User:Floridan

Floridans, spelled without the additional “ i ” found in Floridians, are a sub-group of Florida residents. It's been said that every Floridan is a Floridian, but not every Floridian is a Floridan. While all Floridians share Florida as their home, Floridans share something more: A heritage, ideology, dialect, and culture that is distinctly Southern. Floridans often share great pride in State and Southern heritage. They are conscious of their family roots and continue to honor many traditions passed down through generations.

Members of this group are often third, fourth or even fifth generation Floridians, tracing their lines back to the indigenous Southern pioneers and Florida’s Confederate Veterans. But some Floridans do not share a Florida birthright. Many Georgians and Alabamians who moved to Florida during the Great Depression also consider themselves Floridans. Being a Floridan is more manifold than merely birth. It is a way of thinking, a way of behaving and a design for living.

Members of the group are often politically and culturally conservative and practice the Protestant faith. They favor States’ rights, gun rights, family values, and are usually highly patriotic. These Floridans are often well-mannered and friendly, and maintain a heightened respect for authority. Floridans like their tea sweet and enjoy the same foods that most other Southerners enjoy, like fried chicken, cheese grits and hush puppies. They are usually preservationist, preserving the States culture and historical sites for future generations and protecting the rural landscape from further development. They oppose campaigns like those that sought to replace the "mockingbird" with a new state bird or "Old Folks at Home" (Suwannee River) with a new state song.

Many Floridans enjoy hunting, fishing, college football tailgating, water-skiing and beach activities in general. Members of this group likely remember the integration of Florida’s schools, or have heard their family members tell about the experience. Floridans live in both rural and metropolitan area across the state and strongly resemble their fellow Southerners from Georgia and Alabama. Floridans are also proud of their musical heritage and native sons like Ray Charles, Lynard Skynard’s Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins, Gary Rossington, Mel Tillis, The Bellamy Brothers, John Anderson and Easton Corbin. While Floridians share the state of Florida as their home, Floridans share a heritage and culture that is distinctly Florida and distinctly South.