North vs. South - again
This morning, this blog earned me a guest appearance on the “Charlotte Talks with Mike Collins” show on WFAE (90.7 FM). The topic: Northerners vs. Southerners.
The show was picking up on the tensions between newcomers and natives exhibited in the comments on many entries here, as well as on the Letters to the Editor page and “The Buzz” section of the Observer.
On the show, I think we reached a consensus that Charlotte’s rapid growth has indeed caused many under-the-surface tensions, but generally this city embraces change. (Just look at our willingness to tear down historic structures to build shiny new developments).
While someone from the North may write me to say they’re unhappy about being called a “Yankee,” by far most of the people I hear from consider this place very welcoming.
And I’ve heard from many natives who embrace the amenities, restaurants and increased diversity our influx has brought us.
One listener brought up an interesting point: Should the Observer stop printing the views of transplants and natives who resent each other for their attitudes?
My response is that the purpose of blogs, Letters to the Editor and The Buzz are to air the current views of the community. Just because we devote ink or bandwidth to the views doesn’t mean that we, as a newspaper, endorse them. What we do support is informing people of what’s going on out there in their community.
What do you think? Is there more to say on the subject of Northerners vs. Southerners, or have we exhausted the topic?
The show was picking up on the tensions between newcomers and natives exhibited in the comments on many entries here, as well as on the Letters to the Editor page and “The Buzz” section of the Observer.
On the show, I think we reached a consensus that Charlotte’s rapid growth has indeed caused many under-the-surface tensions, but generally this city embraces change. (Just look at our willingness to tear down historic structures to build shiny new developments).
While someone from the North may write me to say they’re unhappy about being called a “Yankee,” by far most of the people I hear from consider this place very welcoming.
And I’ve heard from many natives who embrace the amenities, restaurants and increased diversity our influx has brought us.
One listener brought up an interesting point: Should the Observer stop printing the views of transplants and natives who resent each other for their attitudes?
My response is that the purpose of blogs, Letters to the Editor and The Buzz are to air the current views of the community. Just because we devote ink or bandwidth to the views doesn’t mean that we, as a newspaper, endorse them. What we do support is informing people of what’s going on out there in their community.
What do you think? Is there more to say on the subject of Northerners vs. Southerners, or have we exhausted the topic?
posted by Leigh at
12:01 PM
30 Comments:
http://www.cartoonbank.com/assets/1/121304_m.gif
"I had my own blog for a while, but I decided to go back to just pointless, incessant barking."
That's what all of the North vs. South discussions here ultimately turn into: Pointless, incessant barking.
Pointless discussion.
A true metropolitan city is one that welcomes and embraces people from everywhere from all walks of life. Go to Boston, New York, Atlanta, etc. and you will meet just as many people from elsewhere in the country and the world as you will natives. Charlotte is a lot more like this than it was 20 years ago, and that's a good thing. As i ahve said before, the sooner this city quits acting 'Southern' and starts assimilating with the rest of the country, just like other major cities have, all these tensions will discipate because people will be used to it, lust like people in other major cites are.
make that 'Just like people...', not 'lust like people...'. Damn keyboard..
For the people who still drone on about "North vs South"; Charlotte has grown far beyond Yankee vs Reb. Our city has transplants from the West Coast, Latin America, Europe, India and Asia. To focus on New Yorkers bickering with native Carolinians is myopic and pointless. Time for everyone to get past our differences and start working together to make this as great a metropolitan city as we can; keeping the best of its Southern roots while blending in influences from its newcomers.
The conversation is pointless... I'm getting really tired of reading yesterday's news... let's move on and move forward!
this is a tired topic
Pointless discussion.
And yet it should continue, as long as people choose to waste their time flogging a dead horse.
The right we enjoy to speak our minds in public, EVEN IF we're only publishing our own stupidity, must be preserved at all costs.
If we suppress this pointless and inane discussion, where do we stop? Who then will decide which is the next pointless, inane discussion to be suppressed?
You don't want me to make that decision for you. (Trust me, you really don't!!!) And I certainly don't want you to make that decision for me.
So, let it continue .......
People from all over are not going to stop coming here anytime soon. Time to get over it and learn to get along with each other. There are a-holes everywhere you go from every region of this country and world. No one is better than anyone else.
enough already....
please stop
Please let this topic die for the sake of our sanity
The Big O's definition of the 3 R's:
Race
Regionalism
Religion
Truth in advertising would dictate a name change to the OLDSpaper.
Well I do think the Cultures are like water and oil; Many Southerners still like to go to Church and Northerners got turned off by Ministers and priests try to take little kids; Many Southerners dont swear and Yankees cuss like the devil himself; I do think many Northerners wont come here no more becuase word is getting back to New York about all this. Its to bad we all cant see Dr. PHIL about all this tension and this would be televised .
I have told many from out of State who want to retire here not to come because of the polarization; This is just not working anymore here for anybody; I even heard that Yankees are being fired so that they may leave and go back home. This is to bad because many Southerners enjoy union wages and great treatment up North We welcome them to our land.
I do think Dr. PHIL should come here and try to work with us.
Look Im sorry about the CIVIL WAR and Im sorry that we had UNIONS up North and wish we could get Government UNIONS down here. A Young Southern Girl said" we are better lovers than Southern men" Now I dont know about that. We all slide our pants on the same way although we have a little bit bigger wallet in some cases. Please forgive me General Grants great Grandson. Keep in mind Mr.Buckner and my Great Granfather were good freinds even after the war.
look Liegh you must be a 'Daughter of the Confederate' to like subjects like this. We Yankees are down here to grab some land a soda pop and watch Goober, gomer and andy work in the Hot sun. Look we cant take the South with us when we die.
When we moved to the area 12 years ago from Pa. we definately noticed the difference as the third week we were here an employee at a bank my wife worked for asked her if she was a yankee. Her reply was yes a D*** Yankee and proud of it. She had no more problems after that and had a great time at the bank. We have since found out that if you just try to learn the southern way you will get along. The people that are know it alls and try to tell everyone how to do it are the ones with the issues.
Still a Yankee but love the South with no plans to move back!
People are still going to keep moving here. Lets face it, other than the huge amount of jesus freaks, Charlotte really doesn't feel "southern".
Ive tried to Southern but I dont think this is really like MISSISIPPI or ALABAMA or LOUiSIANA by no means; This is kind of like VIRGINIA or Kentucky; I went out and got a straw hat and tried chew tobacca. Ive tried to start laughing histarically at nothing like they do but it just dont work. I even got a toothpick hangin out my mouth . Im never goin to be a SOUTHERn
Looky here City boy ; YA 'LL come here with them attitudes ad high educations from HAVARD and YALE and thinks y'all 'know it all' but ye dont . Y'all know hows to bait a hook NO! y'all can arrow a dear NO! Y'all drive them fancy machines and look down at out old trucks an wez aint liken it.
Sign JOhnny Beau Jackson.
Johnny, it is spelled "deer" not "dear".
Small Towns Like Lincolnton,is where it becomes serious an a unwanted take over that should be illlegal.By increased numbers and meeting in private East Lincoln is making un wanted changes in our country town and our county.. If they are coming down here for what we have.. why make it the same mess they left!!! by sheer numbers they are winning county commiioner seats,now running for school board seats and planning boards... they want the natives out and to take over as they have the Lake the beaches mountains and every thing else... WE DO NOT WANT YOU HERE GET THE HELL OUT YOU HAVE RUINED OUT COAST !!!!!!!!!! NOW OUR MOUNTAINS !!!!!!!!!! GO HOME!!!!!! Our wells are drying Lake Norman is a joke you watered flowers then whined watch the wells we are on the same water plane... Lincoln County will be silent until they can take no more then watch us southern people come up against you in numbers, the preachers, teeachers nurses physicans, farmers,...We will have our day in this.
what an absolutely worthless blog. someone should be fired for writing this tired junk.
Nobody wants to move to Lincoln County anyways. Your exactly the reason why you stupid redneck. People are coming here and you can't do anything about it! HAHAHAHAHA!
This obviously isn't a North vs. South issue as much as it is a rural vs. urban one.
Hey anon 12:07 pm...
I am sure the Native Americans said the same exact thing when you "natives" came and took over their land.
I'm a yankee myself who recently moved here. There were 3 reasons we moved: 1) cost of housing 2)weather 3) friendliness of people
Charlotte is a one of the most welcome cities I've seen and I hope that never changes. It has a unique "community feel" and level of service that you don't have up north. That "southern hospitality" is part of the culture and charm. Charlotte should NEVER stop "acting southern".
With that said, my wife has noticed there is a bit of the whole southern proper "sorority girl" thing here ...which she said is not all that comfortable at times. And it does bother me that not much is open til noon on a Sunday here. And yeah..people drive pretty slow and its annoying they don't know how to make a turn. But hey...for northerners it's all 'bout slowing down....
I'm not sure what the debate is all about really. Charlotte as a city is simply growing up and it's good for the local economy.
I don't think natives dislike progress. This really was tight-knit area and we've lost much of that over the past 20 years. We dislike the lack of connection within the community. Families and neighbors are out of touch. We certainly don’t need the crime or traffic. We really get tired of the tear down mentality that destroyed local historical buildings uptown. Most of all, we (natives) also dislike the condescending assumption that we are resisting change because we’re just non-progressive Southern hicks. Yes, we do hear that sometimes. It’s frustrating but what else should I expect. Ultimately, it’s not “change” that bothers us, it is the gentrification that rubs us the wrong way.
Hey, thanks for waving to us from neighborhoods that we USED to live in but can’t afford any more.
I thought of writing a complete essay on the finer details of life in the South. Then again, I think I deserve a day well spent.
"They are what they are and nothing is going to change them."
I do, however, need to thank them. My problem would be, if I like them, to which I don't.
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