states in America. I can't say for sure about Georgia but the abundance of blue laws* here make it kinda hard to fight the stereotype. In North Carolina you can be arrested for having a bonfire on a Sunday. And if you think I'm joking, try it. I swear to you people will have the cops out there faster than you can get it burning good.

Blue law - A law made with specific religious considerations in mind. Example: the inability to purchase alcohol on a Sunday, the outlaw of both oral and anal sex. Marital infidelity is also outlawed. All examples are actual laws in NC.

However I would like to note that these laws are rarely enforced but are still on the legal ledgers.

 

[JaceArveduin]

Just don't go into backwood small towns, the people can be rather... clannish and usually aren't fond of "outsiders" and such. Once you get to know them they generally aren't bad, but that can be a bit of a problem at times.

 

[Saltyk]

Hey, I live in the "Bible Belt". Georgia to be exact. Everyone I know would fit the bill the OP just described. You're basing your opinion on people in the so called Bible Belt on a vocal minority. Most people are pretty decent. Even if they do have some opinions you might not agree with.

Anecdotal evidence really isn't evidence. You seem to be in a statistical minority, and believe me, it has nothing to do with the "opinions you might not agree with" strawman.

No offense, but you are wrong. Have you ever been to the South? Or are you basing this knowledge on television and movies? I am not the minority. I'm the majority. The stereotypes you are clinging to are the minority. To the point, that I've only ever met one person with that distinctive Southern drawl in my entire two decades plus of life and thought she was faking it at first. Are they out there? Sure. But they aren't common. To the point, that even we Southern people find them surprising.

For the record, I see you posting a lot on these forums and I generally like/agree with you, if my memory serves. At the very least, I have a positive opinion of you. But, all the same, I disagree with your statement.

Hey, I live in the "Bible Belt". Georgia to be exact. Everyone I know would fit the bill the OP just described. You're basing your opinion on people in the so called Bible Belt on a vocal minority. Most people are pretty decent. Even if they do have some opinions you might not agree with.

At the risk of sounding like a bit of a prick, I too live in the bible belt, And unfortunately people who would be considered part of the vocal minority are the majority here. North Carolina (my home state) is one of the most backwards states in America. I can't say for sure about Georgia but the abundance of blue laws* here make it kinda hard to fight the stereotype. In North Carolina you can be arrested for having a bonfire on a Sunday. And if you think I'm joking, try it. I swear to you people will have the cops out there faster than you can get it burning good.

Blue law - A law made with specific religious considerations in mind. Example: the inability to purchase alcohol on a Sunday, the outlaw of both oral and anal sex. Marital infidelity is also outlawed. All examples are actual laws in NC.

However I would like to note that these laws are rarely enforced but are still on the legal ledgers.

Well, we had a law about Sunday Alcohol sales, too. Until recently. It was actually a major local political issue for the last couple of years. Recently, as in just last year, we had a statewide vote, and most counties (all but a very small number) abolished that stupid law by a fairly strong margin. Including my own.

I feel stupid for asking, but why is it illegal to have a bonfire on a Sunday? Is it merely some strange religious issue, or do they have an actual explanation?

But honestly, there are stupid laws all over that country.

Courtesy of Stupidlaws.com
California
~Animals are banned from mating publicly within 1,500 feet of a tavern, school, or place of worship.
~All persons wishing to keep a rhinoceros as a pet must obtain a $100 license first.
~Cars may not be driven in reverse.
~Detonating a nuclear device within the city limits results in a $500 fine.

New York
~A man can't go outside while wearing a jacket and pants that do not match.
~Citizens may not greet each other by "putting one's thumb to the nose and wiggling the fingers".
~During a concert, it is illegal to eat peanuts and walk backwards on the sidewalks.
~New Yorkers cannot dissolve a marriage for irreconcilable differences, unless they both agree to it.

Georgia
~Against the law to tie a giraffe to a telephone pole or street lamp.
~Can't cut off a chicken?s head on Sunday.
~Donkeys may not be kept in bathtubs.
~It is illegal for a chicken to cross the road.

North Coralina
~Anyone who violates the terms of a proclamation such as failing to appropriately celebrate Peanut Day or Jaycees Week?is guilty of a misdemeanor.
~Elephants may not be used to plow cotton fields.
~Fights between cats and dogs are prohibited.
~It is illegal to sneeze on city streets.

I have no idea how many of those still stand, but they are funny. The point is, I wouldn't worry about many of those laws. I wouldn't worry about going to jail for oral sex or even paying a fine, for example.

And yes, we have those people here, too. But notice the OP doesn't talk about any specific politics. So, I don't know if he saw any of this kind of thing in his time here. Odds are, most people you know personally aren't too bad. Which is what the OP found. So, let's not make this into a thread about generalizations. Didn't people realize that a huge theme of the OP was that generalizations are not the truth? That when you actually meet the real people, you will find that things are not like you thought. Was I the only one?
(Oh, God, here's comes the people reminding me that I'm never the only one...)

 

[Jodah]

I went to Canada once and didn't see a single person riding a moose...I was disappoint.

I've not been outside the US much...Some day I hope to travel but right now I have too much stuff going on to.

Hey, I live in the "Bible Belt". Georgia to be exact. Everyone I know would fit the bill the OP just described. You're basing your opinion on people in the so called Bible Belt on a vocal minority. Most people are pretty decent. Even if they do have some opinions you might not agree with.

At the risk of sounding like a bit of a prick, I too live in the bible belt, And unfortunately people who would be considered part of the vocal minority are the majority here. North Carolina (my home state) is one of the most backwards states in America. I can't say for sure about Georgia but the abundance of blue laws* here make it kinda hard to fight the stereotype. In North Carolina you can be arrested for having a bonfire on a Sunday. And if you think I'm joking, try it. I swear to you people will have the cops out there faster than you can get it burning good.

Blue law - A law made with specific religious considerations in mind. Example: the inability to purchase alcohol on a Sunday, the outlaw of both oral and anal sex. Marital infidelity is also outlawed. All examples are actual laws in NC.

However I would like to note that these laws are rarely enforced but are still on the legal ledgers.

Until a couple years ago one of the towns near me was still a dry town. It was illegal to sell alcohol in the town limits (not just on Sunday). I actually supported it since it was a really small town and the biggest landmark of it was the public school I went to. They changed it a couple years ago so some jerk could open a restaurant that lasted three weeks. Kinda made me sad. It wasn't that far to the closest liquor store, 10 minute drive at most, so it wasn't necessary to sell alcohol there. Oh well.

snip

The worst part? At some point in history someone did those things and thought it was a good idea.

 

[Revnak_v1legacy]

I try to only stereotype the regions of my home state and southern Californians (and when it comes to SoCal I'm mostly just joking about their terrible dialects), so I honestly can't say I've ever had this problem. However, when I went to Arizona recently I met some pretty decent people. I also didn't see a single Hispanic individual getting abused in the streets. I certainly learned that other people were very wrong about the people of that state. I also learned that an absurd amount of Arizonans have relatives in my home state of Oregon, if my sampling is to be trusted.

 

[Kolby Jack]

Yea, America really isn't so bad. The government (mostly Congress) kind of sucks, and the media is insanity of the highest order. Unfortunately those are the parts that the world sees most often aside from the military. I'm glad you were able to see our people for what we really are: people, same as anywhere else.

 

[Grospoliner]

Out of curiosity, what part of the US did you visit? I'm from Missouri

Do you hate the Bartle Hall Column tops too?

 

[Wushu Panda]

So anyway, my conclusion was that, for all it's caveats, I would much sooner live in America than I would in Britain, if not solely due to it's far stronger community sense than you typically get in Britain. Also, the food over there is fantastic, I mean the world needs to take a leaf out of America's book as far as dining out is concerned, especially Britain who are the kings of over charging for stingy portions.

Please don't flame me, it's just my opinions based on what I saw over there. I can safely say I came back with a very different view on US society than I went there with and if I felt it would matter in any way I'd write a letter of apology to the nation for being so ignorant about you all.

Discussion value: Have you ever been to another country where the reality of it was so far removed from the stereotype that it took you aback a little? (I know that almost all stereotypes fall into that bracket, my point is made on the basis of how much the stereotype is untrue).

Thanks for reading!

I'm an American. first off, thanks for all the nice you said about my country. it's real cool you had a good experience and explored with an open mind.

secondly. I sadly haven't done much traveling outside the USA myself. Most of the traveling I have done has been exploring USA's state parks. Leisure:hiking, camping, etc. Academic: archaeology and geological class trips. I do very much want to explore the world, live outside my country.

My friends and I have been considering Britain. Mostly from our love of your television. Hopefully we will have as good a trip as you did.

 

[silent-treatment]

(and when it comes to SoCal I'm mostly just joking about their terrible dialects).

What terrible dialects? "Valley Girl"?

OT: Merh I am pretty sure most countries are like this, ya know filled with both good and bad people, and trust me there are bad people in America. Overall though everyone is just trying to live their life's, raise their families, that kind of thing.

 

[madster11]

Yeah when i was in the US, everyone i met was very nice, not assholes like the general view is.

Although i don't like the tipping culture due to how fucked over the people get, it certainly works for customer service. Everyone is fast and pleasant.

And i didn't even go to the nice parts of the US. I was in SoCal for most of the time.

Plan to go back in the future to do Vegas and chill around Arizona for a while before road tripping it across the country to the east coast and checking things out over there.

 

[Revnak_v1legacy]

(and when it comes to SoCal I'm mostly just joking about their terrible dialects).

What terrible dialects? "Valley Girl"?

OT: Merh I am pretty sure most countries are like this, ya know filled with both good and bad people, and trust me there are bad people in America. Overall though everyone is just trying to live their life's, raise their families, that kind of thing.

Basically. That was actually supposed to be singular. My phone does weird things to my spelling. Maybe a joke or two about whatever it is surfers talk like as well. I really hate the use of the word "like" as punctuation.

 

[Berithil]

Yup. Most Christians here are like that. I know a couple of the very traditional, ultra conservative types, but most of us are pretty chill, the types who don't cherry pick the parts of the bible they prefer, and over all use common sense. Not the bigoted, judgmental types. It's just, like everything else, the annoying, extremist types are the ones who get the attention (in looking at you, westboro Baptist church).


I'm glad you met the normal types and had a good time. Now if only I ever get the time and money to visit Europe, something I've wanted to do all my life.

 

[DustyDrB]

I was born in New Jersey, raised in New York. Gotta say, I absolutely love it there. I'm really glad you enjoyed your stay. I miss it there so much. If you want to see an ass-crack state come to South Carolina (Where I currently stay). It's terrible here. The minute I tell near anyone that I'm not a Christian they look at me like I just grew a third eye. And the racism down here is rampant.

Example: I got in trouble for kicking someone out of the store I work at for blatantly using the "N" word in the most derogatory manner.

Goodness I want to go back to New York. :/ I miss my family.

Hey....I live in South Carolina. But I'm in Charleston. I love it here. Beaches, good music, good career opportunities (at least for my goals), pretty women, lovely weather, and lots of pirate stuff. Though I swear to God half the people I meet are from Ohio.

 

[Saltyk]

snip

The worst part? At some point in history someone did those things and thought it was a good idea.

You know there are some I could understand. Like this one from New York.
~It is against the law to throw a ball at someone's head for fun.

Yeah, I can see that someone could have done something truly sick to make this necessary. And how the person who wrote such a law wanted to ensure that baseball players and such wouldn't be breaking the law every time they threw a ball. But it's still kinda dumb. Also, didn't I go for the laws that were just really hard to justify?

Serioously this one was on a couple states lists.
~A person may not walk around on Sundays with an ice cream cone in his/her pocket.
Why would anyone place an ice cream cone in their pocket? Why is it only illegal on Sunday? What happened to make this law necessary? So many questions.

 

[Jodah]

snip

The worst part? At some point in history someone did those things and thought it was a good idea.

You know there are some I could understand. Like this one from New York.
~It is against the law to throw a ball at someone's head for fun.

Yeah, I can see that someone could have done something truly sick to make this necessary. And how the person who wrote such a law wanted to ensure that baseball players and such wouldn't be breaking the law every time they threw a ball. But it's still kinda dumb. Also, didn't I go for the laws that were just really hard to justify?

Serioously this one was on a couple states lists.
~A person may not walk around on Sundays with an ice cream cone in his/her pocket.
Why would anyone place an ice cream cone in their pocket? Why is it only illegal on Sunday? What happened to make this law necessary? So many questions.

Oh I agree that there are questions to be asked about it and likely an amusing story hidden there somewhere. It's just that law makers usually don't just make random laws. There is generally a reason for it. I cannot tell you why that law was necessary but at the time there must have been a reason.

 

[Right Hook]

snip

The real takeaway from your article is that impressions of others based on stereotyping or gauging an audience by the loudest man in the room are usually wrong. By doing this you are left with a vague first impression and you usually only see the worst. Everyone has an idea for others, what they expect to find and it is usually pretty bad, the great thing is, for the most part, people will surprise you, we notice bad everywhere, we naturally pick up on ignorance because it is so vile but we often forget that the majority of people are actually good, at least I choose to believe that.

 

[lokun489]

You ran into such nice people because of the area. New york's middle class is a very educated group. People who work and go to school. If you had say, visited Wyoming or Texico (very bottom parts of Texas) You would have run into very mean people. In bigger cities and bigger states change is faster, yet the state with smallest population you either, hate gays, go to church every day, or just moved there. Now that's a huge generalization but I live there and aside from a few people everyone I've met is a very rude ass. Surely due to the fact that everyone is the Amurica! type of person or a strict christian gay basher, often both.

 

[TheRundownRabbit]

Some of us Americans tend to surprise people like that, and so do people from other countries... well I guess everyone is surprised by everyone. I must say thank you, people like you give me hope that one day, America won't be labeled as "asshole of the world".

 

[Aurgelmir]

Now I have seen that part of america as you, and yes the US is not just the evil gun happy person some people think them to be.
But that said, you were in New York, a city considered to be quite Liberal if I am not mistaken, so your meeting with the country isn't a full picture Which most visits to a place rarely are.