People often ask me if I found more racism in the south having moved here from Michigan. My answer is that there is not more racism, just more overt racism. In Michigan it's something whispered in circles that will tolerate it. Down here it's a bumper sticker. I prefer the bumper sticker, good to know who your enemies are and where they are.

The first time I was ever in the south, I was at a wedding in Chattanooga. I was downtown and an elderly woman stopped and asked me what time it was. She heard that I was a northerner from my voice and started telling me all about how wonderful Chattanooga was. She pointed out areas I should go to that were particularly beautiful. Then she pointed out the area that I should avoid because "there are too many niggers". I could not believe it. I had never experienced anything so jarring in my life. I must have turned pale white in shock. I simply backed away and exited the conversation. That sort of thing just doesn't happen in Michigan. However, in Michigan they would use coded words like "thug" or "gangsters" or even "crime" to mean "blacks."

I prefer the lack of "code." I like my evil men to be overt in their idiocy.