>>148637It's good. Cooled down a bit today with all the rain we just had. Where are you, friend?
>>148651Nah.
>>148788I don't consider it racist. It's a part of Southern heritage and I think that we have every right to be proud of our history. What a lot of people forget is that it was a small, wealthy group owned the sort of giant plantations sensationalized as evil in our nation's collective history. A lot of poor whites, which was the majority, worked alongside slaves in the fields, traded with them (slaves were given private allotments to garden and farm), even drank and broke bread together. Race relations in antebellum South wasn't as clearly defined as history textbooks make it seem.
Abolition has become the biggest talking point re: the War for Southern Independence but the war for many was about defending state's rights, staying true to the Constitution, and protecting the livelihood of the people here, especially once the North put a stranglehold on our economy. Also, was the North really motivated by the pursuit of emancipation? You can do your own research on that. It's pretty interesting to read about; getting rid of slavery seems to have been an almost accidental byproduct of the war, not an end goal set and met by Lincoln era Republicans.
>>148793Hard to comment on because I'm an immigrant myself. I grew up here though, and I love the people and the culture. I guess I don't care as long as they try to assimilate and honor the traditions here instead of staying in self-imposed segregated communities.
