My read on my fellow Tennesseans (I'm smack dab in the middle of east TN) is that most people I know are of the conservative-libertarian ilk, resist controls like masks and these pseudo-vaccines, but we're also a mostly silent majority. But because we have a large research university here and a lot of tech companies have located here, we also have a rather large contingent of liberal folks, the kind who shop at Trader Joe's and think they're woke and wear masks even when driving... which looks stupid as hell to me and my wife.
They don't really act like Karens, I've never been reproached for not wearing a mask, but a few folks have anxiously asked me if I've had the vaccine.... and they seem disappointed when I say "NOPE!"
There is an ideological divide here, but that's to be found everywhere, my fren. It's just that WE seem to outnumber THEM in this part of the US. We have no mandate to be vaccinated here and never will, plus our state just passed a Constitutional Carry law, so that on July1 when the law goes into effect, I'm pulling my 1911 out of the safe and putting it on my hip.
When the world goes entirely insane (it's almost there), we in Tennessee will be in the enviable position of watching it happen but not be affected as badly as the cities and left-coast states. Good luck to you.
Sounds like you all need to take a couple of weeks and just drive around the area, mingle with the people eat in restaurants and diners, attend some church services of your denomination, and see how you like it.
A central place to start with would be Knoxville, within reach of the Great Smoky Mountains park and tons of small towns within hours drive.
Personally, I've been all over the Western hemisphere but east Tennessee will always be my home.
My read on my fellow Tennesseans (I'm smack dab in the middle of east TN) is that most people I know are of the conservative-libertarian ilk, resist controls like masks and these pseudo-vaccines, but we're also a mostly silent majority. But because we have a large research university here and a lot of tech companies have located here, we also have a rather large contingent of liberal folks, the kind who shop at Trader Joe's and think they're woke and wear masks even when driving... which looks stupid as hell to me and my wife.
They don't really act like Karens, I've never been reproached for not wearing a mask, but a few folks have anxiously asked me if I've had the vaccine.... and they seem disappointed when I say "NOPE!"
There is an ideological divide here, but that's to be found everywhere, my fren. It's just that WE seem to outnumber THEM in this part of the US. We have no mandate to be vaccinated here and never will, plus our state just passed a Constitutional Carry law, so that on July1 when the law goes into effect, I'm pulling my 1911 out of the safe and putting it on my hip.
When the world goes entirely insane (it's almost there), we in Tennessee will be in the enviable position of watching it happen but not be affected as badly as the cities and left-coast states. Good luck to you.
Sounds like you all need to take a couple of weeks and just drive around the area, mingle with the people eat in restaurants and diners, attend some church services of your denomination, and see how you like it.
A central place to start with would be Knoxville, within reach of the Great Smoky Mountains park and tons of small towns within hours drive.
Personally, I've been all over the Western hemisphere but east Tennessee will always be my home.
Amen Banjoman.