Quote:
Originally Posted by tredici
Please, wherever it is that you call a place home, stay there. If you're going to constant bring down Alabama, I don't think you deserve to walk in the midst of anyone who is a citizen of our state.
Call our state ignorant all you want, but it is you, sir, who is being ignorant. I'm constantly told to open my mind, and think differently, but about what? I'm a musician, my homepage is a news website, I love to travel, I'm earning a degree in a field that usually goes against right wing ideology, and I have many friends that come from many diverse places. Tell me, what about me is so closed minded? These people that I'm sitting in the library with right now, are they really as terrible, ignorant, and unthoughtful as you think?
I don't know which Alabama you've seen, but whichever one it was, it's long gone and isn't coming back.
Frankly, and I don't know about you, but I enjoy Spanish Moss swaying from Live Oak branches, the smell of thunderstorms rolling in, and the sound of crickets at dusk. I honestly don't see how you can mention those wonderful things in the same ridiculously long run-on sentence as those Southern stereotypes.
If Alabama is as bad as you say it is, why do you insist on coming back to this section of the forum? You're only going to be let down. I'm sure the discussions about our state and how we've improved it and want to improve it are simply nauseating to you.
So, please leave.
|
I think you mis-read the meaning of my post. In fact, I was making a concerted effort to be less pugilistic in my observations and more wistful, for the sake of the of the posters here in particular.
There are positive developments to report about Montgomery, the state of Alabama and the deep south as a whole. But I maintain they must be contrasted with the nagging issues that continue to hobble the state's development.
I'm happy to see downtown Montgomery and Birmingham developing - it doesn't nauseate me, and I'm not let down. I'm thrilled about the Alley and I think the pedestrian bridge is an unusually aesthetic addition to the riverfront. In fact, I think it's long overdue!
I'm happy to see leadership change, as well. You are right, Emory Folmar and Fob James are long gone, and, God willing, they won't be coming back. But for every two steps forward, there is someone like Larry Langford, whose description as only
one step back would be far too generous.
Concerning my run-on sentence; it was
meant to be an approximation of a stream-of-consciousness memory, flitting from one image to the next with no regard to time or place. I too, enjoyed the severe weather, the Spanish moss, the lightning bugs at night, and sometimes I even enjoyed the people. ;-D
It was also
meant to contrast the things I miss about the state with the cultural oddities and frustrations that lodged themselves in my memory.
Regardless, I see I've hit a nerve. I have no issues with you, tredici, or any of the other posters here. I see you are a valuable contributor and actually care about your surroundings - you and I are probably much more alike than you would imagine.
Nor do I believe that all people in the state are "ignorant" or "closed minded". I was born, raised and attended college there, so I clearly remember that there are plenty of brightly eccentric professors, authors, students and countless others that contribute to the creative economy.
Sadly, there aren't nearly enough of them to counter the "Obama is a closet Muslim who was born in Indonesia" rubbish that pours out of people's mouths, e-mails and facebook posts nearly every time I check in. Its dispiriting, to say the least.
And finally, in contrast to your directives - I do deserve to walk in your midst, I'll continue to post as I please and, most importantly, I won't leave.
It was my home too, I still have roots there, and I have a voice.
Deal with it.