I am a Southerner, born and bred, and I love the South. I love other Southerners. I love Southern accents. I love Southern fried chicken and sweet tea. I even love Southern weather at its hottest and most humid. I especially love Southern hospitality. However, this sense of courtesy that holds us together often also holds our communities, state and the South back from making greater strides toward the future.
It has been said that Southerners make great neighbors but poor voters. When it comes to individual politicians, we tend to have memories shorter than cotton plants and tolerances stronger than the Crimson Tide defensive line. Our propensity to elect leaders we later indict and imprison likely springs from the same impulse that drives us to hold the door open for strangers until our arms get sore. We care about relationships and courtesy so much that we just can’t help ourselves.
Take Birmingham: Former Mayor Larry Langford took bribes totaling $236,000 over five years while serving as the president of the Jefferson County Commission. At least seven years passed before outside forces investigated his actions and finally removed him from office. Seven years is a long time for no one to notice that a heavily indebted public figure was seen wearing a $12,000 watch. Or is it more likely that others took notice but thought questioning Langford would rock the boat?
Next look to Montgomery, where only three years ago four state senators were indicted and acquitted of bribery charges related to a controversial bill that would have allowed for a referendum on the issue of allowing electronic bingo machines in the state. Since then, two of the four have been re-elected to their original offices and a third has been elected mayor of Attalla, Ala.
While their actions may very well have been within the bounds of the law, it boggles the mind as to why the citizenry of a Southern society that puts a particularly strong emphasis on strength of character would re-elect politicians who have had their characters strongly called into question. We are simply too nice to vote “no” to the native son or daughter from down the street who knocks on our door.
Finally, we have a campus where students are frequently seen holding their tongues and smiling at what they know to be an offensive comment or questionable action, just because we are too concerned about maintaining our reputation as Southern ladies and gentlemen to call our peers’ behavior unacceptable.
Don’t get me wrong. I love living among the friendliest people on Earth; However, if our desire to maintain happy and peaceful communities keeps us from moving beyond our checkered past and frankly discussing the issues we face – such as systemic poverty, education, tax structure, and racial, gender and socioeconomic divisions – then maybe we should consider whether or not it’s time to get a tad bit mean.
Otherwise, the status quo will carry on like kudzu, stifling the promise of progress lurking just underneath the surface. Unlike many outside observers, I don’t believe Southerners are too dumb to vote correctly, just sometimes too hospitable.
Leigh Terry is a sophomore majoring in economics.
