Do you actually care about your State?

[redhawk23]

This is a question mostly for Americans though folks from other countries with states or provinces are more than welcome to answer as well.

Recently I watched an interview with Stephen Fry about his travels across the United States, and in his view Americans identify very much with the state in which they live. In my personal experience this is not the case, except maybe with Texans. Reading old documents and speeches from around the civil war era and earlier makes it seem like Fry's point of view was at least one point in time correct. I dont know I have heard talk about their homestate, and politicians certainly pay lip service to the "The Great State of _____" but for the most part do people really care?

For me personally, I really couldn't give a rats ass for Illinois, at least in terms of identifying with it. A large part of that I guess comes from living in the metropolitan area of St. Louis and more often identifying with the city, which is also where I was born. But I also don't give much thought to Missouri.


What do you think?

 

[Mee]

I like my state, but I don't feel a great since of pride in it, for whatever reason. (Georgia)


Heck, I don't even pull for the sports teams here.

 

[redhawk23]

I think another large part of my apathy toward Illinois is that Illinois is split up into two very distinct parts. Chicago and its surrounding area, and the rest of the state. Neither of which do I identify with. Chicago is, well its Chicago, and as a native St. Louisan I just kind of have to hate them on basic principle right? lol. As it happens I've actually only been up that way once, for a single day.

As for most of the rest of the state, its mostly just kind of rural and filled with corn (and soy beans). Despite Illinois's reliable Blue State status, the truth is, outside of chicago, Illinois is a very conservative place politcally. I am neither a farmer, a conservative or a Cubs fan (nor the Sox for that matter).

It doesnt help that the our state government make its lack of interest in the south end of the state blatently obvious. While I'm sure Chicago has plenty of problems to focus on, East St. Louis has been left to rot.

 

[Prison Mike]

I don't feel any loyalty toward my state but I have great pride for my country.

 

[redhawk23]

^ Exactly, which is what I see from most people. It kind of makes me wonder what gave Fry that the different impression.

 

[THE MR. TERRIFIC]

I was born, raised and still live in MD. I don't think I would live anywhere else. My family and friends are all here as well as my wife's family. So I think my roots are dug in really deep in MD. MD fo LYFE!!

 

[The Question]

Massachussetts! Yeah! Boston! ****yeah! Pahk tha cah in da hahvahd yahd! M*******s for life!

 

[Colossal Spoons]

Not even a little bit

 

[Duke]

I don't care much about my state either, but I do have a sense of pride for my country.

 

[Poetic Chaos]

I could never live outside of California. I love it here. From the weather (though we skipped spring entirely this season) the people, the national parks, the cites. I love it all. Californian and proud.

 

[chamber-music]

Is that the show in which Stephen Fry travelled to every state?

He met people who represented a certain aspect of each state (TV producers most likely set him up to meet) so I could see why he got that opinion.

I think people generally are more loyal/identify with their region, county or city than their actual nationality in England. Probably goes back to tribal rivalrys

 

[Immortalfire]

I my state.

 

[Erzengel]

Jersey. A'holes and ****s.

Although I was born and lived in NYC for over a decade.

 

[TheIncredibleSk]

I love New Orleans but I hate the state. Too republican. Wanna move to New York or Chicago.

 

[amazingfantasy15]

I lived in Chicago for most of my life and definitely felt/feel great pride for Chicago (and it's surrounding areas) don't really care too much about the rest of the Illinois. Mainly because like Redhawk says it's really two very different and distinct areas.

I moved to Arizona a few months ago and having heard about the views of some politicians and some of the policies in place here, it's kind of ridiculous. I like living here, but the politics are sad and sometimes even scary.

 

[Schlosser85]

Ohio has way too many rednecks. It's a pretty "conservative Christian"/redneck area in NE Ohio, and sometimes it's a little frustrating living here, but all of my friends and immediate family are here, and I don't have a great desire to live anywhere else.

Also, it did piss me off when Michael Moore called Ohio a "poisonous nut" because it went for Bush in the election, so I guess I do feel some loyalty to my state even if sometimes it makes me sick.

 

[MMMMM...Pancakes]

I take a lot of pride of being a Chicagoan...But really don't care about the rest of the state, if that makes sense. Like we're in our own little world in the Chicago-land area.

 

[Spidey-Bat]

I live in New Jersey. Of course not.

"New Jersey: The Garden State. Yeah, if you're growing smoke stacks." -George Carlin

 

[Prison Mike]

I believe President Obama made a comment, back in 2008 during his campaign, about some Pennsylvanians holding onto guns and religion as a way to cope with job loss and the economy. It was at that moment where I realized that I don't have any kind of loyalty toward my state (I wasn't the least bit offended by the comment and somewhat agreed with him) even though I've lived here since I was 5 years old.

 

[The Squirrel]

I live in Texas, I kind of have to have state pride.

 

[DarkSovereignty]

I have a love-hate relationship with new york. i was born here, raised here, my family is here, with the exception of a few, but i know that when i move out of my parents house i'm gonna have to go somewhere else because new york is too goddamn expensive. also, the roads are terrible lol. so no, i'm proud of new york, we're rude, broke and have roads between the pot holes.

 

[Victarion]

Menzoberranzan is full of uppity *****es with demons.

 

[SoulManX]

I have love for my 2 states Penn and NC Philadelphia born and raised and the Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) my home. I wouldn't trade this place for anything.

 

[Suirou]

don't give a **** about Alabama.

 

[PyroChamber]

I was born in Chicago, so I can say that it's a great city. But for the past couple of years I've began hating it more and more.