Although Southern states as a whole tend to have higher crime rates, according to the
FBI, those cities aren't really any worse than Northern ones. Here's a comparison between a few (the numbers are violent crimes per 100 K).
Baltimore 883
Houston 738
Los Angeles 721
Philadelphia 678
Detroit 672
New Orleans 660
Indianapolis 548
San Francisco 537
Atlanta 512
Personally, I don't think there's any great hate between the different regions of the country. I may be too optimistic here, but I doubt the vast majority of people let politics come between them that much. With new communication technology, regionalism in this country is probably on the decline. This message board is a good example. People from all over the country (or even the world) are able to come together in a way not possible in years past. For the most part, people get along despite political differences.
