Vive La Difference

The reasons why people choose to reside in the exurbs are not difficult to understand. Reasonable property values, green horizontal space, and the perception of safety are important for many people as they create homes or raise families.

But what I have encountered, sometimes - is an ongoing need (especially among males) to discredit, disparage, or go on at length about the city and it's supposed shortcomings. I have witnessed this firsthand recently - the scoffing disgust and you-must-be-crazy attitude that sees every news story about a mugging as some cosmic validation of their perspective.

This - to pour gasoline on the debate - makes no more sense to me as people who see any killed-in-action soldier in any war as proof positive that reasons behind that war must be invalid. You are free to interpret the news that way, of course - but it should be noted that generations in the past took a different view. My point is, that there is a context behind events, and the warp zone of our pre-formulated opinion acts as a filter for incoming knowledge; it seeks to line things up according to conclusions already drawn and annotated in our brains with reams of partisan supporting material. Examples abound - and everyone has favorites.

I don't knock people who live in the exurbs. I can explain (and often do) why I prefer the city, and why I see value in raising my children with as much diversity of experience (including rural and suburban settings) as possible. Why feel the need to bark about it?

Now the good news - there appears to be a greater influx of non-white transplants to the outer counties. It may be a recent phenomenon in Cincinnati, and it appears to be happening in relatively small numbers - but it's still a positive trend. I'm a believer in little 'D' diversity - not socialistic programs or preachy liberalism - just a classroom full of Johns, Marys, Ravis, Yoshikos, and Kwesisis - who I expect will eventually do a better job than the grownups at learning practical-minded respect towards one another.

NOTE: As a sidebar to this topic, the Washington Post published this piece about the rapid growth of Muslim communities in rural and exurban locales. This is a slightly more provocative topic - and one which agitates the wackos.