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At my college, all people do is go on about how trashed they got the night before and gloat about their glorious high school football days. There are few jobs for educated people, most people graduate high school and leave for college (UAFS is known as a "college of last resort" that few want to attend), then go on to work in NW Arkansas, Dallas, Tulsa, Houston, etc. People who stay in Ft. Smith are the uneducated, many of them high school dropouts, who get blue-collar factory jobs.
And anybody who wants to say UAFS doesn't suck, many high schools in other parts of the US have higher academic standards than this "college". The only people who go there are people who are too dumb or lack the drive to go anywhere else, or people who have no other choice because of finances, like me. I am worried about my ability to succeed in the real world beyond Ft. Smith because of the low-standard education I have recieved at UAFS.
The only jobs in this town for educated people are in the medical field, and that is pretty secure because of the aging population. Yet we have a city government actively trying to keep the jobs and entertainment away to preserve the "small town quaintness" of Ft. Smith.
God get me out of here!
Well, for the love of Pete, take out a loan and go somewhere else - transfer within the university system....if you're that worried, you'll find a way to make it work. I have a kid with $150K in student loans for an out-of-state education at a top tiered law school.....he didn't whine about whether U of A in any part of the state could help him, he got up, got a job, got some grants, and off he went to Michigan, believing that was the best move for him. Guess what? Everyone wants a lawyer that graduated from U of A.
As Greg Loughanis said about abusive relationships - "get out, get out now". Gotta agree with Matto - quit worrying about it and do something about it. Go somewhere that challenges you.
Not everywhere is for everyone - thank goodness. I'm not a new or future resident of Arkansas, been here 95% of my life - and yes, I will defend a beautiful state. Do we have problems? Oh yeah - that's a given. But I'd rather have a bunch of fishermen good old boys in the state than a lot of other types. Every place has positives, every place has negatives, you just have to find your place in the sun. Maybe my place is with the undereducated....I happen to think this is a fine place to live, very diverse, I've raised my kids here and consider them to be reasonably intelligent and well learned....one is an attorney, one investigates credit fraud. They must be the exception to the rule.....amazing, since I was one of those teenaged mothers who didn't know what else to do but get married and have babies..
New York is not for me - Cali is not for me - Montana is not for me. I see downfalls to all of those places, but I won't trash them - that's people's HOMES....
As far as the Little Rock crime rate - I won't go into this much in detail anymore, but I believe in the past year there have been TWO homicides that weren't related persons or persons involved in drugs...maybe just one, the bank robbery. Low life is low life - the problem is probably more the lack of proper funding for a city and state that are growing rapidly, way beyond the boundaries of current law enforcement ability. It's changing....and we're way off topic.
OP posted about Clarksville.....okay, although I only live 20 minutes away, I'll take your word for it....I won't be moving there either, even IF the whole town is for sale. OP - you've effectively contributed to the lack of growth for your area. Bravo.
OK, sorry if my degradation of the Ft. Smith area has offended anyone. I was speaking based off my personal experiences and I have the right to make them being that I've only lived here for 5 years, spent the rest of my life travelling around the country to several different places so I've been around and have a lot to compare it to. I sometimes get real emotional about it because I have wanted to relocate for so long but cannot due to personal obligations which I wont talk about here. And sorry for trashing UAFS. While it still has a long way to go, it is improving.
nmnita is right in that most rural areas across the country have these same problems. That is why rural areas are not for everyone, if they were, they wouldn't be rural. I admit, rural areas are nice to get away, enjoy a slower pace of life, and enjoy simple things. It was refreshing to me when I first moved here, but soon I started to miss the amenities of city life and the greater diversity. To the people that live in rural areas however, the benefits of the quiet life outweigh the sacrifices.
Some seem so quick to attack any hint of negativity on this discussion forum ...... Arkansas, like all places has it’s good and its bad and I believe if you re-read Hillbillies original post, you may realize that much of what the OP stated is fairly accurate when it comes to the “minuses” for the state of Arkansas. I believe what the OP was trying to accomplish was give an accurate assessment of the state through his / her eyes to contrast some of the “rosy picture” posts that are all so common.
I pulled out the main points ....
• Little to no cultural progression in the past three decades? Subjective, but IMO true for most of Arkansas. Especially if you compare the rest of the state to the quantum transformation northwest Arkansas is going through.
• The poultry industries have heavily damaged the environment? True (Oklahoma isn’t suing Arkansas for no reason).
• Wildlife is in decline? Not a hunter so I have no idea.
• Cattle farmers have destroyed woodlands? Subjective. Evidence of this can be seen throughout the state but population growth and urban sprawl are just as destructive.
• Chicken plants stink? True - visit Springdale or Decatur on any given day of the week.
• River valley is mostly evangelical Christians? True. Whether that leads to a repressed lifestyle is subjective.
• Rampant drug use and manufacturing? True. Arkansas ranks amongst the worst for meth addicts and labs. Newton county is well known for marijuana production.
• Clarksville schools, jobs, economy in decline, no shopping or quality restaurants? Subjective.
• Baptist do not condone alcohol consumption but partake anyway? Subjective, but more than a fair share of Church go'ers Ive known are quiet clever when it comes to hiding the fact that they will have a drink.
• Litter along roadsides is a major eyesore in Arkansas? True. One can see an immediate difference when crossing the state line into Missouri or even Mississippi. Maybe these states do a better job of picking up along the roads. I-540 from Fayetteville to Bentonville is almost always heavily littered with construction garbage.
• City government of Clarksville is a joke? Subjective.
• Local governments are run by the good ole’ boy system? Subjective / True for many small communities in Arkansas.
• CBS out of Ft. Smith only covers local? True - for the most part. It’s a local station that focuses on the river valley. Plus their broadcasts have a less professional appearance in comparison to KNWA or the Tulsa / Springfield news stations.
• The upper Ozark plateau is different, cooler and less humid? True.
• Fayetteville offers something close to real shopping? True. Real in my interpretation meaning unique or non-chainstores and Fayetteville and Eureka Springs are the two towns that offer the more unique shopping experiences in the state.
• NWA area has real food, groceries? True. Your not going to find sushi, Thai and Indian restaurants, or an organic / natural foods grocery stores in most other areas of the state.
• You can go out for a drink and see music (live acts) [in NWA]? True.
• Little Rock is an absolutely horrible place to live? Subjective. Statistics don’t lie .... Little Rock has extremely high crime and murder rates. The public schools in Little Rock are well known as some of, if not the worst in the state.
• The regions intellect and resources are rooted in the northwest part of the state? True. The shift from central to NWA has been happening over the past 10 years ... although central Arkansas is in denial.
• Avoid river valley if you like clean water, shopping, education, conversation? Subjective.
• 70’s hairstyles, make-up, overweight? Subjective. This ain't Beverly Hills and Arkansas ranks amongst the worst in child and adult obesity.
• Virtually everyone smokes? False. Statistics show that the number of smokers is in decline in Arkansas. Thank the “Stomp Out Smoking” campaign I suppose.
• The entire region is affordable? True.
• Hang out with Church goers, shop at Wal-Mart, hear racist jokes? Subjective. Most folks I know shop at Wal-Mart and whether you hang out with a believer and / or a racist is personal preference.
• Pregnant teenagers and young families common? True. Young couples tend to be more family oriented and less career minded in Arkansas so couples start families earlier than those burning the midnight oil at the office in the big cities.
• Stick built, brick facade, slab foundation houses? True. This is the most common style of house - at least it is in NWA.
• Nothing is worth the asking price? Subjective - but the slowing real estate market has all but ended the sellers market.
• The craftsmen building (I’m assuming quality) is no longer here? True - especially in NWA where builders couldn’t build houses fast enough over the last 5-7 years so quality is an issue when buying a new home in this part of the state - especially the spec homes prices below $150k.
We're Arkansans. We have been so for generations. Our fathers we're proud to be here, and for many their fathers before them. They taught us how to fish, how to hunt, how to stand up for what we believe in and to respect others for doing the same.
We learned young what a work ethic is, no matter if we worked on a farm, chicken ranch, fast food restaurant or grocery store. We are an example of the backbone that built this country. And if you don't think we've got the smarts to go along with the hard work, just think of the last time you bought your day-to-day essentials at a store other than Wally World or at least a model of what Sam Walton created from his simple 5 and 10. The family of that "dumb Arkansan" is still laughing all the way to the bank.
We salute the flag and remember those who worked a lot harder than we did so that we have the privelage to wave that banner proudly. We know our neighbors and their kids and we all watch out for one another. We wave to other cars as we pass on a country highway, even if we don't know the driver. And when a new face moves into the neighborhood we say "hello" and "welcome" with a peach cobbler.
We consume catfish, and okra, and sweet tea by the gallon. And nobody elses' fried chicken nor biscuits can stand up to the way momma makes 'em.
We are not politically correct, nor do we appologize for that.
We say things like "y'all" and "fixin" and "over yonder". We don't worry about the way they sound to others, we know what we mean. Our children say things like, "yes M'am" and "Sir." And we also know what that means. A southern draw may sound like the mark of a dumb hick to some, but it can sure make a boy homesick when he's been away for a while.
A handshake is as solid as a signed contract.
We have provided fodder for the likes of Jeff Foxworthy, Cleatus T. Judd, Jerry Clower, and Larry the Cable Guy. Material that has made the rest of the world laugh, but not nearly as hard as we can laugh at ourselves.
"Hell Yeah" means just what it means.
When it gets too hot, we head to the swimmin hole, or we go play out on the lake, ar just take a nice long float trip down a river with water cool enough to chill down the six-pack tied to our tube.
We are the buckle of the bible belt. Going to church on Sunday is not just to praise, but to reconnect with our community after a long week of work. And because of this we know how to trust each other. We leave our front door unlocked at night. We go to Wal-Mart and leave the keyes in our car. We pump our gas THEN we go in and pay for it. And yes, if our county elders choose to keep things dry we have a little Friday night tradition. It's called a b-e-e-r-r-u-n.
We raise a little hell from time to time. We meet our buddies on an old dirt road, pop a few tops, and talk about the good 'ol days while counting fireflies on a warm summer night. We still drive our girls out to the lake and watch the submarine races. (That's going parkin' for those who just don't know). Or we drive up to a mountain top lookout just to watch the sunset over a dense patchwork of green.
We are what country songs are written about.
We know where the bad parts of town are and do our best to stay away from there. We know there are some parts of the state that just plain suck, so guess what? We just don't hang out there.
We don't mind the outsiders. If you've come here to work and have got a strong back we can use ya'. We pay our own way and expect everyone else to. We welcome anyone who is lucky enough to have to opportunity to come and enjoy our beautiful state and all it has to offer. We just hope you can enjoy our home for what it is rather than bitchin` about all the things it aint. If we seem to be just a little on the shorter side with someone whose not from these parts, it's usually because they come in with a lousy attitude towards the way things are and want to change them to the way THEY think things should be. And all I can say is that if you have a particular problem with the way things are down here then maybe this isn't place for you after all and you should go back to the greener grass on your side rather than pissin' on ours.
I wasn't born in this state, I don't currently live in this state but I was raised here and the values I gained from the time my family spent here have taken me a long way in life and I'm currently working very hard to return to the only place I've ever called home. I just hope I can get back before this place gets overrun with a bunch of left coast, hair-brained, hollier than thow, pissn and moanin, never happy about nuthin, snotty, snooty, angry little people doing their best to create their own silk purse out our beloved sows ear!
I guess opinions are just like *******s. Everyone's got one. Sometimes you gotta hear `em, and sometimes they just plain stink.
Your comments are refreshing and exactly how I see Arkansas from the little bit of knowledge I have, which I am quick to admit is very little, but it is enough to know I would be proud to say I live in AR.
When some of the prior posters complain about some of the living situations in Ar I just want to scream. What is it they do not understand? Every complaint they have or almost everyone can be found in any state in the union, especially the smaller states.
You mention hard work, our maybe future grandson in law, didn't go to college, no one in his family did, he doesn't hold all the same values we do (which isn't all bad) but he is refreshing, polite, a strong conservative, proud to be from Arkansas and one of the hardest workers I have ever seen.
My beliefs and that is all there are is: if you want culture, go to the little theatre in any small town or mid sized city,anyplace in the country, if you want good dining you may have to drive a little further than you would like, if you want the best in newspapers, it may be necessary to have the Wall Street Journel delivered to your home, but if you want to find beauty, lakes, friendly people and a quiet slower pace of life try visiting OK, AR, MO or Ms.
BTW: being married to an X newspaper man, I can assure all of you the days of a really good newspaper is probably gone. Small local papers may be around for generations but the younger set do not get their news from the paper so the print media will soon die out. That's progress for you.
However, for the young educated professional with the drive to succeed, I do not think there is any WORSE place to be than Arkansas, with the possible exception of NW Arkansas (Fayetteville northward). At my college, all people do is go on about how trashed they got the night before and gloat about their glorious high school football days. There are few jobs for educated people, most people graduate high school and leave for college (UAFS is known as a "college of last resort" that few want to attend), then go on to work in NW Arkansas, Dallas, Tulsa, Houston, etc. People who stay in Ft. Smith are the uneducated, many of them high school dropouts, who get blue-collar factory jobs.
And anybody who wants to say UAFS doesn't suck, many high schools in other parts of the US have higher academic standards than this "college". The only people who go there are people who are too dumb or lack the drive to go anywhere else, or people who have no other choice because of finances, like me. I am worried about my ability to succeed in the real world beyond Ft. Smith because of the low-standard education I have recieved at UAFS.
The only jobs in this town for educated people are in the medical field, and that is pretty secure because of the aging population. Yet we have a city government actively trying to keep the jobs and entertainment away to preserve the "small town quaintness" of Ft. Smith.
God get me out of here!
Please, do get the he&& out of there and see how you feel in 5 years of talking to people from those "better" schools. I got my degree at the UA and left the state to find a great job. You're right, there aren't many great glamorous jobs there for someone with a degree, particularly in engineering. There are good jobs though. But I'll tell you right now that the people who go to those "better" schools, say VA Tech, Penn St., or U of MD are no different from the ones you're bad mouthing about partying. They're just going to be a lot more in your face about it and how pathetic you are for having gone to such s**t school. But in the end, if you have the will to succeed then you can do it no matter what school is on your resume. It's all about you, not your school.
That's what I'm talking about!!!! Thank you for reminding me/us about the important things. A lot of what has been "made" out to be important or vauable in our country/society these days isn't. No morality, no sense of ethics, no idea of a work ethic. Eveything is gimme gimmee gimme...or...you owe me, society owes me. I'm so tired of it. If people aren't happy where they are then get up off their ..... and do something about it move, leave, go. BUT leave those of us who enjoy what AR may have to offer us alone.
I'd rather live in an area where people display the kind of traits you just described than where superficial junk is of such value. Because when you take away all the fluff, all the glitter and all the fancy this and that off..those are the values, and the lifestyle that matter and mean something.
I live in LA, the fantasy capital of the world. People are so caught up in it... they start believing the fantasy more than the reality until an earthquake or fire takes everything and then suddenly what's real and what isn't and what is REALLY IMPORTANT becomes abundantly clear.
I'm heading to AR as soon and as fast as my boots will take me there.
Some fried chicken and tea sounds might good to me! After Sunday service of course :>)
There are those out there that need to experience the "big city" life like you did and me as well. Of course, many who have asparations of earning 200, 300 or 400 thousand dollars a year and dream of the exciting life with culture, glamour, etc probably need to finish their education and move to a place different from the middle part of America, but then you see those on the forum that aren't not quite like you and me, they do not plan of total retire are not in their 60s or older but they have had it with the rat race and are leaving Californis, New York, Mass, DC, etc for a simpler life. The perfect example is my oldest daughter and son in law. He is in his 50s and can take an early retirement in a few years, our daughter isn't quite so lucky. She will need to work for at least another 5 or 6 years. Even then, they are planning on buying a home in Bella Vista now. They will keep it as a vacation home until they can bail out. Right now they both work for the same company, neither hates their job, they are just ready for something easier and luckily they are financually stable.
When you are 25 life looks one way, when you are 50 another and by 70 still another.
Please, do get the he&& out of there and see how you feel in 5 years of talking to people from those "better" schools. I got my degree at the UA and left the state to find a great job. You're right, there aren't many great glamorous jobs there for someone with a degree, particularly in engineering. There are good jobs though. But I'll tell you right now that the people who go to those "better" schools, say VA Tech, Penn St., or U of MD are no different from the ones you're bad mouthing about partying. They're just going to be a lot more in your face about it and how pathetic you are for having gone to such s**t school. But in the end, if you have the will to succeed then you can do it no matter what school is on your resume. It's all about you, not your school.
You're right about that. Like i said, I apologize for badmouthing UAFS, it has come a long way in the short time since it has been a 2-year school, and it still has a long way to go. If they wanted to improve it, the thing to do would be to hire full time college professors instead of taking the cheap way out and hiring part time out of Fort Smith public schools. As it stands UAFS and UA in Fayetteville are two completely different ballgames. UAFS is more on par with NWACC.
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My Two Cents.
