[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by jambo101

Sounds rather extreme to pack up your whole life and move half way around the world because of activities going on in a local coffee shop.
Maybe you should reacquaint yourself with some of Hawaiis negatives before returning.
Troubles in Hawaii

Seriously - If Hawaii was "all that" OP wouldn't have left in the first place.....

By the way, OP, I am sorry about your kitty. I too have kitties that are like my children and have seen several through devastating diseases and having to make the sad choice when the time came. Maybe it's just stress that is causing you to feel this way. I know some of the responses here sound harsh, maybe even mine included; unfortunately that is the nature of these forums. Sometimes we all need to vent; and maybe that is all you were doing in your post. I hope by now you are feeling better and have come back to the realization that everywhere has problems. I know awhile back there were many things you liked about where you live, try to focus on the good; if that coffee shop bothers you GO SOMEWHERE ELSE - it can't be the only place to hang out.

Anyway, I wish you and your kitty well; remember that a move could end up being much worse than what you have now.

[jetdoc3037]

Originally Posted by Restrain

You haven't experienced racism until you see how native Hawaiians actually think of non-native people, regardless of their race. My cousin experienced this when stationed in Hawaii.

The fact is, you can find racism, or supposed racism, anywhere you look, regardless of Race.

So you don't likeFlorida. Fine. Don't let the door etc. but you need to take a long look in a mirror because some of the most racist communities are actually in the 'progressive' areas.

I agree, I was in the Marines and spent a lot of time in Hawaii...some of the local's did not like white folks and they were not shy to let you know....but that was ok it seemed....

[Flem125]

Originally Posted by smarino

This is what may be called (and IS) the final straw. I have seen the light. I just discovered, from the manager's own mouth, that a Java Jungle coffee house here in South Daytona that I've been frequenting has it's many, many cameras inside routed directly to the police department! Audio too. It seems the owner is married to the deputy sheriff. I don't know the owner personally, but there was a red flag in my book when, a few weeks after she opened, she was proudly displaying by the cash register a big religious retreat to discuss the Book of Revelations and the coming times.

I had stopped going to Marlays coffee house in downtown Daytona because, nice place though it is, it gets some of the strangest people I have ever seen in a coffee house. Fundamentalist Christians holding prayer services at the tables now and then, 12-step meetings being held at other times, and when I went Sunday, there were several people at tables at the restaurant next door giving a poor homeless woman passing by a ton of mean grief because she dared to mention that she had just come from the church, and had eaten a free meal there. They asked her where she had been, she didn't just volunteer it. They were hollering "There's plenty of jobs. Go out and get one"! and more stuff that I would not put here on the forum. I know this woman, she gets disability, and usually runs out of money quickly because the state will not help w/ her medication costs (no affordable health care in this state). She goes to the churches to eat because she has no money, and she certainly is not able to work.

At Marlays, there are also cameras all over the place, including out on the sidewalk, and there's a smart aleck sign that says "We're watching you" right next to the outside camera. I like to go by it and give it the old Italian salute, if you get my drift. The owner there is always hob nobbing w/ the police (who should be out solving some of the many unsolved murders in Volusia county instead of drinking coffee and harassing teens on skateboards). I don't like the cops, and I don't like cop lovers.

There's always Jacob's Well Coffee House I suppose, just a few blocks down on Beach Street in Daytona. All Christian, all the time, with Christian preaching and singing videos going, bookshelves full of nothing but Christian books, etc.

Another thing that has been eating at me was the Klu Klux Klan distributing leaflets in a black neighborhood in New Smyrna Beach a while back. The leaflets were in baggies w/ a rock inside, ostensibly to help them throw them further, but what's the REAL message there? The mayor of said city said not one, single, solitary word about the incident (gee, I wonder who his supporters are?) and the deputy mayor made some sort of mealy mouth statement that "we don't want our citizens to be disrespected". Disrespected! This is a terrorist organization known for hanging black people and burning down their homes w/ the families inside!

So, as soon as our cat finally dies from cancer (she couldn't take a big move at this point in her little life) we are heading back to Hawaii. It's expensive there, there is a fair amount of racism from the locals, and the cost of living is really high, but I don't care. This sort of thing would never be tolerated there, ever. Now some people may say "so what? If you have nothing to hide, who cares if the cameras feed into the police department". I say those people are part of the problem, and they are nuts. Who gave them the right to do this? This is such an unbelievable violation of privacy that I am having trouble wrapping my mind around it. It's abuse of power in a totalitarian police state, where the majority of the citizens probably see it as a good thing. And besides, it's not just that. It's just too much on top of too much to ignore anymore. All of this really, really, crazy stuff is what I am totally opposed to. We own a neat mobile home in a senior park that is dirt cheap to live in, it's quiet, the neighbors are pretty much OK, but it's just not worth it to stay here anymore. We do not belong here. If I told this story to my friends on the islands (and I am leaving out tons of stuff that has happened in Volusia county in the three years we've lived here), they wouldn't believe it. Well, the youngest stepson who lives in Hilo, Hi would. He keeps reading the news online, and emailing us asking "why are you folks living over there in that place"? Stupidity I guess, but it's possible to smarten up.

Well now I know how it feels when bourbon shoots out of your nose.
Sounds like a lot of fun...but it really burns!
But hey...thanks for the laugh anyway.

[T_Horvath]

I love kittens and Jesus

[Ray Deckard]

Local Hawaiians do NOT like mainland Americans - FACT.
As a long time Volusia County white resident I have never once seen or heard about the KKK.
Racism goes both ways as I've seen first hand up close that some blacks hate whites.
South Daytona is one of the cheapest places to live in all the world and you rent a Trailer
And you want move to Hawaii?

[unquiltom]

I'll bet if you were in your coffee shop, and some drugged out person waving a gun came in and started threatening harm to people in there, cameras feeding directly to the police department would be exactly what you'd be needing.

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by Ray Deckard

Local Hawaiians do NOT like mainland Americans - FACT.
As a long time Volusia County white resident I have never once seen or heard about the KKK.
Racism goes both ways as I've seen first hand up close that some blacks hate whites.
South Daytona is one of the cheapest places to live in all the world and you rent a Trailer
And you want move to Hawaii?

I totally agree with you!

[BucFan]

Don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split you

[mrviking]

Perhaps if you were to take along a few like minded people, are roads would be easier to get around on.

[CandyGal]

You can't compare one town to the entire state of Florida. You live in a redneck area of Florida.