Posted on 11/23/2001 5:25:09 AM PST by LarryLied
Despite the "friendly" Sunbelt's purported ease and opportunity, the "unfriendly" North continues by far to have the best quality of life.The United Way now reports that Minnesota (of which I am genetically half a native, which may undermine the good data here) is the best state, in economic well-being, education, health, civic engagement, safety and the environment. Having visited this Midwest Finland, I am not surprised. And I find New Hampshire's Number 2 rating apt, too, having inhabited that rocky realm of rectitude, responsibility and (usually) reasonableness for four years.
Ditto the others in the top 10: Connecticut (even with Hartford!); Massachusetts; Vermont; Maine; Wisconsin; Iowa; New Jersey, and, yes, even Rhode Island, hardly a state at all!
Meanwhile, the bottom 10 are all in the Sunbelt, the worst New Mexico, and then Louisiana.
Maybe it's mostly the weather. The North's bracing and wildly variable climate energizes people and encourages planning and careful citizenship. And it's probably better for you, because cold is bad for bugs. Even the post-war wave of air-conditioning hasn't let previously soporific Southern schools, offices and factories overcome the North's paradoxical climatic advantage.
And Northerners tend to be less mobile, and so less likely to slide into that appalling anomie in which the American Dream is pursued by folks wandering the roads in search of pots of gold that turn out to be tin, and leaving no forwarding address. But then, it is easier to wander about where the weather is warm. Thus the pervasive trailer parks in the Sunbelt, and enough social problems to make you ask if the Sunbelt's growing national power is a good thing. (Don't show this to my Tennessee relatives.)
Especially Liberals. We could box 'em out of here by the crateload and never run shy...
Amen.
Perhaps, oMmi, you meant to say:
"I won't even mention the drooling rabid naugas that lurk HIDE at every turn?"
Those are the worst ones!
A point on which we agree.
The miracle was that the tally sheet had 100 changed to 600.
You're telling Me!
Hey everybody! Talk about fabulous places! Ever seen those suburbs north of Detroit!?!! What about the Upper Peninsula!?!! Wow!
One of the most beautiful places in the world is the northern shore of Lake Michigan. I have never recovered! Gorgeous! And nice, friendly people--everywhere.
I disagree. IMHO big cities have a majority of bad people. Rural areas have a majority of good people. Suburbs are a toss-up but lean towards a bad majority. Election results back my opinion.
Outstanding point. It sounds like you represented your country well. Thank you. It makes life easier for those who follow you.
I don't care what you think. But if you sore Confederate losermen say that the South had a better economy than the North and that you were the one that was right in the Civil War, there's going to be a response. If you don't like it and don't want refutations, send e-mails.
Also, the reason I tried to make a point to you about the different areas of the country is because I have found in my travels that the country is not divided by regions as much as it is divided by big city, small town, and rural. Small town people seem to be the same all over, north, south and west.
So why do you guys constantly make bigoted comments about the North?
True, but not where I live. I should have been more specific.
Lincoln had more power in the South due to the rebellion. We ended slavery up here soon after. If the North wasn't moving away from slavery prior to the Civil War as you seem to think, why did South Carolina's Declaration of Secession say that they were seceding to preserve slavery?
Do you see anywhere in my statement that the "Yankees" are at "fault"?
Fault for what?
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