Why is Mississippi on the bottom of every quality of life study (Meridian: private schools, gated)

[TimtheGuy]

Originally Posted by appalachiangirl

Gambling may bring a certain amount of prosperity to a region, but it can also cause problems for that region (possibly an increase in crime). Atlantic city is a gambling mecca but outside of the Boardwalk area and the fancy casino/hotels the city seems a bit run down. Not trashing it, just what I saw when I was there last year.

Believe me...there was only one direction for Tunica to go with the advent of the casinos and that was WAY UP!

[Phil75230]

Why is Mississippi on the bottom? I don't want to start big controversy, but ... it's that the quality of life indicators are split largely along racial lines. Until ways are found to bring African-American quality of life statistics within range of those of whites, the state will stay firmly below the national average. AGAIN, I am not trying to start controversy, nor do I in any way play racial blame game attitudes (at this point, blaming one group or another for this is pointless. Yes, racism still exists like in every other place, probably more than we want to admit).

Even so, I ran some numbers from the census bureau website a few years ago, and found that African-American income levels in the state, though still well below the national average even among Af-Am's, are moving up fairly strongly...especially the # of middle to upper middle class Af-Am's. So my hat is off to this community. Even so, we're only now at the point where there's even a slight hope of greater equality in quality of life among the races, so there's still a long way to go yet. Maybe by the middle of this century, it'll be even much improved.

[censusdata]

A lack of large cities hurts MS. Cities are where most of the population growth and tax revenues come from.

Rural Kentucky is as poor as rural MS, but we had 3 'large' and fast growing urban areas (Louisville, Lexington, Southern Cincinnati suburbs) which boost the state's rankings

[spinrider2000]

I am native to Mississippi and have just read through the comments. I believe education in the state is the number one problem. Low expections. Even graduates have low expectations. There are growth areas. Folks leaving Memphis come across to live in north MS, the college towns are growing from retiring alumni, Toyota near Tupelo, Nissan near Jackson. There are the financial poor (black & white). Race is not as big of an issue as the haves/have nots. As a fix for the state, I do not believe just to throw $$$, and if education does not improve, the state will stay #50. The hope is with the young and their decisions.

[nandoo]

I have only spent a very short time in Mississippi, but I will back you 100%! My family was welcomed by strangers I might add with open arms, hearts and more importantly an open mind.

[RomaLady]

[original post by SaintLaurent]
Because Mississippi is backwards and worthless. Who the hell would want to live in that hell hole?


Please, stay where you are. Don't come anywhere near Mississippi. Our air is beautifully clean and we wouldn't want to spoil it. Thank you.

[drennie]

Originally Posted by RomaLady

[original post by SaintLaurent]
Because Mississippi is backwards and worthless. Who the hell would want to live in that hell hole?


Please, stay where you are. Don't come anywhere near Mississippi. Our air is beautifully clean and we wouldn't want to spoil it. Thank you.

funn-nee!!! that was a good one.
i was in mississippi once when i was a child. remember loving it!! now i am curious about a city/town, montrose ms. anyone heard of it? my mother's family is from there. is it growing, gone..? i don't even know what larger city it is near.

[usm2009]

First, I want to begin by saying, I was born and raised in Hattiesburg, MS and have loved every minute of it. I have also been to the majority of the major metros in the nation. I've been to New York, LA, Houston, Dallas, Miami, Philly, Chicago, etc, and I absolutely agree with the comment someone made a few posts ago regarding what quality of life are the statistics based on... I like a big city as well as the next person, BUT I like to visit and then come back to Hattiesburg. People baffle me when they make comments saying oh well MS is this and MS is that... A piece of advice from someone who is uneducated simply because I come from MS, talk about what you know, not what you assume. Take the numbers and do what you like with them, if you have never been to Mississippi (and yes that is spelled correctly) do not make preliminary assumptions about us. Someone who makes an assumption about an entire state based on numbers is someone who is obviously undereducated themselves. One thing you will find in MS is people who care. A comment that was made earlier, saying people who do not have much are often nicer, again simplistic. My grandfather started his own company and made plenty of money in MS, yes MS. With or without money, he is still the nicest person on the face of this earth and would do anything to help his fellow citizen.

People need to come out of the 50's and up to speed, because Mississippi is not lagging in technological advancement. I went to a public high school that is ranked poorly in statistics, but I also seemed to have been accepted into numerous universities and offered scholarships by them ALL. Education is like anything else in life, it is what you make it or make of it. Also, The University of Southern Mississippi is in my hometown of Hattiesburg, a large university that has attained numerous accolades. For example, there are only twelve universities in the nation that are accredited in all four aspects of fine arts, one of them can be found in HATTIESBURG MISSISSIPPI. Also, our polymer science department has been named one of the top three science colleges in the nation, again in MS.

The problem with people from the North is that they think they are better than everyone else. The truth of it all is they are simply surrounded by numerous problems; I don't have to deal with. I leave my doors unlocked at night, I don't have to worry about my children getting shot at school, I don't have to worry about being robbed walking down the street. Hattiesburg is a metro area, believe it or not, and has been recognized nationally by numerous magazines and other broadcasting agencies. The New York Times and the Today Show, both did a showcase on the quality of life for retirees in HATTIESBURG. Huh, can you believe that?? Poor little Mississippi...
I could go for days as to why I would rather live in Mississippi than NY or PA, but I would be wasting my breath. It is really sad that people make comments saying Mississippi is so far "behind," we are raised with manners and do not speak poorly of our fellow citizens, regardless of how ignorant or simplistic their actions may be.

[cjohnsonRE]

Beautiful! Now I am getting homesick, again!!!!
There is something to said about living in a beautiful southern town, where people actually take the time notice the good about where they live.
Thank you for your post.

[orangepeel]

I grew up in H'burg and attended public school there in the 1970s. It's true that the state of education in MS leaves a lot to be desired; but, as always, that's where family, upbringing, and personal responsibility come in.

The people I went to school with, many blacks and whites, all had access to the
EXACT same educational opportunities. What they did with them was their choice.

With persistance and hard work, virtually anyone can make it in this world, even in Mississippi. I did. Don't blame the whole of the South for people's laziness and ingnorance. Libraries do exist. And there is financial aid easily attained.

What I'm saying is, if there is poverty and ignorance in any population in this day and age . . . it's each individual's own fault. Moderator cut: personal insult...don't do that