# What is your opinion of Mississippi?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-of-mississippi/424274
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [October 27, 2007, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-of-mississippi/424274 "2007-10-27T22:43:34Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2007, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-of-mississippi/424274/1 "2007-10-27T22:43:34Z")
I may be the only liberal Democrat with a positive opinion of Mississippi. Friendly people and a gorgeous state.
Anyone else like Mississippi?
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### Author:  [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2007, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-of-mississippi/424274/2 "2007-10-27T22:51:28Z")
I have no opinion of Mississippi per se (although it is fun to type). I’ve only been there once, and I was 4 years old.
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### Author:  [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2007, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-of-mississippi/424274/3 "2007-10-27T23:00:27Z")
It’s one of only three U.S. states I’ve never been to (Alaska, Louisiana).
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### Author:  [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2007, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-of-mississippi/424274/4 "2007-10-27T23:01:20Z")
My uncle was shot to death there, and I heard horrible stories of racism from my aunt & young cousins, so, no, I can’t say I have a very good opinion of it, I’m afraid.
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### Author:  [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2007, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-of-mississippi/424274/5 "2007-10-27T23:15:08Z")
As a Tennesseean, it and Alabama seem to be the most common targets of derision for the rest of the Southern states.
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### Author:  [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2007, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-of-mississippi/424274/6 "2007-10-27T23:38:00Z")
I have no opinion of Mississippi. I saw that movie one time (in an college Ethics class, no less) and there’s that big river, but I don’t think of it as one of the backward hillbilly states or anything.
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### Author:  [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2007, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-of-mississippi/424274/7 "2007-10-27T23:48:17Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#):
>
> (although it is fun to type).
Not while tipsy!! 😉
Born-n-raised, here.
There are many things to love about our state, and many things to hate. However, having lived elsewhere, I don’t think I’d be happy anywhere else. It just feels right.
There are going to be pluses and minuses to anywhere ya live.
Put me in the "I like Mississippi " category.
Sorry to hear about your uncle, ' **mika**.
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### Author:  [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2007, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-of-mississippi/424274/8 "2007-10-28T00:10:00Z")
No opinion at all. I have never been there.
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### Author:  [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2007, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-of-mississippi/424274/9 "2007-10-28T00:42:08Z")
I lived there for a year and liked it- I’m a fairly liberal democrat as well. Admittedly, I was there in the late 90s, so not that long ago.
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### Author:  [@lobstermobster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobstermobster)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2007, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-of-mississippi/424274/10 "2007-10-28T00:46:02Z")
It’s a fantastic state to get murdered in.
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### Author:  [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2007, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-of-mississippi/424274/11 "2007-10-28T00:48:33Z")
I feel a sneaking sort of gratitude toward Mississippi. No matter how bad Georgia does in economic development, education, standard of living or quality of life, Mississippi is always there to make us look good by comparison. They and Tennessee (sorry Aesiron) and Alabama are always there to make us look progressive by comparison, no matter how bass-ackwards we are.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
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### Author:  [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2007, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-of-mississippi/424274/12 "2007-10-28T00:56:49Z")
I want to know something (no snark)–when will MI decide that it needs to invest in its education system? Just asking.
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### Author:  [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2007, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-of-mississippi/424274/13 "2007-10-28T01:00:00Z")
[QUOTE=eleanorigby]
I want to know something (no snark)–when will MI decide that it needs to invest in its education system? Just asking.
[/QUOTE]
OK. But why ask a question about Michigan in a thread about Mississippi?
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### Author:  [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2007, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-of-mississippi/424274/14 "2007-10-28T01:02:08Z")
[QUOTE=Evil Captor]
I feel a sneaking sort of gratitude toward Mississippi. No matter how bad Georgia does in economic development, education, standard of living or quality of life, Mississippi is always there to make us look good by comparison. They and Tennessee (sorry Aesiron) and Alabama are always there to make us look progressive by comparison, no matter how bass-ackwards we are.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
[/QUOTE]
Though I’m not particularly fond of this state – having escaped it for Oregon once and hoping to again, one day – I’m surprised to see it grouped with Mississippi and Alabama, especially below Arkansas and South Carolina.
This could actually make for an interesting spin-off : “The Hierarchies of State (or Subnational) Reputations” or somesuch.
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### Author:  [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2007, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-of-mississippi/424274/15 "2007-10-28T03:49:19Z")
[QUOTE=eleanorigby]
I want to know something (no snark)–when will MI decide that it needs to invest in its education system? Just asking.
[/QUOTE]
Now that is what I call irony.
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### Author:  [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2007, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-of-mississippi/424274/16 "2007-10-28T04:10:40Z")
[QUOTE=eleanorigby]
I want to know something (no snark)–when will MI decide that it needs to invest in its education system? Just asking.
[/QUOTE]
In all seriousness, Mississippi has some pretty severe demographics issues when it comes to education. It is about 40% minority and very poor and rural. Jackson is the only real city in the state and it isn’t all that big. The Jackson area was the headquarters of a now infamous company called Worldcom which was a cash cow that pulled an Enron and went poof sucking away billions with it.
Mississippi was doing pretty well in the casino and Gulf Coast tourism fronts until a little storm called Katrina came along and literally picked up some of the casinos and relocated them miles inland.
The other other states can sit there and shake their fingers at Mississippi but they don’t have to deal with the same circumstances. That isn’t to say that Mississippi shouldn’t try to do better in education but it isn’t reasonable to expect equivalent results given the same amount of effort as other states.
My mother and stepfather lived in Clinton for a few years until recently. It is obvious that Mississippi has some issues but it isn’t like the whole place is a shit hole. There are plenty of nice places. One of my favorite places in the world is [Natchez, MS](http://www.visitnatchez.com/) which is historical and has gorgeous Southern architecture in spades. It is also quite wealthy.
Oh, and if you like blues music or music derived from it like rock and roll, you owe a huge thanks to Mississippi.
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### Author:  [@Glazer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glazer)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2007, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-of-mississippi/424274/17 "2007-10-28T04:32:05Z")
Damn you **Evil Captor**. You beat me to it.
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### Author:  [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2007, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-of-mississippi/424274/18 "2007-10-28T04:36:59Z")
All I know about Mississippi I read in books and the news. I don’t like the state, although I admit my opinion isn’t based on much information.
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### Author:  [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2007, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-of-mississippi/424274/19 "2007-10-28T04:55:14Z")
[QUOTE=Shagnasty]
Oh, and if you like blues music or music derived from it like rock and roll, you owe a huge thanks to Mississippi.
[/QUOTE]
Darn you, I came here to post
> [@Carnivorous Plant](#):
>
> Home of Robert Johnson and the Delta Blues
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### Author:  [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2007, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-of-mississippi/424274/20 "2007-10-28T05:34:58Z")
I’ve only ever met one person from Mississippi. She’s my aunt and she’s around 106 now. She’s racist and extremely religious. She was visiting years ago when she was still upwardly mobile and she asked me what I thought of Billy Graham and I told her I really had no opinion as I wasn’t Christian. She didn’t handle it well. It should suffice to say that I am no longer in her will. It’s probably a good thing that my dating someone of another race (at the time) didn’t come up as she might have had a heart attack.
So I guess what I’m saying is that I have an awfully small sample size but I imagine there are more people like her (although I am sure there are plenty of clear thinking people with good solid heads on their shoulders as well, I just don’t know any).
As far as the landscape goes, I’ve never been but my dad says it’s beautiful.
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