College

[LabRat]

I highly recommend the University of Iowa. Iowa City is a spectacular place, filled with diversity galore. I know websites are teh ghey, but give Iowa's a glance. Pay special attention to the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender and Allied Union It's one of the the oldest University recognized and funded LBGTA groups in the United States. (36 years old this year!)

[Flint]

When you live in any area, you will be dealing with individual human beings, not statistical probabilities.

I have a few questions:

…I love the south. The people are nice … but I just can't stand them, politically.

Who are the "them" that you can’t stand? All Southerners, or just the ones that you disagree with? Can you "stand" the Northerners that you disagree with? How exactly will being at a certain latitude have any effect on this? People are people. Yeah, I just quoted Depeche Mode.

But, wait. Maybe it’s not a "them" …maybe it’s an "it" ???

It's … too conservative …

It's … too christian (too babtist [sic], specifically) …

It's … too not-me.

What exactly is the "it" here? The actual dirt that you are standing on? The mind-control chemicals in the drinking water?

When I go to a Pagan Drum Circle, what is the "it" that swoops in, checks what latitude we're at, and transforms the whole gathering into a Baptist Church Service?

When I’m playing a gig, and we’re playing a Neil Young song, what is the "it" that swoops in, checks the latitude, and transforms the song we're playing into a Toby Keith song?

There is no "it" … There is no "them" … There are no "Red States" or "Blue States" …

No matter where you go, you will gravitiate towards a group of like-minded people. Or, ideally (and this is a whole new subject), you could interact with people that you don't pretend to agree with, 100% on everything, and you could find some understanding and some common ground, and expand your horizons as a human being instead of being stubbornly closed-minded, clinging to your little comfort zone.

The "us versus them" mentality is the number one problem in the world. Don't be a part of the problem.

[glatt]

Ibram, based on what I've heard you say, and what I know about you, I'd suggest you look closely at Marlboro College in VT. I have no affiliation with it, but it may be a good fit for you.

[Ibby]

Flint, I understand that, and I'm cool with it, down with it. Just cause it's a red state doesnt mean theres some dots of blue.
But when it's state policy, and the opinion of the vast majority of the local population, that I have less rights than you cause I like sticking my pee-pee inside other people with pee-pees, there's a problem.
And, see, I've done the whole, conservative society thing. I live in fucking asia, for crying out loud, and when it comes to homogeneous uniformity, taiwan kicks texas' ass any day. I can assure you, assure you, that I'd be much more accepted if i were to walk down the street in tight jeans, david bowie glitter shirt, makeup, girl's hair, etc, in brattleboro (which doesn't even have any kind of public law forbidding nudity (or at least not anymore)) than in San Antonio.

I'm done living somewhere where I get stared at for being different, rather than getting stared at for being individual.

[wolf]

Believe it or not, I think you're more likely to be pilloried for that in Brattleboro than San Antonio.

Vermont may be blue, but it's still New England.

[Ibby]

Originally Posted by glatt

Ibram, based on what I've heard you say, and what I know about you, I'd suggest you look closely at Marlboro College in VT. I have no affiliation with it, but it may be a good fit for you.

glatt m'good man?

I think I love you.

I have just found my school.

[queequeger]

I second LabRat's advice with great fervor! I went to University of Iowa, (my pops also taught there and did some research for the PoliSci dept until recently) and I constantly and consistently recommend it to others. It's a fantastic university, great programs, etc.

My one main selling point would be the campus and the student body.
There is no real campus, all the buildings are dispersed throughout the town, so you walk around the down town area to get to class. Also, (and I'm sure this has nothing to do with your decision), but I've been to many a campus, and never found one with the party atmosphere that Iowa City has. It's a whole other planet come Friday night, not to mention just about every type of social group you can imagine (hippies, of course, being my favorite). Plus, dollar pitchers is an ok deal in town...

...not the most responsible reason to choose a school, I know, but something you won't find listed on the webpage.

[glatt]

Originally Posted by Ibram

glatt m'good man?

I think I love you.

I have just found my school.

Great! Glad to help.

You should really research it well though. I don't know a lot about the place, but it seems like a good quality school if thats the style of school you want to attend.

[Flint]

...the opinion of the vast majority of the local population...

You won't be interacting with the vast majority of the local population. You won't be interacting with a theoretical being whose attributes are an average of the attributes of the vast majority of the local population. You'll be dealing with individual human beings, each one of which is unique.

[queequeger]

Originally Posted by Flint

You won't be interacting with the vast majority of the local population. You won't be interacting with a theoretical being whose attributes are an average of the attributes of the vast majority of the local population. You'll be dealing with individual human beings, each one of which is unique.

I think you're over reacting. Just because someone says "the south is more conservative than the north," it doesn't mean they're going to walk around all day thinking "they're ALL REPUBLICANS!" Like it's been said, there are like minded people in every corner of the globe to be your friend. He knows that, I know that, only the most simple minded people don't know that. You know?

[Flint]

Yes, I know that - I'm the one saying that. ... Our society is overwhelmingly homogenous. To define a geographical region with such simplistic characteristics is absolutely ridiculous, and it needs to be called out for what it is. I am reacting appropriately to a display of sloppy, illogical thinking.

[queequeger]

...so you're saying that the south isn't more conservative?

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by Urbane Guerrilla

Nice one, Fobble. Does that site include any interactive maps you can zoom on?

No, but it does have several other interesting displays of the data, cartograms and such.

[Flint]

Originally Posted by queequeger

...so you're saying that the south isn't more conservative?

I'll answer your question with another question: If I lived in the "North" and I decided to have my home disassembled and shipped a few hunderd miles South, to a latitude that is considered (by whoever the committee is on this) to be "in the South" would my political beliefs, and that of everyone living in my home, magically change because I was living somewhere different?

Or, are you saying that the mind-control drugs are injected into Southerners at birth?

[Pie]

Oh, wouldn't that explain a lot!