Give something or two that you're proud of about your state

[taterguy]

(I know copycats are technically a violation of the rules but what the hell)

My state: North Carolina

The Outer Banks: Breathtaking beauty and we had the foresight to make most of them off-limits to developers.

Paul Wellstone went to college here at our fine state university UNC-Chapel Hill

[mahina]

1. Besides the obvious,

people from all cultures mostly get along, and have for many years. We are reasonable, easy to get along with (again, mostly) and we are deep blue :)

Oh- Hawaii.

[sunwyn]

2. Glen Helen in Yellow Springs Ohio and Dennis Kucinich

[safeinOhio]

very few, if any, dirt roads.

Just one of the things I like.

[handmade34]

34. Oh,

I was just about to say I like all the dirt roads in Vermont!!

[pipi_k]

67. And...

I like the ones in Western Mass...especially mine :)

[Blue_In_AK]

22. Another great thing about Ohio

is that I was born there. :rofl: (My uncle used to live in Yellow Springs, by the way. My family was from Wilmington.)

[Mendocino]

26. Ohio

The Hocking Hills Area-get off the beaten path, you'll see so much more.

Oak Openings near Toledo-terrific flora and fauna; cactus, vernal pools, savanna, Canadian shield all in a few square miles.

Also Dennis Kucinch, Marcy Kaptur, Sherrod Brown, The Darby Creeks, Shawnee State Forest, The Toledo Museum of Art and Lake Erie.

PS. My backyard-the best patch of ground I know.

[Withywindle]

36. Glen Helen!

Not an Ohioan now, but I'm Antioch College Class of '92. :hi:

[The Straight Story]

3. Louis Bromfield, Clark Gable, Neil Alden Armstrong, Annie Oakley

http://www.50states.com/bio/ohio.htm

:)

[Tikki]

4. California...

You can save yourself in California

How about Kamala Harris.


Tikki

[KamaAina]

83. Two more

Birthplace of the independent living movement

Occupy Oakland

[AnnieBW]

5. Maryland

1. Proud, reliably Blue State.

2. Our Senators - Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin - are two of the most Progressive in the country.

[HopeHoops]

12. And Silver Queen - I grew up on it.

[JaneQPublic]

27. Maryland: Another Two

The Chesapeake Bay



The nation's coolest governor, Martin O'Malley (D)

[Huey P. Long]

6. Huey Long, gumbo, French cuisine, jazz, I could go on.

[Major Hogwash]

7. Just two, huh? Well, for starters . . .

1. There's taters.
2. Then there's frozen taters.

And then there's Darth Tater -- "Luke, search your feelings, you know it to be true. I am your father, you tater tot!"

:rofl:

[LWolf]

8. Portland.

De Fazio. Merkley.

To start with.

[cherokeeprogressive]

9. Its varied geography. The highest point in the lower 48 states is less than 85 miles from

the lowest point in the western hemisphere. From 14,505' above sea level to -282' in less than 85 miles. That's amazing. It's also home to a tree believed to have germinated in 2832 BC.

I'm also proud of... well... Californians.

[Mendocino]

33. Plus You have Glacier Point

one of the scenes that everyone should see.*


*just not all at the same time.

[Lyric]

10. West Virginia

Incredibly beautiful, with fantastic weather (we actually have four distinct seasons). Summers are warm, with plenty of heat and thunderstorms. Winters are moderate, and there's a good chance you'll see snow on Christmas. But what I really love about this state are the people--especially the rural folks. They might not be on the right side of the political fence, and god knows they have more than their share of obstacles and disadvantages in this world. But they're tough as nails and accustomed to hardship, so when shit gets real and the house of cards comes tumbling down, those poor rural Appalachian families who know how to hunt, farm, fish, and live without depending on technology are going to be the ones who get through it.

[HopeHoops]

11. The capital building and the rotating "barbell man" in York. (PA)

[badhair77]

28. I grew up outside of York so I used to ride past barbell man.

There's also the shoe house between York and Lancaster.

PA also has some of the most beautiful state parks, not to mention Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater.

[HopeHoops]

65. A few years ago, he went missing. I found out later that they were restoring him.

He got a fresh coat of paint and I guess they had some cracks or something to fix. He's been back up for a while now. Classic landmark. In less pleasant news, vandals knocked out most of the windows of the Star Barn.

[etherealtruth]

13. Lake Superior

Lakes Michigan, Huron and Erie ... Carl and Sander Levin and Michael Moore

[BrendaBrick]

14. The awesome Magnolia Flower

Large enough to just bury your head in its awesome, big as a plate essence!

[seabeyond]

15. texas

clarification. it is not my state, but i have been living here for two decades. a couple surprises

my nephew was in the juvie system for a year and half. all the programs and people that gave him so much to help him out and even now that he is out, all they are doing for him.

a public school system in an area that in well into 90% republican working so hard to be balanced in their education of children not allowing politics to direct my kids education. from the teachers to adm.

[TBF]

50. Texas = BBQ; my home state Wisconsin = GB Packers :) nt

[seabeyond]

53. not really proud of bbq. ????, nt

[postulater]

16. Wisconsin!

Bob LaFollette

Community owned football team

Karner Blue Butterfly

[CurtEastPoint]

17. Georgia...Cumberland Island. Paradise unspoiled and uninhabited...

I stood on the shore with an eternal horizon in front of me, above, me and to my left and right and not a soul in sight. Gorgeous. Take mosquito repellent, though!

[RebelOne]

31. Don't for Helen. A little Alpine wonderland

in the mountains of east Georgia. It's touristy, but a great place to visit.

[Blue_In_AK]

18. Way more than two that I'm proud of,

but here are a couple. We have one of the most progressive constitutions in the United States, with a very powerful privacy clause that protects several things that seem to be up for grabs in other states, e.g., decriminalized marijuana possession and unrestricted access to abortions. Another great thing about our constitution is that it guarantees that the resources here are to be developed for the maximum benefit of the people of the state of Alaska, not for the benefit of corporations or private individuals. We're so socialist. :) (Vic Fischer, one of the three writers of Alaska's constitution still alive said on Shannyn Moore's show this week that our current governor Sean Parnell could be impeached for his ongoing efforts on behalf of the corporate interests here.)

Another thing I'm proud of is that we have no death penalty.

Also, I'm very proud of our Native Alaskan cultures which have such a rich and diverse 10,000-year history.


And, of course, the natural beauty and wildlife.

[Desertrose]

19. Grand Canyon, red rocks, Monument Valley, saguaro cactus, San Francisco Peaks.....

desert...canyons...mountains...lakes.....

This state is absolutely breathtaking....its just some of the people in it....sigh.


ETA: ooops more than two,sorry.....

[a la izquierda]

20. Well, I just moved to Ohio...

so I'll use the state I last lived in: Oklahoma.

It has an incredibly stark, varied, and beautiful landscape. You can read about it in "The Worst, Hard Time," about the Dustbowl- people freaked out when they realized the vast openness of the southern Plains.
There are also strong, vibrant communities of liberals throughout the state that generally stick together. One just has to know where to look.

[murielm99]

21. Illinois: we are blue.

I am proud of Obama and Durbin. I am proud of Paul Simon and Lincoln. We are adding jobs here. Chicago has a great arts community, and great parks, and is very responsive to the arts. You can thank the Daleys for that, especially the recently deceased Maggie Daley.

[Withywindle]

38. Is there any city in the country with a greater live music scene than Chicago?

No. No there is not.

[TheKentuckian]

23. Smokers=protected class for employment, Red River Gorge, bourbon, Kentucky Basketball,

Roy Wilkins, Mammoth Cave, herbs, spreading the love of fried chicken to the world, Mohammad Ali, Lake Cumberland, Abe Lincoln, beautiful horses, rolling hills, hospitable people, casual culture, The Brown School, Indi's, Daniel Boone National Forest, Hunter S. Thompson, the Highlands, Ashley Judd, the rarity of Republican governors since Reconstruction, and Slint in no particular order nor intended to be inclusive.

[saras]

24. First state to enfranchise women. "The Soviet of Washington".

[dixiegrrrrl]

25. I have 2 states, actually

Born and raised in the Evergreen State,
1. which has ALL the climates of every other state, from Rain Forest to desert to mountains.

2.Plus a very high per capita of book buyers, readers, and college graduates.( all that rain, ya know)

for which I traded..Alabama

1. Despite it being 2 notches from the buckle of the Bible Belt, my tiny corner of this beautiful state is blessed with sunshine 300 days of the year,
and home of To Kill A Mockingbird author Harper Lee ( still going strong) and the famous courthouse.


2. Florence, Ala is the birthplace of the Blues
". W.C. Handy was born in Florence and is generally regarded as the "Father of the Blues."
( Look up Muscle Shoals, Ala in Wiki...GIANT music history)

[WorseBeforeBetter]

29. My adopted state of NC: the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and the...

North Carolina Museum of Art. Hiking and the Rembrandt exhibit were on this weekend's itinerary for out-of-town guests, and a good time was had by all.

UNC-TV and WCPE (classical radio).

Foodies who give us Locopops, cheeses, wines, micro-brews...

And I gotta admit, the defeat of Teabagger Heather Losurdo (Wake County School Board) is still feeling pretty good.

[one_voice]

30. ........

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/Joe_Biden,_official_photo_portrait_2.jpg/170px-Joe_Biden,_official_photo_portrait_2.jpg

[taterguy]

43. Only one thing for Delaware?

Why am I not surprised?

[treestar]

71. +1

And also George Thorogood!

[WinkyDink]

32. PA: 1776; Canal system; KDKA; Crayola; Tastykakes; Peeps; Lebanon Bologna; Big Bands; Bandstand; Et

cetera!!

[Rex]

35. Molly Ivins and Ann Richards.

Easy.

[Courtesy Flush]

37. Louisiana

Cajun culture, great seafood, warm climate, laid back attitude.

[handmade34]

39. the good people who plow the roads in the winter...

and the people of Vermont for electing this man



and this man



and these men

[Hosnon]

40. GA: President Carter, Savannah, The Masters, Atlanta, and UGA.

Just to name a few :)

[CTyankee]

41. The Amistad rebellion and Griswold v. CT.

I do not have to tell DUers about the significance of Amistad, do I?

Griswold of course, the forerunner of Roe v. Wade, made birth control a privacy right under the Constitution (altho only for married couples, but it was later extended to all).

Katharine Hepburn.

Yale.

Pizza. You will never have better pizza in your life than here in New Haven.

Louis Lunch in New Haven and the invention of the hamburger (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis%27_Lunch).*



*maybe not. I think the jury's still out on this one...

[jwirr]

42. Minnesota: Our community based system for developmentally

disabled citizens. This system really works.

[libinnyandia]

44. Iowa Supreme Court unanimously ruling gay marriage a

constitutional right. Good schools from kingergarten to PhDs.

[lunatica]

45. California - Barbara Lee

and Jerry Brown.

[xmas74]

46. Harry Truman,

BBQ known 'round the world, The Arch, a city full of fountains, the start of the Pony Express-wait, you said two.

I could go on for days.

[loyalsister]

52. JAZZ

Thomas Hart Benton and Journalism

[WildEyedLiberal]

80. +1

Missouri is lovely :hi:

[Tom Ripley]

47. I've got nothing

[taterguy]

61. Howdy Neighbor!

If you've got nothing, you must be from South Carolina!

[lonestarnot]

48. Democracy of America and the Progressive Democrats of Arizona

Recall of Russell Pearce!

[Earth_First]

49. OCCUPY WALL STREET!

:WOOT:

[Taverner]

51. We started the Medical Marijuana Revolution!

420!

[Odin2005]

54. 1. Minnesota has the best community services for the disabled in the country.

2. Minnesota Medical Assistance, our free medical coverage for the disabled and mentally ill.

3. our greatest governor, Floyd Olson of the Farmer-Labor Party (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floyd_Olson). He was in charge during the depression until cancer took him in 1936. He famously said that "This current system can go straight to Hell", and threatened to go Martial Law on the Capitalists.

4. Paul Welstone! :cry:

[proud patriot]

55. California, The High Sierra and the Coast , Dude!

:headbang:

[mvd]

56. PA is where the Dec. of Independence and Constitution were signed

The Phillies also make me proud.

[tnlefty]

57. Dolly Parton...her refusal to bash the gays and encouraging

that everyone accept everyone for who they are...

The state is beautiful...a lot of the people here are dolts, but the state is beautiful.

[tabbycat31]

58. NJ

It's coastline and beaches, despite what MTV is trying to make of it.
Reliably blue state in federal elections (we'll oust the fat man in 2013)
Some great politicians at the local, state, and federal level
Off year state elections (keeps me employed)

[mick063]

59. Washington Tri-Party Agreement.

The Washington State Department of Ecology, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Energy came to a legally binding agreement to vitrify (glassify) highly radioactive waste into a much more manageable and less hazardous form.

Stored in underground tanks (many older than their designed lifetime) are 53 million gallons of highly radioactive waste. A spoonful would instantly kill a room full of people. Thats right.....53 million gallons of it. If the tanks fail, they could leak into groundwater and find their way into the Columbia River. A potential "much worse than Chernobyl" problem. The mighty Columbia River is the "lifeblood" of the Pacific Northwest and a catastrophic "worst case" contamination event would deem the river unusable for a period longer than the Egyptian pyramids have been in existence.

I have to admit bias because my occupation depends on this "clean up" effort.

http://www.oregon.gov/ENERGY/NUCSAF/docs/HanfordFirst20years.pdf?ga=t

By the way.

As President, Gov. Perry wants to dismantle the Department of Energy and "gut" the EPA.

[demtenjeep]

60. Emma Sullivan and Kathleen Sebelious

not much else

[NYC Liberal]

62. New York. The Roosevelts: TR and FDR.

Marriage equality is the law of the land.

[Atman]

63. Uhm...it's not Florida.

Okay, okay, cheap shot. I'm actually from Florida, Cocoa Beach to be exact. It was an awesome place to grow up. But we moved to New England (I was born here, but moved to FL as a young child) for work, then had kids, then Florida began devolving into the crazy fundy tourist madhouse it is today. But I guess that wasn't the question, was it?

I live in Connecticut now. Rich in history. Beautiful countryside. Close to major metro areas while also offering quick access to the ocean as well as the mountains. And let's not forget the Democratic governments of the six New England states.

[The Wizard]

64. New Jersey

Where our Governor sells shade at the beach and takes orders from a Cherry Hill insurance broker.

[GoCubsGo]

66. South Carolina

Not my native state, but I have lived here over 20 years. I am proud of our Public Television/Radio network. It has the best programming in the country, and some of the best local productions I have seen, such as "Expeditions with Patrick McMillan" and "Nature Scene" on TV and "The Bug Guys" on the radio. And, I never cease to be pleased with our Department of Natural Resources, which had the foresight to set aside and protect numerous parcels of environmentally sensitive land. They do amazing things with the little money they are given. I can only imagine the great things they could do if they were better funded. The same goes for our State Parks system. They do a bang-up job, too. Hunting Island SP is one of my most favorite places in the Southeast. It has a lovely, uncrowded beach, and it is the place where Bubba died in "Forrest Gump". (They shot some of the Vietnam scenes there.)

And, a hat tip to our State Supreme Court, who made the decision last year that isolated wetlands deserve the same protection as all other types--contrary to what our putrid USSC decided a decade or so ago.

[raccoon]

68. Same state. Some lovely scenery, flora & fauna.

Marshall Tucker Band.

[CRK7376]

73. Don't forget

Harbison State Forest in Columbia. Although not a South Carolinian, I am stationed at Fort Jackson and Harbison has a great mountain biking trail system for relatively flat SC....down along the river etc...Running trails too!

[glinda]

69. Boundary Waters area and other forests. Things that the conservatives are trying to mine, drill, etc

[Missy Vixen]

70. Washington: Some of the most stringent consumer protection laws in the country

We also have Senator Patty Murray.

:woohoo:

[CRK7376]

72. I concur

with OBX, but hate to my marrow UNC-Chapel Hill, GO DEACS! 2nd thing to be proud of is Senator Sam Irvin.

[yesphan]

74. Oklahoma

Elizabeth Warren, Oklahoma born and raised. Charlie Christian, born in Texas raised in Oklahoma.

[BlueIris]

75. Oregon: felons can vote here.

As long as you're not in jail or if you are but your conviction was less than a year before the election or if you're in jail but your conviction wasn't a felony--vote all you like.

I don't believe that a felony conviction should result in a person's loss of the right to vote.

[Lugnut]

76. The beautiful Pocono Mountains of NE PA

The Liberty Bell, the state parks, various recreational areas for skiing, boating, white water rafting and kayaking.

[Lochloosa]

77. Florida fresh water springs and caverns...they can be rather spectacular PICS

Oh and Fish Fries with Mullet and cheese grits....




http://www.floridasprings.com/Images/diepolder_lg.%20jpeg

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

78. My state: NC

Engineering students at NC State

College hoops at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke University... no other like it in the world

[jberryhill]

79. Delaware - conveniently located near three other states!

We have the second lowest highest point of any state!

[duhneece]

81. NM Medical cannabis, once was a 'sanctuary' state,

And enchanting, by definition practically, felons can vote once they've completed probation and parole.

[Dragonbreathp9d]

82. Texas- um... Er... Uh.....

Oops

[taterguy]

84. Willie Nelson, Bill Hicks

Was that so hard?