I made an impact. One less wealthy person for Jacksonville, Florida.

[The Backlash Cometh]

A fellow latino I know is retiring and looking for a place in Florida to live. His job has taken him to several latin American countries, as well as New York, New Jersey, Washington. Oh, and he is American by birth. He has worked and saved his entire life and would be an asset to any community. When he told me that he was looking to retire in Florida, I told him that he should look at more than just the real estate, that people treat minorities very strangely in certain parts of Florida.

Well, he and his wife went to Amelia Island and the Jacksonville area and he called me soon after he returned. He said he believed I was right. Three out of four (nice) restaurants sat him next to the kitchen area, even though there was plenty of seating. They changed his table when he requested it, but it was the first time that it occurred to him that he might look odd to people who have always lived in an insulated community. He is dark skinned and his wife is white in complexion (but not American). He said that kind of thing didn't exist in New Jersey.

So, haha. This guy would be a wonderful asset to any community. Was an altar boy, boy scout, Georgetown graduate, and I turned him away from redneck country! Hey, what are friends for? I know the level of intellectual conversation he is use to and he would have been gasping for air before the first year was over.

Keep it up Florida! Sooner or later, this state will figure out that real estate and community are not always interchangeable.

[BlueJazz]

1. I live it Florida. (actually a fairly Liberal Part...... St.Petersburg)

But....Everybody south of Ocala usually refers to Jacksonville as either "Hicksville" or "Redneck Heaven"
Jacksonville is too close to Southern Georgia to ever be anything more than a Hillbilly Cowtown.

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. I loved Safety Harbor!

Not too far from St. Pete. Pinellas was a joy compared to the counties I've lived in since. And the St. Pete Times is a great newspaper.

[BlueJazz]

5. Yes!..I LOVE the way the St. Petersburg Times trashes Bush.. :)

[Prodemsouth]

2. You did him a great favor.. Jacksonville was ok at one time. They tried

to promote it as the bold new city of the south and give it a progressive image in the late 60s and 70s. But it became more and more Redneck, in fact it seem to love to rub its redneck image in other people faces. I lived up the road over the Georgia line. Jacksonville just became a large version of one the small south GA cities that are south of Savannah.

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. Thanks for the verification.

I think it's only fair that people know what they're getting into before they make a major commitment. I've spent too much time crying, wanting to leave my red county. I wouldn't want this to happen to someone else.