The South, renowned for its fried food, picturesque scenery and last but definitely not least: conservatives. If you were to go anywhere in the south and take a poll to see if people were liberal or conservative, a vast amount of the people would identify themselves as conservatives, so, those of you who are liberals fortunate enough to live in a mostly liberal state, with peers who have similar ideals, should be asking one question: What is it like to be a liberal in the South? Well here are some experiences that we have on almost the daily basis.
1. Everybody Wears A "Reagan/Bush '84" Shirt
If you go to any college or high-school in the south, you're bound to see people wearing this shirt, even though it seems like those people have a fairly low level of political knowledge. On top of that, this shirt is a mainstay of the "frat" style, which is ever so common in the south.
2. People Hate on Pres. Obama at Every Chance
To most like-minded liberals, Obama hasn't been a bad president, and some might even consider him to be a very good one. However, this view is almost nonexistent in the south and any time someone even mentions president Obama, a swarm of people gather to try to "explain" how President Obama has supposedly been the worst president ever.
3. You're Silent to Prevent Confrontation
Any time a political conversation starts, whether it's with your best friends or co-workers (who are all most likely conservatives,) you almost never agree with what they are saying, but you choose to stay silent, because you don't want to start any trouble. Sometimes you build up the courage to argue, but once you get surrounded by everyone explaining why you're wrong, you realize it's better to just quietly sit and take it.
4. Someone Will Think Secular Rationing is Evil
Although many southern conservatives don't necessarily have this viewpoint, the South is considered the "Bible Belt" after all, so if you go anywhere, you're bound to find people who consider homosexuality to be a sin because of their religious beliefs. This means that you're bound to meet at least one person who thinks that your support for the LGBTQ+ community is sinful, and they might even go as far as saying that it's evil.
6. People Joke About Your "Foreign" Beliefs
This one is probably one of the most common experiences liberals have in the South. When you meet new people, their first reaction to you describing your political ideologies would most likely be some kind of joke about how weird the think you are for those beliefs. Even your friends will constant bombard you with what they think are witty jokes.
7. You Always Get Told You're a Coward
For some reason, there's a perception that liberals are inherently weak-minded, and this perception is especially held by many conservatives, because of differing policy views between the two ideologies. Due to this, some people who discover your secret, will automatically use your ideologies to determine that aspect of your personality.
