Americans appear to really dislike certain states and one in particular, proved by the 30,000 comments when someone posed a question about the worst state in the U.S. These are the highlights.
Note: Some quotes in this piece have been lightly edited for grammar.
Mississippi
The Magnolia State is the worst in the country, according to thousands that agreed. Mississippi got so much hate that one user in the online forum suggested the person who initiated the conversation should reword their question to “Besides Mississippi, which is the worst U.S. state?”
The Why
A man of color says, ” I’ve surprisingly never really had to face the whole, getting pulled over for no reason thing until I went to Mississippi.” It happened to him three times within Mississippi’s borders, one of which involved him having to sit in the passenger seat of a cop car for an hour before he was let go.
Another Why
“Mississippi didn’t change it’s [sic] state’s flag away from a version that featured the Confederate flag” until 2020, says another user.
A Trucker’s Perspective
A trucker says Mississippi is the worst state in the U.S. because there are “little to no amenities or security” at places trucks can park, they patch up roads with asphalt instead of truly fixing them, and “even places that are supposed to look nice, like offices, look drab and wholly depressing. Unless you’re in one of the few more affluent areas.”
Objectively Speaking
“By most objective measures, it’s Mississippi” for claiming the title as the worst U.S. state, agrees another commenter. They explain Mississippi has the “highest poverty rate, lowest life expectancy, poor infrastructure, some of the worst education, [and] poor health care access and quality.”
A First
“I’ve never seen such an [sic] unanimous answer on Reddit,” says one commenter regarding people blasting Mississippi as the worst state.
Better You Than Me
“The only redeeming quality of Alabama is that it’s not Mississippi,” according to one seemingly Alabama resident.
Forty-Tenth
Alabama is the worst state in the U.S., says one commenter. “It may be forty-ninth in education, but at least it isn’t forty-tenth.”
Child’s Delight
“The best thing about Mississippi is learning to spell it as a kid,” says one person.
From a Mississippi Resident
A Mississippi resident chimes into the conversation. “What keeps me here is the low cost of living. I agree that it’s the worst though.”
The Floor Is Yours
“In Idaho we say ‘thank God for Mississippi,'” says one commenter. The reason? “We’re 49th in a lot of rankings usually for stuff like infrastructure and eduction [sic].”
Runner Up
Montana is the worst state in the U.S. from a factual perspective, according to one user who temporarily strayed from the Mississippi pack. “We have the highest DUI rate and the highest drunk driving deaths…and one of the worst mental health infrastructures.” The Montana resident ends by saying tongue-in-cheek, “So without a doubt” Mississippi is the worst state in the U.S.
Mississippi’s Good Side
A Mississippi native says although they’d leave their state if it weren’t for family, not everything is bad about it. “We are not all small-minded and hateful. There is a ton of good art and music. There are also highly educated and intelligent people here. We have some beautiful rivers and creeks, hardwood forests that have been doggedly protected, and quirky little pockets of charm.”
A Teacher Gives Hope
The same Mississippi native explains she’s a teacher and sees “every day how poverty creates ignorance and crime.” They’re on a mission to teach their students that life can be different, and it’s working. “The new generation of kids don’t share past generations’ views on race, gender, or sexuality.”
Source: Reddit.
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