Many people think that when you enter the south, mostly the deep south, all you will find is a bunch of backhills rednecks that are unkept and use outhouses still. I will be the first to say that this still happens. And in fact many would say they are rednecks, yet there are few that live that life. The world has come in and taken grip of almost all in the south. One thing that has not changed is that many from the south are careful about trusting, "outsiders." This is because we do hear about the world around us and what it's like. It's a form of protection, and to many might make us seem a little rude. However, once you are known, you are treated like family. This is that same thing you hear from many sources. "Down home, where they know you by name and treat you like family." Some of the best cooking in the world you can also find in the south, (also some of the worst.) Much of the southern meals deal with the veggies from the garden, the animals raised in the fields, and the fruits on the trees and vines. First, most of the breads are make shift breads. Corn bread, from the corn meal ground up from the corn. Flour is used for the oven breads also, but you didn't see as much of it in late history. In fact, just in the last 50 years, flour was hardly seen in most households. For the simple fact that one would have to buy it, and most of the time didn't have the money for it. So it was corn bread for most meals. The idea of soup beans and corn bread is a major meal in many of the southern states. ;) I myself have had many of meals of it. Meat, as always, has been a major part of the southern life. From the beef, pork, and chicken of the up south, to the crawfish to the lower, southern people have always loved their meat. That of course is changing slowly. I myself don't eat meat. One sad part of the history of the south is the fact that slaves where kept in high numbers here. Of course it happened everywhere in the US, but no where did you see it as much as in the deep south. The biggest thing however is that 7 to 10% of the population owned 75 to 80% of the slaves. Most of this 7 to 10% was the rich, well to do, white male. Thankfully slavery ended, but the fight for freedom was far from over. Even now there are some that have problems with people that are black. Many of those have problems with other races also, but you must ask yourself a question. What color was Jesus? Not white, more likely a olive skin tone, like his family would have been. So those that say Jesus is white and blacks are the cursed line of Cain, that we should only converse with whites, think again. And I welcome you to the real world, because it's time to wake up and smell the coffee. Where is the love? The love is where we place it. It's up to us to show that love. We have to show the world that we have a past, but that we have all learned from it and never to go back to it. That it's ok to fly our Confederate Flags, but stand if for the fight to freedom, not just for the south, but for the US in a whole. So that flag is not a form of evil, but the for good, the good old boys rebel heart for a better country. That we will stand up together as one against evil, evil that would take the rights away from everyone, no matter what the person believes. This country is built on freedom of religion and life. And to all that believes in a higher being or not, they have that right, for this country gave us that right and the right to live it.