Britdrinker

Looks like we have a troll loose in the crowd.

YankeemovingAbroad

Look like we have another over opinionated Brit.

Big D

I realize that you have spent time there so this upcoming comment doesnt apply to you directly - but it never amazes me the number of Americans who hate Texas having never been there or experienced it. When I tell people I lived in Texas for 3 years they sympathize and assume I must be happier now I am in New York.

Frankly I loved Texas - the people are genuine and friendly, sense of community was awesome. I know there are cons there always will be.

I never came across any racism down there, in fact I have experienced more here in New York - like when my neighbours were amazed to see my dad mowing the lawn and exclaiming that they had never seen white gardeners!

I think some of your comments are sweeping generalizations and if I was to do the same of New York I would say that the people are miserable, unfriendly, full of themselves etc etc. Of course this is incredibly unfair and is a sweeping generalisation but is my overall impression compared to Texas.

YankeemovingAbroad

D

I fully honor and respect your opinions that have been born out of personal experience ,and having lived in America better than 30+ years,I have learned a thing or two about my country..I agree its never helpful to speak about people, places ect in broad generalizations .I believe its possible for many people to visit the same place and regardless how nice or bad the city is there can be made a arguement stating how great it is to live there.I'm a progressive! I think its a great idea for countries to agree to allow a free flowing immigration policy and exchange of ideas between close allied nations.I also object to others attempting to force feed ideology,religious prejudices,or radical political agendas.

Sadly, many native born Texanians hold very strong views that can be best described as narrow in scope(example George W.Bush).I have family,close cousins who live in Houston and Dallas.I have another close cousin who is in the process of relocating from his current northeast state to the southern US.Texas was on his short list until he went there and spent considerable time visiting with his siblings.After you have lived in an inviroment where most if not all ethnicities from broad backgrounds co-mingle, it can be abit off putting to move to a place that is so very polarized/segregated.There are many wonderful aspects to texas,beautiful HUGH homes for LOW LOW prices,Dallas Cowboys football team,great food,very mild winters and there are a couple some what liberal progressive cities such as Austin.

All I'm saying is that every individual has to ask them self, do the plus' add enough quality to their life in order to tolerate the negatives?A place like North Carolina & Georgia has many of the same problems but not to the same extreme which imo offers a more balanced life style and a better deal.

snorkmaiden

I guess a lot of things concerning Texas really do depend on where you live. I had no experience of the sense of community you speak of, on the contrary, I witnessed a lot of the "every man for himself" type attitude. (the exception being after Katrina when I did see a lot of people buying things to donate) I've already said what I thought about people being genuine, and I have to say, I found the amount of racism I saw a bit frightening.

I am sure I've mentioned it before on here, but my eldest had an awful time at school because she said she didn't believe in God - lots of "you are going to hell" comments, and she was the only person in her class who said in a class poll, that gay people should have the right to protest.

As I said earlier, I personally thought there were a lot of good things about Texas too, but for me they were mainly material in origin. I think had I lived in a different part of Dallas my experience would have been a lot different, even my hairdresser told me she wouldn't live on my side of the city and she was a native

There really is no subsitute for trying a place on for size for a while.

snowbunny

And please remember....some of us cannot move. So whatever I dislike about Texas or the US, I have to tolerate until my kids are grown. That's depressing enough on its own without being told I'm an idiot due to living here.

YankeemovingAbroad

SnowB

I would never think anyone is wrong for choosing where they need to live to better their life.I hope you know that.There is a thing about my crazy American culture.We like to discuss issues whether they be lite fair or contraversal.Debating,arguing and challenging a belief or opinion is not always considered to be a put down or a slight.America was born from struggle and the willingness to debate different ideas.That might be why other countries think racism is rife in the states when they watch news reports.Because we challenge it so loud and openly, many people in other countries probably think racism is in every nook and corner of this nation.Americans just think its ok to discuss.We rather discuss a sticky uncomfortable subject than tell a person to **** off.For most of us its our nature.Its cultural.

Sally

Hmmm I haven't noticed that too much.

YankeemovingAbroad

Los Angeles is far more layed back than the rest of America,could be a factor!

dbj1000

You're hilarious. Does that level of condescension come naturally, or do you have to put some real effort into it?

By the way, SnowBunny's American. Texan even. She's just not like you, despite your apparent view that you represent all that is best in American culture.

YankeemovingAbroad

Do I represent all that is best in America? I wish that were true but no doubt I fall far short of that.

Elvira

You must be living in a different America...

RoadWarriorFromLP

You must be joking. In the US in which I was raised, religion and politics are two topics that are generally considered to be verboten. It's one of those things that often creates a disconnect between Europeans, who happily quibble about things political as a form of sport, and Americans who often either stay clear of it or else lash out at others, embracing politics as a nasty form of ideology (which is probably why many of us were trained from an early age to avoid the subject in the first place.)

I am generally the first person to take potshots at Texas, but your view of it seems to have been derived from a comic book that's not available in my local library. I realize that stereotypes often serve as a convenient shorthand and can provide a bit of comfort to the weary, but your view seems to be almost a parody of anything resembling reality.

I wouldn't myself want to live in the suburban shopping sprawl that is Dallas, but I found people to be perfectly friendly toward little ol' ethnic minority me, with it possessing about the same proportion of decent folks and village idiots that you'd find anywhere on the planet.

They're often a gregarious bunch (which is good) and are typically politically conservative (which is not quite my cup of tea), but being a right-winger does not necessarily a racist make. It has also drawn in a large population of non-Texans who have helped to make tastes there more cosmopolitan than they once were. Personally, I don't understand all the love that Texans feel for Texas -- they speak of it as if it is the seven wonders of the world rolled into one -- but at least the barbecue is decent.

simongb

Here, Here. If you try and discuss stuff in the US like I did back home, people get offended and think you are looking for a fight! Most Americans don't get the whole 'let's have a debate and raise our voices'. When I did that with my ex wife (American), she thought I was being 'negative and angry' (heaven forbid). America is the land of 'group think'.

TruBrit

yep my USC OH also thought along those lines in our early days. he used to think guns at the ready when i'd be with my family in liverpool and we'd all be debating with raised voices