r/AskReddit 29d ago

What is the worst US state and why?

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u/mahoujosei100 29d ago

By most objective measures, it's Mississippi. Highest poverty rate, lowest life expectancy, poor infrastructure, some of the worst education, poor health care access and quality...

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u/[deleted] 29d ago edited 24d ago

[deleted]

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u/40ozSmasher 29d ago

What did you experience that changed your mind?

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u/[deleted] 29d ago edited 24d ago

[deleted]

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u/Akantis 29d ago

My job moved down there and it was an absolute nightmare at every level. And I grew up in West Virginia, so my standards were already pretty low.

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u/wonderb00b 29d ago

we had to move to MS for my husband's job last year. I fucking hate it here, and we moved from Louisiana. Not a high bar.

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u/WordUnheard 29d ago

Our state motto should be, "Louisiana. We're horrible, but at least we're not Mississippi!"

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u/BigHmmEnergy 29d ago

At least Louisiana has a distinct cultural and linguistic heritage. Like if you’re just a culture/anthro nerd you would have a blast in Louisiana. What culture does Mississippi have?

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u/ImFrom1988 29d ago

We can thank Mississippi for a LOT of really talented musicians. Blues, country, and rock owe a lot to the state.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_musicians_from_Mississippi

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u/njm1314 29d ago

Mississippi, the state that creates enough sorrow and anguish to inspire great music.

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u/MyFace_UrAss_LetsGo 29d ago

That’s true. Elvis and BB King off top of my head.

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u/Henrique1315 29d ago

Isnt Lousiana the most catholic spot in the Deep South or smth like that? That says a lot

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u/fsu_ppg 29d ago

Not sure how it currently is but its culture and heritage are at least rooted there. Lots of fleur de lis iconography and they dont’t have counties, they’re parishes instead.

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u/Broad_Finance_6959 29d ago

Yes. That's why we have parishes instead of counties.

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u/chewls_verne 29d ago

It was French, they are mostly Catholic

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u/AmexNomad 28d ago

I would think so. I grew up there in the 1960s. We were not Catholic but still only ate fish on Fridays so as not to offend all the neighbors

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u/WordUnheard 29d ago

There's a huge difference between southern Louisiana and Northeast Louisiana, where I live.

When Katrina hit, it drove the bad element from their homes in New Orleans to seek shelter further north. It's why the crime rate in cities like Shreveport and Monroe have skyrocketed over the past decade.

New Orleans has culture, along with a few other cities down south that are near New Orleans. The majority of Louisiana is one grade point average away from being Mississippi. This state has more racists than any state I've ever lived in or visited.

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u/mfontura 29d ago

Ohhhh wow you must live in Monroe. North Louisiana blows. Cannot think of a single redeeming quality. You might as well be Arkansas or West Mississippi. I’d rather live in Mississippi than any part of North Louisiana. North Louisiana is probably the most racist place/people I’ve ever been around, and I used to live in Mississippi, so I feel your view is potentially skewed. Lafayette was recently voted as the happiest city in America to live. Who knows what the hell that means but it’s a fun place. I don’t live there but I would. I lived in Houston for three years but I still prefer Baton Rouge/New Orleans. Come down south if you want to start living.

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u/smurfe 28d ago

I moved from Illinois to Louisiana (the Land of Lincoln) in 1998. I live in South Louisiana outside B.R. toward N.O. They are racist fucks here but they are nowhere, anywhere, no way, as racist as Central and Southern Illinois where I grew up at. I have three adult children that still live there and my oldest son is one of the biggest Trump-loving KKK-loving racists I have ever met in my life. I haven't spoken to him in 10 years. He is nowhere an isolated individual racist there.

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u/flakemasterflake 28d ago

Outside of the Blues, most southern gothic literature (Faulkner) comes out of MS

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u/SizzleMop69 29d ago

Basically cleveland.

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u/Nokomis34 29d ago

My reply was Louisiana because it could be so much better.

Why Louisiana Stays Poor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWTic9btP38

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u/OkMeasurement6257 28d ago

Wonderb00b, I feel you. We moved last year too. It’s been the worst year of my life by far.

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u/lowrads 29d ago

Whenever I visit MS, I am always surprised how little it is stripped clear of forests compared with LA.

People in the latter seem to have a vendetta against vegetation.

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u/r_u_ferserious 29d ago

Wow, that's...uhmm....Yeah, wow.

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u/Dreadnasty 29d ago

Jesus.... That really says somethin.