A Blue City (Disconsolate, Even) Bewildered by a Red America

New York Times ^ | Nov 4, 2004 | Joseph Berger

[theDentist]

"New Yorkers are more sophisticated and at a level of consciousness where we realize we have to think of globalization, of one mankind, that what's going to injure masses of people is not good for us."

What a bunch of snotty egotistical suckers.

[stopillegalimmigration]

"What's different about New York City is it tends to bring people together and so we can't ignore each others' dreams and values and it creates a much more inclusive consciousness," she said. "When you're in a more isolated environment, you're more susceptible to some ideology that's imposed on you."

I love how New Yorkers always talk like they have achieved some sort of Marxist Utopia become they have immigrants from all over the world while ignoring the fact that most of them are segregated in Little Italy, Chinatown, Harlem, etc... In smaller towns we consider this type of segregation racist and proof that larger cities do not accept minorities better, only segregate them into camps. Additionally, we have not become so enlightened as to be able to watch our citizenry urinating on sidewalks in front of our children and act like it is normal behavior. Also in flyover America,we have not become so narrow-minded that we receive our daily propaganda from one source and fear seeing or hearing the other side. Yet to listen to New Yorkers one would be left with the impression that there rich and poor live next door to each other and minorities are not encamped in their own little cities within a city.

[correctthought]

I gotta tell ya as a Noo Yawker, you have no right using that sophistimicated word : Schadenfreude :)

Actually thanks from my wife and I to the rest of the country from someone who is behind enemy lines.

And not to nit pic TheBigB, isn't PA part of the blue nation? :)

[Spok]

These comments drip with the elitist arrogance that is exactly why the left is losing the culture war in America. Narrow, judgmental intolerance with the insistence that the world must march lockstep with their ideology.
IMO, the greatest hypocrisy of the Kerry candidacy was when he started wearing the American flag on his lapel. This lady's comment about NY being an island off Europe was dead on-they hate us precisely because we ARE Americans.

[CindyDawg]

Well aren't they special? When I first read this, I was angry at all of them but then I remembered that Kerry did not get 100% so these people aren't representing all of NY. We are only getting a peak at the ones that the author of this article wanted us to see.

[hoosiermama]

We live in this marvelous diversity where we actually have gay neighbors," she said. "They're not some vilified unknown. They're our neighbors."

Beg to differ with the elitist.....We now only have gay neighbors but a few of us (Cheney included) have children that are gay. There are several families in our community with diverse ethnic background and we even tolerate those who chose to co inhabitant.......This gal doesn't know what she's talkin about!....Bet she's never even had a neighbor from the heartland....... One who has the ability to think/reason logically and not just feel.

[Constantine XIII]

"If the heartland feels so alienated from us, then it behooves us to wrap our arms around the heartland," she said. "We need to bring our way of life, which is honoring diversity and having compassion for people with different lifestyles, on a trip around the country."

Oh, no. No no no, please. Stay home.

Isn't this the definition of a "D@mn Yankee"? :D

[KidGlock]

our way of life, which is honoring diversity

All these people are in favor of diversity, as long as we are just like them.

[katnip]

I was angry at all of them but then I remembered that Kerry did not get 100% so these people aren't representing all of NY. We are only getting a peak at the ones that the author of this article wanted us to see.

Yep. And please consider the source. The NYSlimes...

[ConservativeDude]

"If the heartland feels so alienated from us, then it behooves us to wrap our arms around the heartland," she said. "We need to bring our way of life, which is honoring diversity and having compassion for people with different lifestyles, on a trip around the country."

This is stunning even for these weenies. Wow, they are going to wrap their arms around the heartland....ooh, yick....

But I sure would like for that bus trip around the country the come thru my neck of the woods...that'd be fun.

By the way, why is this bimbo hanging around the park? Why isn't she at home educating her children and fixing dinner for her husband who is off at work, in his small business?

[Tax-chick]

later

[surfatsixty]

As a Lower Manhattan teacher, I can assure all you Red-Staters that there are millions of us here in NYC who share you values, patriotism, and love of God and Country. Unfortunately, our fair city attracts alot of people who are of a different persuasion and, when you reflect on it, a goodly number of them are Red State ex-pats.

Don't paint all of us with the same brush. We turned out in droves, despite knowing the Electoral Vote futility of it, to help win the popular vote for GWB.

[SE Mom]

"If the heartland feels so alienated from us, then it behooves us to wrap our arms around the heartland," she said. "We need to bring our way of life, which is honoring diversity and having compassion for people with different lifestyles, on a trip around the country."


I don't know ANY Republicans who dishonor diversity or lack compassion for people with different lifestyles.

But we don't seem to weigh these issues in the same way libs do. I think WE more or less assume we're all different...and we should respect those differences. The difference(s) is in the foundations of our attitudes. I think Republicans/conservatives say- "WE're ALL Americans" I think libs/Dems say "I'm an African-American, Gay-American, Pro-choiceAmerican, Italian-American" etc.etc...

They talk about bringing people together- tolerance etc...while we just go about the business of living...together.

[Constantine XIII]

Awesome! Thanks for the hard work!

[2thfxr]

It's a perfect relationship. The rest of the country pulled for NYC after 9-11 and now NYC is all for itself.

[NavVet]

"If the heartland feels so alienated from us, then it behooves us to wrap our arms around the heartland," she said. "We need to bring our way of life, which is honoring diversity and having compassion for people with different lifestyles, on a trip around the country."

In other words, if they really make an effort, they can show all of us "flyover" rubes, the error of our ways. This reminds me of an incident years ago, when a ship hauling garbage from NY City was stranded at sea, because no other state would take the garbage. The Mayor at the time, said that other states should be grateful to take NY's garbage since the city contributed soooo muuuchh to the nation's culture.

Well, as we say in VA, if you love NY, take 95 North.

[skimbell]

"three morning newspapers to her chest while balancing a large latte..."

"Do you know how I described New York to my European friends?" she said. "New York is an island off the coast of Europe."

I think I see a little bit of the problem.

[wideawake]

As a native New Yorker, born and raised, I can tell you that people who live in downtown Brooklyn and in Manhattan are just as condescending, repulsive, effete and self-absorbed as this article describes.

However, in other areas of Brooklyn, in Staten Island and in Queens there were hundreds of thousands of Bush voters who hate these people even more than FReepers do. You can take that to the bank.

[lsee]

None of the people who are likely to be hit by a terrorist attack voted for Bush.

What amazing ignorance.

I currently live in Houston...a likely target...My relatives live in Abilene, Texas (Dyess Air Force Base and three colleges), another likely target...I lived in Tulsa during the Oklahoma City bombing. Do we have schools, hospitals, and businesses in the heartland? Do we have roads, airports, and trains in the heartland? Are there humans living here? If so, we are JUST as likely to be struck by terrorist threats/attacks as New York or any other "blue" city. The threat of terrorism is universal...the philosophy of dealing with the dangers by attempting to elect a passivist moral weakling like John Kerry seems to be "understood" only by the left.

I think it's interesting how these disappointed, short-sighted people are zeroing in on terrorism as the main reason they voted for Kerry, when it's clear from pre-election discussion that gay rights, abortion rights, and many other leftist pet causes probably had as much or more to do with their decision than the war in Iraq.

Bewildered? Welcome to my world, latte girl!

[ASA.Ranger]

<<<<>>>> I was raised New Yorker -- Upstate in Oswego --- not the City. The values and perceptions are all different from the City. New York State is not in my retirement plan in 17 months. The self absorbed, ungrateful City people are a stain on the State. I am sorry that you are surrounded by the City degenerates and wish you well for your future!