Sorry guys! I may have gone too far in expressing my dislike of the south. But these are my experiences and I can't overlook them.

In my previous job here in Texas and travels to other southern states (especially rural areas), I have experienced such terrible ignorance and hatred from the locals. "You ain't from around here, are you boy?" Yes, you really do hear that! And they REALLY do call you a Yankee.

On a road trip, go into a McDonalds for lunch in any small town along the highway and feel the eyes stare at the back of your head. Turn around and catch their eyes and watch them CONTINUE to stare at you... in disgust. Southern hospitality... in my experiences, it's a myth.

Yes, there are pockets of civility in the South. Citizens of major cities and tourist destination towns seem to be much more tolerant and accepting of outsiders/minorities. But the further you get from the center of a town, the stranger it gets... until you’re ultimately in "Deliverance" territory. I have met nice people in the south but they are generally northern transplants too or educated southerners. I imagine it would be similar to meeting another expat in someplace like France. You immediately feel a bound with another expat because you both are surrounded by distrust and dislike from the local residents.

As I mentioned before, this is not unique to the south. Many areas in the north can be daunting for an outsider too. But it really is more prevalent in the south. Bigotry doesn't only exist in the south but you are more likely to experience it first-hand. And the bigotry is more 'in-yer-face' in the south.
Can you imagine something like Jena 6 happening in Vermont or Illinois?
Do you think a former Klansman would be elected to the Senate from Michigan or Minnesota?
Do you think a black man from Vermont or California would be dragged to his death by white men behind a pick-up truck? This REALLY happens in the south! It isn't media spin... it really happens!

My only regret that I have about posting my point of view is that I have hurt Sana Chan's feelings and lost Alex's respect. You both are better educated than me and have unique perspectives. And I can understand why you love where you're from. I'm originally from Minnesota and no one in their right mind should live there on the Artic tundra... but I still have a fondness for it. But suggesting to me to "put my ass in steerage" and leave is just ridiculous. Why would someone leave in poverty when they still had other options and time? I will not flee my obligations. If it ever did get so bad here, then I would. But that doesn't make me a coward, just practical.