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http://www.al.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015...#pq=btOJyE

B'ham was hindered by its racial problems , but they were not the full picture. To exclude "undesirable ethnic groups" it kept its best culinary efforts encased within private clubs through restrictive laws so that unless "you knew someone", you never came close. This practice was also needed when serving alcohol drinks on Sundays or in the early AM hours during the week. This crippled the Morris Avenue project among others.

The racial history is the easiest to document, but it was also its "small town outlook" on public entertainment options that also diminished its competitive position for things like conventions. It was often said that "the Baptists and the Bootleggers" combined to control the city in public accommodations. It is not a coincidence that the First Baptist Church of B'ham is in Homewood and the B'ham Country Club is in Mountain Brook.

(06-16-2015 03:45 PM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote:  B'ham was hindered by its racial problems , but they were not the full picture. To exclude "undesirable ethnic groups" it kept its best culinary efforts encased within private clubs through restrictive laws so that unless "you knew someone", you never came close. This practice was also needed when serving alcohol drinks on Sundays or in the early AM hours during the week. This crippled the Morris Avenue project among others.

The racial history is the easiest to document, but it was also its "small town outlook" on public entertainment options that also diminished its competitive position for things like conventions. It was often said that "the Baptists and the Bootleggers" combined to control the city in public accommodations. It is not a coincidence that the First Baptist Church of B'ham is in Homewood and the B'ham Country Club is in Mountain Brook.

I agree. Here in Atlanta we have some real racial issues and disagreements just like any other city but we never let that get in the way of making $$$$$$$$$$. In Birmingham the tension is so strong that they're willing to throw the $$$$$ instead of working with each other.

I believe that is the third article with a similar title since yesterday. Al.com is becoming less and less of a newspaper and more like a teenager trying to see how many hits or comments they can get.

(06-16-2015 03:52 PM)GreenHornet33 Wrote:  

(06-16-2015 03:45 PM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote:  B'ham was hindered by its racial problems , but they were not the full picture. To exclude "undesirable ethnic groups" it kept its best culinary efforts encased within private clubs through restrictive laws so that unless "you knew someone", you never came close. This practice was also needed when serving alcohol drinks on Sundays or in the early AM hours during the week. This crippled the Morris Avenue project among others.

The racial history is the easiest to document, but it was also its "small town outlook" on public entertainment options that also diminished its competitive position for things like conventions. It was often said that "the Baptists and the Bootleggers" combined to control the city in public accommodations. It is not a coincidence that the First Baptist Church of B'ham is in Homewood and the B'ham Country Club is in Mountain Brook.

I agree. Here in Atlanta we have some real racial issues and disagreements just like any other city but we never let that get in the way of making $$$$$$$$$$. In Birmingham the tension is so strong that they're willing to throw the $$$$$ instead of working with each other.

Perhaps the GA decisions to limit Lester Maddox and his ax handles to one term as governor in 1966 rather than making him a career governor like Alabama did George Wallace 1963 to the late 1970s enabled them to avoid the branding B'ham and Alabama received during that period.

Just about the time we begin to think we have gotten beyond that period, we get members of the UA Administration encouraging the "Greeks" to resist integration 50+ years after the "Stand in the School House Door". Add to that a present governor "Standing in the Hospital Door" and an Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice "Standing in the Courthouse Door", both to make sure the "wrong people" don't get served.

It's been a while since we've had a good George Wallace reference.

You simply cannot keep your political views on that board no matter how many times people ask, huh?

This is amazing in 2015 considering what Atlanta's suburbs look like today, It's an immigrant city but people tend to not care because people are working and opening businesses and making money.

Back when we got a printed paper everyday, there was an editorial section with similar columns.

(06-16-2015 04:10 PM)Ramblin Wreck Wrote:  I believe that is the third article with a similar title since yesterday. Al.com is becoming less and less of a newspaper and more like a teenager trying to see how many hits or comments they can get.

That's pretty much all media now.

(06-16-2015 04:10 PM)Ramblin Wreck Wrote:  I believe that is the third article with a similar title since yesterday. Al.com is becoming less and less of a newspaper and more like a teenager trying to see how many hits or comments they can get.

That's incorrect. It started with Charles Dean's column saying that Birmingham was not and never would be a destination city, and that it should stick to treating the sick, because that was what it was good at.

Given that he said that on the Monday after two sold out Garth Brooks shows, a sold out Barons game, a sold out heavyweight championship fight, and a sold out Broadway show at the BJCC, everybody wanted to chew him about it. You got one column who straight up called him out on his nonsense, and Whitmire with a snarky take down, on the order of "Yeah, you're right, nothing going on here, we'll toddle on down to the ER and watch the ambulances for entertainment."

So yeah, they argued among themselves, and I don't doubt that they collected plenty of clicks, but Dean's first column was a steaming heap of runny BS and folks unloaded on him in the comments, and quite rightly so.

I like Birmingham like everyone else here, but it's simply not a destination city. I'd never want to go to Birmingham for vacation.

(06-16-2015 05:18 PM)blazers9911 Wrote:  It's been a while since we've had a good George Wallace reference.

You simply cannot keep your political views on that board no matter how many times people ask, huh?

just when did history become a political view?

I find it odd people here are complaining about a writer being taken to task for saying to Birmingham what the bot has been saying to uab for the past 40 years. you good at medicine stick to it and forget about all that other stuff like the business school, the honors program, and sports

(06-17-2015 04:07 AM)bladhmadh Wrote:  

(06-16-2015 05:18 PM)blazers9911 Wrote:  It's been a while since we've had a good George Wallace reference.

You simply cannot keep your political views on that board no matter how many times people ask, huh?

just when did history become a political view?

Current governor standing in hospital doors is political.