MS is a great place (Horn Lake, Oxford: movies, school districts, taxes)

[relocating22]

I am SO tired of people talking so bad about MS. Lot's of people talk about the obesity (although, Ole Miss has been known for some of the best looking women in the country) and it gets old. MS is not 'dirt roads' and 'shacks'. My family, along with MANY others throughout the state, are probably wealthier and have more class than a lot of the people on this site making these remarks. You may want to do some more research before you state your biased comments!

[Starshine480]

Originally Posted by relocating22

I am SO tired of people talking so bad about MS. Lot's of people talk about the obesity (although, Ole Miss has been known for some of the best looking women in the country) and it gets old. MS is not 'dirt roads' and 'shacks'. My family, along with MANY others throughout the state, are probably wealthier and have more class than a lot of the people on this site making these remarks. You may want to do some more research before you state your biased comments!

Yes, I think Mississippi is a great state to live in. We do need to try and not be biased in our posts....I really don't appreciate the post about avoiding Horn Lake and Walls because they're dumps......but everyone is entitled to their opinion. Just overlooking it....lol

[Tama]

Relocating22 I understand your frustration. Mississippi suffers from misconceptions for sure. I remember being in Chicago for a meeting wearing a name tag from Mississippi and a lady in the elevator looked at me with a haughty sneer and said, "I didn't know you had schools in Mississippi."
Can you believe it? I do have the suggestion though that rather than take umbrage with the folks who are only reflecting what they hear, give a good example of why they are wrong and invite them to visit!

[marmac]

Perhaps the reason for people wondering if Mississippi has schools is whenever ranking of education nationwide is on national media-----------Mississippi ranks near or at the bottom.

Kinda hard to put a positive spin on that.

[meskito]

whenever I moved to Oxford, my friends were shocked and made similar remarks. My response was "if you came here you'd see why I love it". WHen my friends came to visit - they changed their minds. A few even came back more than once!
Like most people I had assumptions about MS before I moved there too - but I agree with Tama - don't get frustrated, just be a good example and prove them wrong.

[montanamom]

Don't sweat it. A decade ago when I took my family and left the over crowded "yuppieville" that the Washington D.C. area had become to move to North Carolina, I got the same kind of reaction. My Northern friends and neighbors thought Southerners were all like Gomer Pyle. Now, they can't move to the the Carolinas fast enough, and can't change it to another overcrowded "yuppieville" fast enough either. Be glad if you enjoy living in Mississippi, and let the rest of the country think that it's "not so much". You're probably better off.

[htmlfamily]

Originally Posted by relocating22

I am SO tired of people talking so bad about MS. Lot's of people talk about the obesity (although, Ole Miss has been known for some of the best looking women in the country) and it gets old. MS is not 'dirt roads' and 'shacks'. My family, along with MANY others throughout the state, are probably wealthier and have more class than a lot of the people on this site making these remarks. You may want to do some more research before you state your biased comments!

Yes I agree! MS has the hands-down most beautiful ladies in the World and furthermore some of the finest families in the world!!

[homesheba]

AMEN TO ALL THIS!
THIS IS A GREAT STATE- with wonderful helpful people and yes- people here do still believe in God and America.
the media puts us down alot and unfortunatly so many have been brain -washed by what they see and hear on t.v. and movies,
that they believe it is so.

[Tama]

Marmac I would expect anyone with two peas for a brain, such as people who make those remarks, would understand that such rankings are a conglomerate and that they can be skewed by a portion of the demographic. That means to think that an entire state is "without schools" because the overall ranking is the lowest based on specific rural and disadvantaged areas
says more about the speaker in terms of sophistication than it does Mississippi.

[marmac]

Sorry Tama------but most elected officials who attempt to raise taxes for education in Minnesota use the phrase-----"do we want to become another Mississippi"---to scare people into voting "yes"

Since the OP asked why people outside of MS have a negative attitude, I answered.

I guess I'm sorry it was not the answer you wanted.

And, yes,-------I am amazed about all the posts regarding which school districts to avoid in MS.
. Perhaps we are spoiled here in Minnesota, but there is not a single school district in the entire state I would be unwilling to send my kids to.