This may be the text book time to talk about why the SEC is so very different from the other conferences. Yes we have a religious like atmosphere surrounding our Fall Saturday pageants complete with fellowship meals, hymns of praise, responsive cheers, and downright commandment violating worship of other gods and graven images of our own creation. In some ways it is the most elevating of social events and in other ways it is downright hypocritical for the Bible belt. But, in any case it is quite the experience. But that is not what makes the SEC really different.

What makes us different is the rise and fall of expectations in whirlwind fashion for some and slow immeasurable increments for others. Missouri and Auburn are in the thick of conference championship talk with just two weeks remaining in the season. Most conferences are just the top two programs a couple of wannabes and the rest. Not in the SEC. Former top programs Florida and Georgia can tell you that isn't true in the SEC East. South Carolina and Missouri await the right to claim that spot this year. Davis's Volunteers and Stoop's Wildcats have both shown tremendous improvement this year, just not complete improvement. Mississippi State's defense is near championship caliber, but the offense like Florida's is almost non existent. Ole Miss and A&M with a break or two could have challenged in the West. L.S.U. was in the same boat.

SEC haters talk about how the SEC is just like their atrocious conferences with just 2 top teams and little else. The facts just don't bear that out. Vibrancy is what makes the SEC different. The hope that springs in every alum's heart in August that this year will be their year has legitimacy here. For some legitimacy is the hope for bowl eligibility, for others its championships. Top to bottom I'll still take the SEC over any other conference. We don't have parity in the SEC, we have competition. And because we have competition we have swings in power. And in the SEC those swings can be epic because our conference is about 1 thing that other conferences don't understand, momentum. Because there are 12 teams or more that are capable of winning on any given week all it takes a proud school is 1 stumble to start a fall, or 1 win to start a run. Teams have to take things one week at a time to remain at equilibrium or they will reap ruin. All other conferences speak of this but most of them have as many conference games that are gimmes as the SEC has in the way of OOC patsies. We generally have 3 patsies a piece (3 too many in a better system to come), but the other conferences have those same 3 and then 3 or more conference games that are breathers. They don't have the positive or negative momentum breakers that we have. But then neither do they have the passion that we have.

I love the SEC. I've lived all over this country and there are schools with great traditions and passion for their school, but none of them have a clue what the passion for the conference is really about. It is born out of 12 games 9 of which you can't really count as victories until they are played and 8 of those conference games. It is born out of a palpable fear each week that a mistake or two could ruin your year, or an excitement that a break or two could make it. It is born out of both hating and respecting your rivals at the same time, and out of the sheer fun of watching a deflected pass land gently and inexplicably in the outstretched hands of a receiver who has just overrun his route. It is both the greatest distraction from the real issues of life, and the joy of life all rolled into one. And it is the sharing of that culture that binds the South together and makes the experience uniquely SEC.

Finally, and I hope this is becoming evident to A&M and Mizzou folks, while we love whipping up on each other in conference, we do rally around each other when playing the rest of the world, and that too is unique in the college experience. We fight like hell to win it for ourselves, but if we can't have it, we damned sure don't want an outsider to win it.

Somewhere in the midst of that sentiment the chant of SEC was born, an irritation to those outside of our ranks, and a statement of solidarity within. And that both pisses off and scares the hell out of the rest of them. It's as close a thing to a yell before battle that we can give and as close to a rally cry after victory as we can chant. We are all different, distinct, and have our own goals, business associates, friends, neighbors, and family and somehow in the world in which we live today that is comforting and encouraging. Take care. JR

Well said, JR! Your sentiments are why so many Southerners, even non-SEC alumni, feel the desire to rally around their State's team. It is a physical bond that reflects an emotional one.

I would argue that SEC pride is a proxy for Southern pride, which is an extension of 'me against my brother; my family against neighbor; my town against the invader.'

I'm with Vandiver there but I would tweak it.

No other conference has schools that are part of the community and state. These schools are not some abstract type of institution that happens to be somewhere but integral parts of the community and the state. We identify with them as people from our respective states.

Also, there is a type of Southern pride in us all. The thing that makes it special is they get to serve as nothing but the best expression of what it is to be a Southerner. I don't mean to put race in the conversation but it highlights my point. To each of the different races out schools represent everything we want in our Southerness. It's as if our schools are an expression of the best of us. That unites us and we all love that.

There is nothing like SEC football because there is nothing greater than the South and there is nothing that instills more pride in us, regardless of who we are, than to see the very best brought out on the field, in the classroom, and across the nation and world.

SEC SEC SEC!!!

(11-19-2013 12:59 PM)vandiver49 Wrote:  I would argue that SEC pride is a proxy for Southern pride, which is an extension of 'me against my brother; my family against neighbor; my town against the invader.'

With all due respect, that's your issue, and not what I was expressing or feeling. Especially in tough times all feelings of security begin at home, extend through the community, and then into the broader region. If the whole country felt this way it would be great. But this nation is divided, if not fractured. It is in our commonality that we find unity, not in diversity which at its root means to divide. It is a mantra of those who seek to destroy unity and has been a propaganda point going back to Karl Marx and extending through Mao who even managed to divide families. You should have learned that as a midshipman.

As per the racism, I would strongly suggest that in the South there is a far more sincere and honest acknowledgement of it, and ongoing dialogue concerning it, than in cities like Chicago, Boston, and Detroit where lip service is paid but the ceiling for accomplishment is very carefully managed. The hypocrisy on this issue is not lost on me because when JFK was sending the national guard into Alabama, Battle Creek, Michigan still had a city ordinance prohibiting the presence of African Americans within the city limits after sunset. I know because I lived there. As to the cities I mentioned, I believe those were among the last places overturning buses, and rioting over integration, but somehow the PC North never bothers to teach this in their own histories.

Vandiver I lived in Michigan under that ordinance, in Washington State at a time when Asian Americans were openly discriminated against, in San Antonio when Mexican Americans had difficulty accessing political redress, and then back into the South. In every case it's common citizens learning that their neighbors of a different hue have the same love of their families, the same desire for justice, the same dreams for the future, and the same fears that they have which finally breaks down the artificial barriers that have been foisted upon us so that our efforts are not coordinated to eliminate the real problems from among us. In many regards the South (although far from its destination) is eons ahead of the other regions who have not officially had to admit their prejudices and who get to hide behind the crooked finger they point at the South to alleviate their own guilt over the issue.

If you want to perpetuate the problem then keep preaching the politics of division and you shall surely get what you and many who enjoy manipulating the masses want. If you want a better world look beyond the peeling whitewash of yesteryear and embrace a new South that is emerging even as we speak, imperfect as it is. What that new South needs most is for us to uplift what we have in common and build upon that firm foundation of humanity. If every issue facing us is labeled as an "ism" we are doomed.

(11-19-2013 02:02 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(11-19-2013 12:59 PM)vandiver49 Wrote:  I would argue that SEC pride is a proxy for Southern pride, which is an extension of 'me against my brother; my family against neighbor; my town against the invader.'

With all due respect, that's your issue, and not what I was expressing or feeling. Especially in tough times all feelings of security begin at home, extend through the community, and then into the broader region. If the whole country felt this way it would be great. But this nation is divided, if not fractured. It is in our commonality that we find unity, not in diversity which at its root means to divide. It is a mantra of those who seek to destroy unity and has been a propaganda point going back to Karl Marx and extending through Mao who even managed to divide families. You should have learned that as a midshipman.


As per the racism, I would strongly suggest that in the South there is a far more sincere and honest acknowledgement of it, and ongoing dialogue concerning it, than in cities like Chicago, Boston, and Detroit where lip service is paid but the ceiling for accomplishment is very carefully managed. The hypocrisy on this issue is not lost on me because when JFK was sending the national guard into Alabama, Battle Creek, Michigan still had a city ordinance prohibiting the presence of African Americans within the city limits after sunset. I know because I lived there. As to the cities I mentioned, I believe those were among the last places overturning buses, and rioting over integration, but somehow the PC North never bothers to teach this in their own histories.

Vandiver I lived in Michigan under that ordinance, in Washington State at a time when Asian Americans were openly discriminated against, in San Antonio when Mexican Americans had difficulty accessing political redress, and then back into the South. In every case it's common citizens learning that their neighbors of a different hue have the same love of their families, the same desire for justice, the same dreams for the future, and the same fears that they have which finally breaks down the artificial barriers that have been foisted upon us so that our efforts are not coordinated to eliminate the real problems from among us. In many regards the South (although far from its destination) is eons ahead of the other regions who have not officially had to admit their prejudices and who get to hide behind the crooked finger they point at the South to alleviate their own guilt over the issue.

If you want to perpetuate the problem then keep preaching the politics of division and you shall surely get what you and many who enjoy manipulating the masses want. If you want a better world look beyond the peeling whitewash of yesteryear and embrace a new South that emerging even as we speak, imperfect as it is. What that new South needs most is for us to uplift what we have in common and build upon that firm foundation of humanity. If every issue facing us is labeled as an "ism" we are doomed.

The North is now looking for whatever magic we possess down here.

(11-19-2013 02:02 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(11-19-2013 12:59 PM)vandiver49 Wrote:  I would argue that SEC pride is a proxy for Southern pride, which is an extension of 'me against my brother; my family against neighbor; my town against the invader.'

With all due respect, that's your issue, and not what I was expressing or feeling. Especially in tough times all feelings of security begin at home, extend through the community, and then into the broader region. If the whole country felt this way it would be great. But this nation is divided, if not fractured. It is in our commonality that we find unity, not in diversity which at its root means to divide. It is a mantra of those who seek to destroy unity and has been a propaganda point going back to Karl Marx and extending through Mao who even managed to divide families. You should have learned that as a midshipman.

As per the racism, I would strongly suggest that in the South there is a far more sincere and honest acknowledgement of it, and ongoing dialogue concerning it, than in cities like Chicago, Boston, and Detroit where lip service is paid but the ceiling for accomplishment is very carefully managed. The hypocrisy on this issue is not lost on me because when JFK was sending the national guard into Alabama, Battle Creek, Michigan still had a city ordinance prohibiting the presence of African Americans within the city limits after sunset. I know because I lived there. As to the cities I mentioned, I believe those were among the last places overturning buses, and rioting over integration, but somehow the PC North never bothers to teach this in their own histories.

Vandiver I lived in Michigan under that ordinance, in Washington State at a time when Asian Americans were openly discriminated against, in San Antonio when Mexican Americans had difficulty accessing political redress, and then back into the South. In every case it's common citizens learning that their neighbors of a different hue have the same love of their families, the same desire for justice, the same dreams for the future, and the same fears that they have which finally breaks down the artificial barriers that have been foisted upon us so that our efforts are not coordinated to eliminate the real problems from among us. In many regards the South (although far from its destination) is eons ahead of the other regions who have not officially had to admit their prejudices and who get to hide behind the crooked finger they point at the South to alleviate their own guilt over the issue.

If you want to perpetuate the problem then keep preaching the politics of division and you shall surely get what you and many who enjoy manipulating the masses want. If you want a better world look beyond the peeling whitewash of yesteryear and embrace a new South that is emerging even as we speak, imperfect as it is. What that new South needs most is for us to uplift what we have in common and build upon that firm foundation of humanity. If every issue facing us is labeled as an "ism" we are doomed.

I'm not really sure how you took my comment to be a criticism of Southern Pride or divisive in any way. How is the rivalry between Bama and Auburn not quintessentially 'brother v. brother'? Somehow if 'Bama plays in a MNC game, I'm sure you'll find a way to cheer for them. (family v. neighbor). The statement wasn't meant to be anything more than a metaphor.

(11-19-2013 02:33 PM)vandiver49 Wrote:  

(11-19-2013 02:02 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(11-19-2013 12:59 PM)vandiver49 Wrote:  I would argue that SEC pride is a proxy for Southern pride, which is an extension of 'me against my brother; my family against neighbor; my town against the invader.'

With all due respect, that's your issue, and not what I was expressing or feeling. Especially in tough times all feelings of security begin at home, extend through the community, and then into the broader region. If the whole country felt this way it would be great. But this nation is divided, if not fractured. It is in our commonality that we find unity, not in diversity which at its root means to divide. It is a mantra of those who seek to destroy unity and has been a propaganda point going back to Karl Marx and extending through Mao who even managed to divide families. You should have learned that as a midshipman.

As per the racism, I would strongly suggest that in the South there is a far more sincere and honest acknowledgement of it, and ongoing dialogue concerning it, than in cities like Chicago, Boston, and Detroit where lip service is paid but the ceiling for accomplishment is very carefully managed. The hypocrisy on this issue is not lost on me because when JFK was sending the national guard into Alabama, Battle Creek, Michigan still had a city ordinance prohibiting the presence of African Americans within the city limits after sunset. I know because I lived there. As to the cities I mentioned, I believe those were among the last places overturning buses, and rioting over integration, but somehow the PC North never bothers to teach this in their own histories.

Vandiver I lived in Michigan under that ordinance, in Washington State at a time when Asian Americans were openly discriminated against, in San Antonio when Mexican Americans had difficulty accessing political redress, and then back into the South. In every case it's common citizens learning that their neighbors of a different hue have the same love of their families, the same desire for justice, the same dreams for the future, and the same fears that they have which finally breaks down the artificial barriers that have been foisted upon us so that our efforts are not coordinated to eliminate the real problems from among us. In many regards the South (although far from its destination) is eons ahead of the other regions who have not officially had to admit their prejudices and who get to hide behind the crooked finger they point at the South to alleviate their own guilt over the issue.

If you want to perpetuate the problem then keep preaching the politics of division and you shall surely get what you and many who enjoy manipulating the masses want. If you want a better world look beyond the peeling whitewash of yesteryear and embrace a new South that is emerging even as we speak, imperfect as it is. What that new South needs most is for us to uplift what we have in common and build upon that firm foundation of humanity. If every issue facing us is labeled as an "ism" we are doomed.

I'm not really sure how you took my comment to be a criticism of Southern Pride or divisive in any way. How is the rivalry between Bama and Auburn not quintessentially 'brother v. brother'? Somehow if 'Bama plays in a MNC game, I'm sure you'll find a way to cheer for them. (family v. neighbor). The statement wasn't meant to be anything more than a metaphor.

Duly noted and understood Vandiver. Because of the environment in which I worked for many years, and the verbiage used there with which to do battle, it hit me as an accusation instead of an observation. It was simply an issue of how words can mean different things to different people depending upon their context. In the military language is direct and not frequently as nuanced. In the political and social context it is the opposite. Therefore having heard such analogies before couched as arguments to enhance divisions it sounded to me to be accusatory in nature. We're fine and I see where your coming from. The inherent problem with message boards and chat rooms is that they are flat. Facial expressions and voice inflection are not present to help with the setting of the context of remarks. It is something we all need to be more aware of at times.

(11-19-2013 03:06 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(11-19-2013 02:33 PM)vandiver49 Wrote:  

(11-19-2013 02:02 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(11-19-2013 12:59 PM)vandiver49 Wrote:  I would argue that SEC pride is a proxy for Southern pride, which is an extension of 'me against my brother; my family against neighbor; my town against the invader.'

With all due respect, that's your issue, and not what I was expressing or feeling. Especially in tough times all feelings of security begin at home, extend through the community, and then into the broader region. If the whole country felt this way it would be great. But this nation is divided, if not fractured. It is in our commonality that we find unity, not in diversity which at its root means to divide. It is a mantra of those who seek to destroy unity and has been a propaganda point going back to Karl Marx and extending through Mao who even managed to divide families. You should have learned that as a midshipman.

As per the racism, I would strongly suggest that in the South there is a far more sincere and honest acknowledgement of it, and ongoing dialogue concerning it, than in cities like Chicago, Boston, and Detroit where lip service is paid but the ceiling for accomplishment is very carefully managed. The hypocrisy on this issue is not lost on me because when JFK was sending the national guard into Alabama, Battle Creek, Michigan still had a city ordinance prohibiting the presence of African Americans within the city limits after sunset. I know because I lived there. As to the cities I mentioned, I believe those were among the last places overturning buses, and rioting over integration, but somehow the PC North never bothers to teach this in their own histories.

Vandiver I lived in Michigan under that ordinance, in Washington State at a time when Asian Americans were openly discriminated against, in San Antonio when Mexican Americans had difficulty accessing political redress, and then back into the South. In every case it's common citizens learning that their neighbors of a different hue have the same love of their families, the same desire for justice, the same dreams for the future, and the same fears that they have which finally breaks down the artificial barriers that have been foisted upon us so that our efforts are not coordinated to eliminate the real problems from among us. In many regards the South (although far from its destination) is eons ahead of the other regions who have not officially had to admit their prejudices and who get to hide behind the crooked finger they point at the South to alleviate their own guilt over the issue.

If you want to perpetuate the problem then keep preaching the politics of division and you shall surely get what you and many who enjoy manipulating the masses want. If you want a better world look beyond the peeling whitewash of yesteryear and embrace a new South that is emerging even as we speak, imperfect as it is. What that new South needs most is for us to uplift what we have in common and build upon that firm foundation of humanity. If every issue facing us is labeled as an "ism" we are doomed.

I'm not really sure how you took my comment to be a criticism of Southern Pride or divisive in any way. How is the rivalry between Bama and Auburn not quintessentially 'brother v. brother'? Somehow if 'Bama plays in a MNC game, I'm sure you'll find a way to cheer for them. (family v. neighbor). The statement wasn't meant to be anything more than a metaphor.

Duly noted and understood Vandiver. Because of the environment in which I worked for many years, and the verbiage used there with which to do battle, it hit me as an accusation instead of an observation. It was simply an issue of how words can mean different things to different people depending upon their context. In the military language is direct and not frequently as nuanced. In the political and social context it is the opposite. Therefore having heard such analogies before couched as arguments to enhance divisions it sounded to me to be accusatory in nature. We're fine and I see where your coming from. The inherent problem with message boards and chat rooms is that they are flat. Facial expressions and voice inflection are not present to help with the setting of the context of remarks. It is something we all need to be more aware of at times.

No problem JR, the lack of A/V context associated with this medium on occasion requires further clarification.

(11-19-2013 04:49 PM)vandiver49 Wrote:  

(11-19-2013 03:06 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(11-19-2013 02:33 PM)vandiver49 Wrote:  

(11-19-2013 02:02 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(11-19-2013 12:59 PM)vandiver49 Wrote:  I would argue that SEC pride is a proxy for Southern pride, which is an extension of 'me against my brother; my family against neighbor; my town against the invader.'

With all due respect, that's your issue, and not what I was expressing or feeling. Especially in tough times all feelings of security begin at home, extend through the community, and then into the broader region. If the whole country felt this way it would be great. But this nation is divided, if not fractured. It is in our commonality that we find unity, not in diversity which at its root means to divide. It is a mantra of those who seek to destroy unity and has been a propaganda point going back to Karl Marx and extending through Mao who even managed to divide families. You should have learned that as a midshipman.

As per the racism, I would strongly suggest that in the South there is a far more sincere and honest acknowledgement of it, and ongoing dialogue concerning it, than in cities like Chicago, Boston, and Detroit where lip service is paid but the ceiling for accomplishment is very carefully managed. The hypocrisy on this issue is not lost on me because when JFK was sending the national guard into Alabama, Battle Creek, Michigan still had a city ordinance prohibiting the presence of African Americans within the city limits after sunset. I know because I lived there. As to the cities I mentioned, I believe those were among the last places overturning buses, and rioting over integration, but somehow the PC North never bothers to teach this in their own histories.

Vandiver I lived in Michigan under that ordinance, in Washington State at a time when Asian Americans were openly discriminated against, in San Antonio when Mexican Americans had difficulty accessing political redress, and then back into the South. In every case it's common citizens learning that their neighbors of a different hue have the same love of their families, the same desire for justice, the same dreams for the future, and the same fears that they have which finally breaks down the artificial barriers that have been foisted upon us so that our efforts are not coordinated to eliminate the real problems from among us. In many regards the South (although far from its destination) is eons ahead of the other regions who have not officially had to admit their prejudices and who get to hide behind the crooked finger they point at the South to alleviate their own guilt over the issue.

If you want to perpetuate the problem then keep preaching the politics of division and you shall surely get what you and many who enjoy manipulating the masses want. If you want a better world look beyond the peeling whitewash of yesteryear and embrace a new South that is emerging even as we speak, imperfect as it is. What that new South needs most is for us to uplift what we have in common and build upon that firm foundation of humanity. If every issue facing us is labeled as an "ism" we are doomed.

I'm not really sure how you took my comment to be a criticism of Southern Pride or divisive in any way. How is the rivalry between Bama and Auburn not quintessentially 'brother v. brother'? Somehow if 'Bama plays in a MNC game, I'm sure you'll find a way to cheer for them. (family v. neighbor). The statement wasn't meant to be anything more than a metaphor.

Duly noted and understood Vandiver. Because of the environment in which I worked for many years, and the verbiage used there with which to do battle, it hit me as an accusation instead of an observation. It was simply an issue of how words can mean different things to different people depending upon their context. In the military language is direct and not frequently as nuanced. In the political and social context it is the opposite. Therefore having heard such analogies before couched as arguments to enhance divisions it sounded to me to be accusatory in nature. We're fine and I see where your coming from. The inherent problem with message boards and chat rooms is that they are flat. Facial expressions and voice inflection are not present to help with the setting of the context of remarks. It is something we all need to be more aware of at times.

No problem JR, the lack of A/V context associated with this medium on occasion requires further clarification.

I think I understood what you meant Vandiver. It's like I can fight my friends and family but no outsider better cross us. I am not sure it's a Southern thing as much as a rural attitude. It was that way growing up in rural Missouri as well.

(11-19-2013 10:45 PM)USAFMEDIC Wrote:  

(11-19-2013 04:49 PM)vandiver49 Wrote:  

(11-19-2013 03:06 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(11-19-2013 02:33 PM)vandiver49 Wrote:  

(11-19-2013 02:02 PM)JRsec Wrote:  With all due respect, that's your issue, and not what I was expressing or feeling. Especially in tough times all feelings of security begin at home, extend through the community, and then into the broader region. If the whole country felt this way it would be great. But this nation is divided, if not fractured. It is in our commonality that we find unity, not in diversity which at its root means to divide. It is a mantra of those who seek to destroy unity and has been a propaganda point going back to Karl Marx and extending through Mao who even managed to divide families. You should have learned that as a midshipman.

As per the racism, I would strongly suggest that in the South there is a far more sincere and honest acknowledgement of it, and ongoing dialogue concerning it, than in cities like Chicago, Boston, and Detroit where lip service is paid but the ceiling for accomplishment is very carefully managed. The hypocrisy on this issue is not lost on me because when JFK was sending the national guard into Alabama, Battle Creek, Michigan still had a city ordinance prohibiting the presence of African Americans within the city limits after sunset. I know because I lived there. As to the cities I mentioned, I believe those were among the last places overturning buses, and rioting over integration, but somehow the PC North never bothers to teach this in their own histories.

Vandiver I lived in Michigan under that ordinance, in Washington State at a time when Asian Americans were openly discriminated against, in San Antonio when Mexican Americans had difficulty accessing political redress, and then back into the South. In every case it's common citizens learning that their neighbors of a different hue have the same love of their families, the same desire for justice, the same dreams for the future, and the same fears that they have which finally breaks down the artificial barriers that have been foisted upon us so that our efforts are not coordinated to eliminate the real problems from among us. In many regards the South (although far from its destination) is eons ahead of the other regions who have not officially had to admit their prejudices and who get to hide behind the crooked finger they point at the South to alleviate their own guilt over the issue.

If you want to perpetuate the problem then keep preaching the politics of division and you shall surely get what you and many who enjoy manipulating the masses want. If you want a better world look beyond the peeling whitewash of yesteryear and embrace a new South that is emerging even as we speak, imperfect as it is. What that new South needs most is for us to uplift what we have in common and build upon that firm foundation of humanity. If every issue facing us is labeled as an "ism" we are doomed.

I'm not really sure how you took my comment to be a criticism of Southern Pride or divisive in any way. How is the rivalry between Bama and Auburn not quintessentially 'brother v. brother'? Somehow if 'Bama plays in a MNC game, I'm sure you'll find a way to cheer for them. (family v. neighbor). The statement wasn't meant to be anything more than a metaphor.

Duly noted and understood Vandiver. Because of the environment in which I worked for many years, and the verbiage used there with which to do battle, it hit me as an accusation instead of an observation. It was simply an issue of how words can mean different things to different people depending upon their context. In the military language is direct and not frequently as nuanced. In the political and social context it is the opposite. Therefore having heard such analogies before couched as arguments to enhance divisions it sounded to me to be accusatory in nature. We're fine and I see where your coming from. The inherent problem with message boards and chat rooms is that they are flat. Facial expressions and voice inflection are not present to help with the setting of the context of remarks. It is something we all need to be more aware of at times.

No problem JR, the lack of A/V context associated with this medium on occasion requires further clarification.

I think I understood what you meant Vandiver. It's like I can fight my friends and family but no outsider better cross us. I am not sure it's a Southern thing as much as a rural attitude. It was that way growing up in rural Missouri as well.

Not exactly on topic, but illustrative of attitudes of how the coasts can perceive the midwest/south/rural America, I saw an interview with Eric Stonestreet of "Modern Family" that had an interesting anecdote. He discussed how during the casting and development of the show (which takes place on the west coast) it had been established that his character would be from the rural midwest. He's from Kansas, but since he'd anticipated that they'd be making a lot of rural jokes, he had them make his character be from Missouri so they wouldn't make fun of his actual home state.

(And Medic, he's an avid KSU guy, so it wasn't a KU vs MU thing... )

(11-22-2013 11:19 AM)BewareThePhog Wrote:  

(11-19-2013 10:45 PM)USAFMEDIC Wrote:  

(11-19-2013 04:49 PM)vandiver49 Wrote:  

(11-19-2013 03:06 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(11-19-2013 02:33 PM)vandiver49 Wrote:  I'm not really sure how you took my comment to be a criticism of Southern Pride or divisive in any way. How is the rivalry between Bama and Auburn not quintessentially 'brother v. brother'? Somehow if 'Bama plays in a MNC game, I'm sure you'll find a way to cheer for them. (family v. neighbor). The statement wasn't meant to be anything more than a metaphor.

Duly noted and understood Vandiver. Because of the environment in which I worked for many years, and the verbiage used there with which to do battle, it hit me as an accusation instead of an observation. It was simply an issue of how words can mean different things to different people depending upon their context. In the military language is direct and not frequently as nuanced. In the political and social context it is the opposite. Therefore having heard such analogies before couched as arguments to enhance divisions it sounded to me to be accusatory in nature. We're fine and I see where your coming from. The inherent problem with message boards and chat rooms is that they are flat. Facial expressions and voice inflection are not present to help with the setting of the context of remarks. It is something we all need to be more aware of at times.

No problem JR, the lack of A/V context associated with this medium on occasion requires further clarification.

I think I understood what you meant Vandiver. It's like I can fight my friends and family but no outsider better cross us. I am not sure it's a Southern thing as much as a rural attitude. It was that way growing up in rural Missouri as well.

Not exactly on topic, but illustrative of attitudes of how the coasts can perceive the midwest/south/rural America, I saw an interview with Eric Stonestreet of "Modern Family" that had an interesting anecdote. He discussed how during the casting and development of the show (which takes place on the west coast) it had been established that his character would be from the rural midwest. He's from Kansas, but since he'd anticipated that they'd be making a lot of rural jokes, he had them make his character be from Missouri so they wouldn't make fun of his actual home state.

(And Medic, he's an avid KSU guy, so it wasn't a KU vs MU thing... )

Good one BTP..... We both live in the best part. The "flyover states"