"Southern Without Embarrassment"

There are quite a few things in life that I have great passion for. One of these things just happens to be the fact that I am Southern. I say this with pride, not embarrassment.

It seems to me that when a person is caught saying something negative about a culture different from there own people get up in arms and offended immediately. The thing that I find upsetting about this is the fact that the exception to this is any derogatory comment made about the South.

The prejudice against all things Southern is something that drives me insane. You hear it from ignorant people who don't mind walking right up to you and making some "great"(spoken like a true smarta##) statement about how terrible the South is in one way or another.

The people who make these statements with such blatant disrespect have no clue that by doing so they are telling us that "they just weren't raised right". You don't go into someones home and disrespect them or it. It is simply bad manners.

Unfortunately this occurs on a much greater level than these face to face encounters.
The media is also on board. I have heard criticizing statements from broadcasters of both news and sports,and seen ridiculous portrayals of our lives done with accents that make me cringe, in both movies and television.

An example in sports I can give you, came when the Braves made it to the world series. The national announcers had my blood pressure up so high that I had to turn the sound down on my t.v. and turn the radio on to listen to the local ones. Not only was it evident that they wanted the Braves to lose, but the jokes and smart remarks were rude, unacceptable and not even close to being cute.

The newest thorn in my side is that joke of a reality series called The Real Housewives Of Atlanta. Are they serious? Let me say,I was born and raised in Atlanta and I have never been more embarrassed by a representation of our city.

I would just like to take this opportunity to inform all of the transplants to Atlanta, that feel like all things southern are beneath them , that I-75 does in fact run north and Delta is ready when you are. We're over the disrespect.

The suggestion that t.v. networks and movie producers and writers, as well as newspaper editors and writers on a national level take the time to actually LEARN something about the south would, I am sure, fall on deaf ears.

Finally I have to say thank you to Jimmy for turning against his own Southern heritage by basically saying we are all ignorant southern racists. I have one suggestion for him, get out in the real south and meet and actually talk to people before labeling them racists. Obviously he is ashamed that he's southern, us all being such terrible people and everything, so let me add that we southerners feel the same way about that fact as he does..it's embarrassing.

There doesn't seem to be very many people left like me who are willing to speak up about this issue, but then I'm living in an Atlanta now that is so diverse people actually hear my Southern accent and ask where I'm from.

The diversity is fine, but so is the love of home that I have for Atlanta, as well as my need for it to be respected. I respect the love of home others have regardless of where home is for them. For those of you not born and raised in the south that show the ones of us who were, and our cities respect, Thank you. For those of you who don't....respect shows good manners, and we're big on manners in the South in case y'all haven't heard.

Why is this the way things are in a world where prejudice and stereotyping are suppose to be such a huge no no? My guess would be plain ignorance, but the people who make these remarks and portray the south in such a negative way were probably born above the Mason/Dixon Line and would be hard pressed to agree with this explanation since they're so positive we are the ignorant ones.

I know reading this may upset some people, but I have to tell you just writing it has improved my blood pressure greatly...