Iowa article from The Atlantic (Iowa City, Washington: buy, standard of living, stores)

[duster1979]

Originally Posted by RonnieJonez

Rural life has got to be boring anywhere.

Rural life is only boring for boring people.

[Greg_IA]

Originally Posted by RonnieJonez

Rural life has got to be boring anywhere.

Maybe if you are a city slicker.

There are many fun things to do in rural areas.

Originally Posted by RonnieJonez

City life is not the same anywhere in Iowa as an actual major city, as much as some want to believe it is.

Is that good or bad?

[RonnieJonez]

In Des Moines, they (young professional organizations, civic action groups, "downtown committees" etc) want to believe it is. Not sure about the other cities in Iowa, doubtful.

[fkostas]

Man, I guess I was extremely poor/dumb/or had very low expectations as a child visiting from the rural south, because I remember that "skuzzy" city by the Mississippi, Muscatine, as being a veritable wonderland.

I remember the little mall (to me huge) and the fascinating octagon house across the street from it. I remember beautiful examples of Federal and Greek revival homes on tree lined streets. I remember a museum on a hill with Asian gardens. I remember also on a hill, the most awesome zoo ever. Near the zoo was a little lagoon with a castle in the middle of it. The same park that had the zoo and the lagoon had wading pools, and a big person pool. Oak trees, gazebos, and a rose garden were other features of that beautiful park, and some great playground equipment.

Muscatine was where I had that culinary masterpiece known as the Maid-Rite. I got clothes and shoes at a cheap five and dime in old brick buildings near the river. I remember an old movie theater with the original red velvet curtains. I remember another park called Wild cat's den/glen which also captured my imagination.

Here I was all stupid because the highlight of my summer was going to some skuzzy crime infested cesspool on the Mississippi. I even thought all Muscatinians were rich. It seemed like a lively city with plenty of things to do to me.

[west seattle gal]

I read the article and honestly didn't see anything offensive. You people are extracting statements and taking them too personally. Frankly, I agree that it is unfair that a small segment of the population, one who is very different than myself and everyone else I know in my region of the country, would have such a large sway in the presidential election. Iowa does not mirror the rest of America, you are but one sub-set (as is my region). And that was the author's main point. Any reader knows that the article expresses the viewpoint of one man's experience as a non-native ethnic minority. His perspective is valid b/c it's personal, but of course there are a variety of other viewpoints within your community. But as to his main point, no one can argue that a person in Iowa represents the majority of Americans and thus deserves a greater voice in the political process.

I'm surprised that people have become so offended that the author now needs to hide his location. It makes me wonder if he pushed a lot of buttons (ie. triggering people's secret low self-esteem and fears). He obviously loves much about Iowa too, for he chooses to live there. And it is self-evident that Iowa City is a great place to live (or at least that way my impression, when I visited). Can't a person be critical about a place in which they live? Isn't America a country where diverse viewpoints can be expressed and respectfully considered and discussed?

[Fleur66]

Westseattle....I don't think it is a matter of Iowans taking things personally...more a matter of not liking the mischaracterizations in the article, or blatantly false statements.

I live in the same city Bloom does. People move here from around the world to work, and many thrive. There is a synangogue within walking distance of Bloom's neighborhood and a large Jewish student center.

[steel03]

Okay, Bloom does not need to hide his location. He has chosen to hide his location because he is actually arrogant enough to think he's in some kind of real danger. Anyone who says the only people who disagree with him are intellectually inferior is not a critic or a journalist, he's a troll and a raging elitist.

[Fleur66]

Originally Posted by steel03

Okay, Bloom does not need to hide his location. He has chosen to hide his location because he is actually arrogant enough to think he's in some kind of real danger. Anyone who says the only people who disagree with him are intellectually inferior is not a critic or a journalist, he's a troll and a raging elitist.

He isn't even a very good elitist, as the article he submitted ended up having corrections attached to it.

If you are a professor of journalism...well you'd think his quality of work would be better and he would do basic fact checking.

[Fleur66]

Originally Posted by west seattle gal

I read the article and honestly didn't see anything offensive. You people are extracting statements and taking them too personally. Frankly, I agree that it is unfair that a small segment of the population, one who is very different than myself and everyone else I know in my region of the country, would have such a large sway in the presidential election. Iowa does not mirror the rest of America, you are but one sub-set (as is my region). And that was the author's main point. Any reader knows that the article expresses the viewpoint of one man's experience as a non-native ethnic minority. His perspective is valid b/c it's personal, but of course there are a variety of other viewpoints within your community. But as to his main point, no one can argue that a person in Iowa represents the majority of Americans and thus deserves a greater voice in the political process.

I'm surprised that people have become so offended that the author now needs to hide his location. It makes me wonder if he pushed a lot of buttons (ie. triggering people's secret low self-esteem and fears). He obviously loves much about Iowa too, for he chooses to live there. And it is self-evident that Iowa City is a great place to live (or at least that way my impression, when I visited). Can't a person be critical about a place in which they live? Isn't America a country where diverse viewpoints can be expressed and respectfully considered and discussed?

I'm not really clear that Iowa is so much different than the rest of the country. Certainly every state has rural areas. I think Bloom has tried very hard to make these people seem very different....but I wouldn't trust Bloom's observations there. My husband's family is from a small town, and they don't at all match any stereotype Bloom would like to attach to them.

It isn't that people don't respect diverse viewpoints...we just don't respect them when they are supported by false information as these are.

One interesting thing about this article is that several of his colleagues in the journalism school have spoken out against him, as well as his cowriter in The Oxford Project.

[Dport7674]

Originally Posted by west seattle gal

no one can argue that a person in Iowa represents the majority of Americans and thus deserves a greater voice in the political process.


Can't a person be critical about a place in which they live?


Isn't America a country where diverse viewpoints can be expressed and respectfully considered and discussed?

No one can argue that a person in any state represents the majority of Americans.

Can't people be critical about an article written about a place in which they live?

Of course it is. Why even ask? Aren't people in this thread expressing their viewpoints on the article, in the same "respectually considered" way in which it was written?