What is the worst thing about Boise? (Nampa, Meridian: wages, to live)

[RUBIES77]

Originally Posted by jufrbo

People here though are less racist than people I've met that come from areas like the South and California and back East. It has something to do with having such a large amount of whites that people haven't had a chance to build up stereotypes in places that are more diverse get. Here everyone gets the benefit of the doubt.

Could that be because they have moved to Cour D'Lane or Hayden, where all the white supremacists group are located?

[jufrbo]

Originally Posted by boisefan88

Disagree. Most Idahoans I know tend to be subversively racist, though perhaps in an innocuous way (insomuch as racism can be innocuous). What I mean by that is they won't overtly act or get in someone's face, but they tend to blame all of the world's woes on some minority group, or they'll tell racist jokes, that type of thing.

I don't know, I can't sway your opinion, but people from these areas I mentioned tend to seem more racist whether they know it or not. (often they try going out of there way to seem non racist, it becomes condescending) I only know my experiences, I was raised here and race growing up was never an issue on the schoolyard, yes we did have many minorities but I can't think of any issue in my entire childhood in which race was brought up for any reason. The opposite is true from what I hear from people from So. Ca. and Atlanta, and back East they all act like race is a huge issue. You can say I'm lying but I grew up with all races and really never even thought about it and no one else did either. Just my honest observance.

[boisefan88]

Originally Posted by jufrbo

I don't know, I can't sway your opinion, but people from these areas I mentioned tend to seem more racist whether they know it or not. (often they try going out of there way to seem non racist, it becomes condescending) I only know my experiences, I was raised here and race growing up was never an issue on the schoolyard, yes we did have many minorities but I can't think of any issue in my entire childhood in which race was brought up for any reason. The opposite is true from what I hear from people from So. Ca. and Atlanta, and back East they all act like race is a huge issue. You can say I'm lying but I grew up with all races and really never even thought about it and no one else did either. Just my honest observance.

I'm not discounting them, just explaining I've had different experiences in Idaho.

But I'm confused - race is very much a huge issue. You can't just sweep still existing racial inequities and power asymmetries under the rug. Certainly to those affected by these inequities and other circumstances race very much IS a huge issue. That is going to be the case no matter where you're from - Idaho or Atlanta.

[Syringaloid]

Originally Posted by jufrbo

People here though are less racist than people I've met that come from areas like the South and California and back East. It has something to do with having such a large amount of whites that people haven't had a chance to build up stereotypes in places that are more diverse get. Here everyone gets the benefit of the doubt.

Originally Posted by boisefan88

Disagree. Most Idahoans I know tend to be subversively racist, though perhaps in an innocuous way (insomuch as racism can be innocuous). What I mean by that is they won't overtly act or get in someone's face, but they tend to blame all of the world's woes on some minority group, or they'll tell racist jokes, that type of thing.

Originally Posted by picklejuice

Thanks for handing out fact, rather than fiction. It is refreshing.

Careful. Boisefan88 seems to be generalizing Idahoans. The Idahoans I know are not like the ones he knows. Sure he may know people who might fit into the category he explained but that is not what Idahoans I know are like. I would not take his statement as fact or fiction but rather his own perception from people he happens to know. There can always be the argument that people anywhere are subversively racist. In other cities I have lived in I have known many African Americans who were subversively racist towards Mexicans and Whites. Many Mexicans can be racist towards Whites and African Americans.
People I know in Boise welcome diversity.
Picklejuice, there are always two sides to the story and both can be fact.

[boisefan88]

Originally Posted by Syringaloid

Careful. Boisefan88 seems to be generalizing Idahoans. The Idahoans I know are not like the ones he knows. Sure he may know people who might fit into the category he explained but that is not what Idahoans I know are like. I would not take his statement as fact or fiction but rather his own perception from people he happens to know. There can always be the argument that people anywhere are subversively racist. In other cities I have lived in I have known many African Americans who were subversively racist towards Mexicans and Whites. Many Mexicans can be racist towards Whites and African Americans.
People I know in Boise welcome diversity.
Picklejuice, there are always two sides to the story and both can be fact.

Sure, generalizations were made - it's hard to approach this issue and these types of questions without doing so. In fact, it would be nearly impossible not to do so.

If you go back and parse what I said, I stated that my observations differed with jufrbo's. It doesn't make either perspective fact or fiction.

Also, I don't understand your red herring in this regard - we're not discussing the racial attitudes of Atlanta or Los Angeles or blacks upon Hispanics and vice-versa - we're discussing race relations in Boise and specifically the African American experience here. I want to be clear that there are many segments of such culture in Boise, and that there certainly people that do welcome diversity. I would say, though, with confidence that such are in the minority, sadly. Which is why I mentioned in my postscript about the attitude of the person coming in.

I'm not pretending to be an expert on race relations in Boise. But I do have unique experience with it, and I can with accuracy relate many stories and experiences by those who are minorities in Boise (which I have).

[gcflyfish]

Boisefan,

Downtown is definitely different than west/southwest Boise as far as demographics and attitudes. I'm the type who fits in pretty well, and I find the people downtown very openly friendly to the point I find myself saying "only in Boise" a lot. People are generally considerate around here. East Boise is unique in itself as it is very homogeneous but more liberal than it is on the west side of downtown.

Boise is far more diverse than Arkansas was, but it's still "lily-white" for the most part. But I think in this day and age people are more accepting everywhere.

gc

[LOUISIANA'SLEGEND]

Originally Posted by gcflyfish

Boisefan,

...... But I think in this day and age people are more accepting everywhere.

gc

I can agree with that, but You guys should check out some of the southern state forums. As far as racism is concern, you would find out exactly how blessed you are in Boise. These post would be so hilarious to us in Louisiana!!!

What actually goes on in Boise anyway, blue turf and potatoes?

[2much2soon]

It kills me when people from large metro areas say "Boise's traffic isn't bad".

I was in Chicago 10 years ago, for a week. Drove all over the city with my cousin, North side, West, up and down the lake. He taught at a CC on the border of the South side and also at the Great Lakes Naval academy so he knew his way around town pretty well.

I distinctly remember getting off the plane in Boise, getting on the freeway to Meridian, and thinking, "Geez, the scale of the traffic is different from Chicago (not as many freeways), but the intensity is identical".

What does that mean to me? It means if I am sitting in traffic on Boise's one freeway anywhere from South East Boise to the other side of Canyon County, it don't feel any different than sitting in traffic in Chicago or SoCal. Its 5 lanes of traffic, for a good part, and when something happens, everything stops.

Also, I occasionally read someone from Orange County complaining about half-hour to 45 minute trips to do "anything" down there.

Guess what? That pretty much describes Meridian these days. Its at least a half-hour trip, each way, to go from the heart of Meridian to West Boise. I know, I have to do it several times a week.

Boise is a great place to live. I live in SE Boise and can bicycle a lot of places. But this BS about Boise's traffic not being bad is ridiculous. I think its mostly the attitude of "I am from X big city, and because it's X big city, everything is bigger and badder and you dumb hicks don't know what you are talking about".

[boisefan88]

People need to keep in mind that the distances traveled in Boise are so much less, too. Quite simply, people aren't living as far from work in Boise as they typically do in other larger cities.

[MrGrumpy]

Yes and no. If you live in the suburbs over on the east coast your commute time might be larger due to traffic but you live just as close if not closer (distance wise).