so for the 100th part of my spam book, I wanted to do something special
and apparently special in my mind is talking about stereotypes of people like me and facts about my home-state
SO LET'S GET STARTED WITH STEREOTYPES
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Everyone in Alabama loves football.
This is actually pretty true. About 98% of people who live in Alabama are big football fans. Most are either Alabama or Auburn fans, with a small minority that support other teams.
However, people in Alabama don't enjoy only football. Basketball, baseball, and softball are other popular sports here. In North Alabama, hockey is a major source of entertainment.
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Everyone in Alabama are rednecks.
This isn't true whatsoever. Yes, there are rednecks in Alabama and that is without a doubt. But I live in a small town, and there are only a handful of people in my town alone who hunt on the daily, fish on weekends, and sport the Confederate flag wherever they go. That leads me to the next stereotype:
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Everyone in Alabama are racists.
Heck no we are not. Yeah, there's always a group of racists in every portion of the world, but it's not just Alabama. Honestly, I feel northern states are more racist than southern states. I'm not saying that to clarify that Alabama is 'better than others' (because every state has their flaws), but Alabama is actually a pretty racially diverse state.
Wherever you go in Alabama, you will see many different races. In my small town alone, half of the population are non-white ethnicities. That brings everyone closer together, and creates new bonds between people.
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Everyone in Alabama loves country music.
Oh god no
About half of the Alabama population are nowhere close to being fans of country music.
But I guarantee we all get hype to 'Sweet Home Alabama'
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Everyone in Alabama dates their cousins.
Ha
Haha
No
(unless your austin miles @summer)
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Alabama has no natural scenery.
OH BOY
Let me tell you this:
North Alabama has the mountains, caves, and the Tennessee river. Have you even seen Huntsville in the fall? Honey, look:
Beautiful.
And then to the South, you have Mobile Bay, the Gulf of Mexico, and the five Alabama rivers connecting into one.
Even in Central Alabama, there's a town entirely dedicated to a natural bridge. The town itself is named "Natural Bridge."
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Everyone in Alabama has a Southern accent.
This one is about 50/50.
A lot of people in Alabama have southern accents, but then again a lot of people don't.
With this one, it really depends on your upbringing. If you're raised in someplace like Huntsville, Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, or Mobile, you're most likely not going to have an accent. But if you're raised in rural Alabama, you have a higher chance of getting an accent.
However, I was raised in rural Alabama, and I only have a lisp.
•
Everyone in Alabama are conservatives.
It depends on where you are, honestly.
Many people around the Birmingham area are very liberal, along with in Tuscaloosa since the University of Alabama is there.
However, Alabama is mostly conservative.
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Alabamans know how to cook.
Heck yeah we do
Come on down for some barbecue and steaks and we'll serve you some amazing food
(okay but fr if anyone is ever in Tuscaloosa or Birmingham, you have to eat at Dreamland's BBQ. it's a requirement)
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Alabama has terrible education.
Actually, Alabama has very good education.
The Alabama School of Math and Science's average ACT score for the 2016-2017 graduating class was a 29, which is very high.
Hoover High School was once ranked at #1 Best School in the Nation
Alabama just had its first school district completely STEM certified in AdvancED, which is also the very first in the world.
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Alabama has no sights to see.
*cough*
hang on, let me get my list
Space & Rocket Center, Space Camp, USS Alabama, Fort Conde, Fort Morgan, Fort Gaines, Red Mountain, Dauphin Island, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Red Mountain Theatre Company, Mobile Bay, University of Alabama, Oakleigh House, Sloss Furnace (10/10 would recommend), Noccalula Falls, Huntsville Botanical Gardens, McWane Science Center, Vulcan Park & Museum, Ivy Green (Helen Keller's childhood home), Rosa Parks Museum, Mobile Carnival Museum, Natural Bridge, Cathedral Caverns, and DeSoto Caverns.
and those were all off the top of my head
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Everyone in Alabama drinks sweet tea
This is probably the most accurate thing on this list. Of course, not everyone in Alabama likes it, but it's definitely an iconic drink of the Southeast
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I got some fun facts about Alabama for you now
1. Mobile, Alabama was the first place to ever host Mardi Gras. New Orleans is always credited with being the birthplace of Mardi Gras, when it was really Mobile.
2. The Marshall Space Center in Huntsville, Alabama has had a key role in NASA's development since the 1950s. In fact, the ISS is mainly operated from Marshall and the primary parts of the Saturn V rocket were constructed in Huntsville.
3. Alabama was the first place to fly the Confederate flag during the Civil War. The flag was also designed in Alabama.
4. The famous line "Full speed ahead" comes from Admiral David Farragut during the Battle of Mobile Bay.
5. Alabama was the first state in the U.S. to declare Christmas a legal holiday in 1836. This was long before it was declared a national holiday in 1870.
6. The first 911 call ever made took place in Haleyville, Alabama in 1968.
7. Magnolia Springs, Alabama is the only city in the nation to deliver mail by boat.
8. Alabama's quarter is the only coin to be engraved with Braille. This is due to the legacy of Helen Keller, who was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama.
9. Montgomery, Alabama was the very first capital of the Confederate States during the Civil War.
10. Cannonballs were discovered under a sidewalk at the University of Alabama in 2015. It was later discovered that these cannonballs were from the Civil War.
11. Scottsboro, Alabama is home to Unclaimed Baggage, which is a store where lost airplane luggage is sent where people can buy them in a thrift store.
12. The first heart operation was performed on a kitchen table in Montgomery, Alabama.
13. Windshield wipers were invented in Alabama, and an Auburn University graduate created the modern airbag.
14. Alabama is home to the world's largest office chair.
(idk what this is a thing but I'm okay with it)
14. The only cemetery in the world dedicated entirely to Coon Dogs is located in Colbert County, Alabama.
15. The New York Sun once wrote a story about how it rained eels in Coalburg, Alabama.
16. The world's smallest museum is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
17. The first female football player was Luverne Wise Albert from Atmore, Alabama.
18. Alabama's official state Bible is signed by Jefferson Davis.
okay I'm done
but if you can't tell, I really love living in Alabama