[UA] American attitudes and things

[Mark Lowell]

Eric Bertish wrote:

> Speaking of sports... I don't know how it is in the North, but we in 
> the South  (by the way... don't EVER call a Southerner a Yank. Them's 
> fightin' words. We'd MUCH rather be called a gringo than a damn 
> Yankee) seem to have football-related rivalries which are almost 
> miniature civil wars. I live in Florida, and come football season, you 
> know damn well who are the Gator fans (University of Florida) and who 
> are the Seminole fans (Florida State University). I think this is the 
> one time of year that the rebel Stars n' Bars are replaced with UF or 
> FSU flags. 

You know, this brings up a question I've long had.   Now, I've never 
been to the South (unless you count Maryland), so maybe things are 
different then they look like to us Yankees.   But it seems like the 
South a) regards itself as the most patriotic, most "American" part of 
the country; and b) is rather proud of having attempted to secede from 
that country.   Why is that?   I don't want to start any political 
arguments, I'm just curious-it's a question I've been wondering about 
for a long time.