With emphasis both
@Skwim and I are referring to is the South that was once the Confederate States of America, and not inclusive of the Southwest.
I grew up in the South in a town with Confederate officer statue pointing south, except for some relief of ten years in South America. I have lived in the South, Hillsborough, NC. for ten years, before a 9 years in China, and five years in North Carolina before that.
Even though my view of the South is not as extreme as skwim I can most definitely empathize with his view. The South has a very distinct dark side, and I do mean very very dark rooted in Slavery, racism, fundamentalist Christian beliefs, and separationist sentiments. This is not just a minority view. In many areas of the rural South it remains a stoic toxic stubborn archaic antebellum world view. Moore shared these views, and only lost his election because of his attempts of sex education of minors.
Change in the south is coming about by migration from the North, and the improved status of the Black population primarily due to national legislation resisted stoically by the South.
The popularity of David Duke in Louisiana is another example of this dark side of the South.
To be honest I have a distinct dislike for southern food, like girts, greasy fried chicken, deep fried pig skin, larded biscuits like hockey pucks, everything deep fried, Army green over cooked vegetables, too much salt, Callabash grossed seafood, and sweet ice tea 50/50 tea/sugar. I do definitely like New Orleans food, but I do not consider it Southern Food.
