Uneducated people & Drugs (Kansas City, St. Louis: 2009, homes, unemployment)

[kimNtony]

Why is it that everywhere I go in Missouri (Farmington, Desloge, Park Hills, for example) there are numerous people that haven't completed high school or junior high, haven't gotten a GED and don't care to, don't know how to count, spell or speak and/or are high (at the time) or using/making drugs?

Meth and Moron Capital is what I'm thinking. If someone can prove me wrong, please do. I'd like to leave this state with a more positive outlook if possible. Right now I feel like I'm surrounded by idiots and druggies and, because of that, my I.Q. is steadily dropping. *Technically not possible unless you do drugs or are over 35 due to brain cells not regenerating...but you get the point. *

We will be moving, after having spent 3 terrible years here, in the summer of 2009. Nothing will make me happier than to leave this state in the dust. Kids doing drugs, adults with no H.S. diploma, no education, kids dropping out and parents not caring, more orphaned/foster kids than alot of other states, more unemployment problems and low wages/income and not enough help for those that actually need it. My husband is in college and will be leaving with 2 Associates of Applied Science Degrees when we move. I work and he goes to college. I want all of his attention on school and studies as long as we can afford it. I made less than 13,000 last year yet we only get $66/month in "assistance". I see people with 2 jobs, out of work husband (that's not bettering himself) that sits at home, and they get $300 or more. Why? Not fair in my book. Perhaps the only real help goes to one's that don't really need it or those that LIE about needing it. Sad really.

Oh well, I'll be happy to leave but would like to leave with something positive to say about this state. Any suggestions or opposing fact based opinions?

[STLCardsBlues1989]

This should probably be in the state forum, not the St. Louis Forum.

But you'll find drugs and less education in a lot of economically depressed areas. There are nice areas of the state, and there are less nice areas. I'm sorry you haven't enjoyed Missouri, but do remember that the grass isn't always that much greener on the other side, wherever you go.

Anyway, yes the state has problems with people not graduating high school, but not all of the state. And you find uneducated druggies (though not all uneducated people are druggies) in just about any state, often in areas of economic depression.

Just curious, where are you going?

[ShadowCaver]

Originally Posted by kimNtony

Why is it that everywhere I go in Missouri (Farmington, Desloge, Park Hills, for example) there are numerous people that haven't completed high school or junior high, haven't gotten a GED and don't care to, don't know how to count, spell or speak and/or are high (at the time) or using/making drugs?

Meth and Moron Capital is what I'm thinking. ,,,snip,,,

Well, all can say is this:
1. First, I have to laugh, due to your statement "everywhere I go in Missouri (Farmington, Desloge, Park Hills, for example),,," - those three towns are not the entire state; all are within ~20 minutes of each other. You are basing the entire state on these three towns?
2. Part b of the above - where all have you been in this state?
3. Where are you originally from in Louisiana?
4. I lived and worked and sent kid to school in that area, for a few years, and adding on many many other times I spent just bumming/exploring/playing in that area, not once did I see or experience people using and/or making meth, or for that matter any other such drug.
5. Is that a booming, prosperous part of the state? By all means, no. Unfortunately, there are a lack of job prospects therein that make it difficult for many people to make a better life, and some do I suppose turn to drugs, dropping out, etc. However, at least in my warped view, I find that such are the small minority.
6. Best to you and yours, wherever your travels take you.

[Northwoods Voyager]

Tried to rep y'all SC, but can't right now. OP has negative experience in one tiny corner of this beautiful state?????? Needs to get out a little more IMHO. Good luck kim in your future endeavors.

[kimNtony]

Like I said, if anyone can explain why this state has the lowest education level and the highest ranking in meth/drugs out of 50 states, by all means go ahead. I did say I'd like to leave here with a positive outlook but apparently you all are living up to my already tarnished image of this state. I've been to St. Louis, Kansas City, all areas south of Farmington to the Arkansas border as well as Herculaneum and Doe Run areas. Not just "one little corner" of the state is it?

I will be moving to Shreveport or Alexandria, Louisiana...depending on where the jobs are at the time of the move. Bear in mind this is being planned out over 1 year in advance of the actual move so I have "feelers" in different cities and people on the look-out for homes and jobs that fit what we're looking for. Maybe you should also bear in mind that I've been to college and my husband will have 2 Associates degrees (not to mention being on the Dean's List numerous times and having a 3.25 GPA currently). So, smarts and intellect isn't a problem as far as WE are concerned. The problem is with the rest of this God-forsaken state. If God blessed Texas, he must have urinated on Missouri.
C'mon, where else do people not know how to spell "moving", can't count to "100", don't know the difference between monetary change, can't/won't speak properly (really...what does youns mean anyways? Certainly NOT a word.), and don't complete school but would rather drop out, do drugs and stay on welfare?
Certainly other states have similar problems, but none as serious as the one's in Missouri. If you like your 'fair' state then so be it. You must have been born here or have relatives from here. All the people I've spoken with that are NOT from Missouri, or those that have parents/grandparents that were born in another state, freely admit that Missouri is full of stupid people.

Again, if you can find a way to change my mind....or give me a place to visit...by all means do! I look forward to someone actually having a good answer that will leave me feeling better about this place.

I was born and raised in Alexandria, LA. Stayed there for 21 years. Went to college at NSU - majoring in Psychology, minoring in Computers. Never did I encounter anything remotely similar to this. Even the Cajuns in the deep south beyond New Orleans have a better education and speak more clearly and don't use drugs the way people here do.

[tambre]

Hi Kit,

"You must have been born here or have relatives from here. All the people I've spoken with that are NOT from Missouri, or those that have parents/grandparents that were born in another state, freely admit that Missouri is full of stupid people. "

My husband and I are from NY and are moving to the beautiful state of Missouri. Having an education does not make you better than anyone. There are many types of intelligence, not to mention other virtues, such as kindness that make up a person.

Poverty and learned helplessness fuel the drug issue. I think it's good that the situation bothers you...it shows that at some level you would like to see it change. I wish you could use some of that intellect and energy to help people out of the cycle of poverty/lack of education that you find so objectionable.

[mamagator54]

My husband and I moved to Missouri from Indiana almost a year ago, and we couldn't be happier. Sorry you are having such a bad time of it here. We are in the SW part of the state about 60 miles from Springfield.
We have had nothing but good experiences with the people of this area. Everyone we met when we first moved here were nothing but friendly and went out of their way to help us in anyway they could. Back in Indiana the people acted like snobs and like WE owed THEM something. Backstabbing was the sport of choice! And everyday in the news someone was getting busted for drugs somewhere in the area. And we did not live in or near a big city. Here we do not hear of drug bust!
Has far as stupid- I don't think so. Sure there are some people who have not completed high school, that happens everywhere. The poverty level is bad and only getting worse! Thanks to our government. It's hard to get out of the poverty level when all the jobs are in another country!
Hope you find you life in Louisiana fulfilling, but don't be surprised if the drugs/poverty and stupidity that YOU find here follow you there.
I Love Missouri and ALL it's people.

[STLCardsBlues1989]

Yes, Missouri is 46th in test scores, but Missouri has some of the highest standards in the country. Just so you know.

I don't think you're going to win this argument, calling all Missourians stupid. Anywhere you go you'll find uneducated people and drugs. But I haven't experienced it quite as bad as you have.

To me, you sound you are determined to hate Missouri. If that's the case, fine, but if wherever you're going disappoints you, too, suck it up and deal with it.

And I disagree that most people think that Missouri is full of stupid people.

But if you are determined to be unhappy, you'll be unhappy.

Bye. Call us in 3 years when you move again.

There are drugs around here (as in just about anywhere), but I've never encountered them. There are some people who have not graduated high school. But what business is it of yours? Most of them I know have families and (as far as I know) are not druggies. In fact, a lot of them are kind people who I have pleasant and intelligent conversations with. Sure, they don't know as much as I do, but they're smart people. They know how to treat people, they know how to take care of their families, and they know how to take care of themselves.

educated does not equal smart, and vise versa. You can be as educated as you want and still not put it into practice.

[firebll31]

Originally Posted by kimNtony

Like I said, if anyone can explain why this state has the lowest education level and the highest ranking in meth/drugs out of 50 states, by all means go ahead. I did say I'd like to leave here with a positive outlook but apparently you all are living up to my already tarnished image of this state. I've been to St. Louis, Kansas City, all areas south of Farmington to the Arkansas border as well as Herculaneum and Doe Run areas. Not just "one little corner" of the state is it?

I will be moving to Shreveport or Alexandria, Louisiana...depending on where the jobs are at the time of the move. Bear in mind this is being planned out over 1 year in advance of the actual move so I have "feelers" in different cities and people on the look-out for homes and jobs that fit what we're looking for. Maybe you should also bear in mind that I've been to college and my husband will have 2 Associates degrees (not to mention being on the Dean's List numerous times and having a 3.25 GPA currently). So, smarts and intellect isn't a problem as far as WE are concerned. The problem is with the rest of this God-forsaken state. If God blessed Texas, he must have urinated on Missouri.
C'mon, where else do people not know how to spell "moving", can't count to "100", don't know the difference between monetary change, can't/won't speak properly (really...what does youns mean anyways? Certainly NOT a word.), and don't complete school but would rather drop out, do drugs and stay on welfare?
Certainly other states have similar problems, but none as serious as the one's in Missouri. If you like your 'fair' state then so be it. You must have been born here or have relatives from here. All the people I've spoken with that are NOT from Missouri, or those that have parents/grandparents that were born in another state, freely admit that Missouri is full of stupid people.

Again, if you can find a way to change my mind....or give me a place to visit...by all means do! I look forward to someone actually having a good answer that will leave me feeling better about this place.

I was born and raised in Alexandria, LA. Stayed there for 21 years. Went to college at NSU - majoring in Psychology, minoring in Computers. Never did I encounter anything remotely similar to this. Even the Cajuns in the deep south beyond New Orleans have a better education and speak more clearly and don't use drugs the way people here do.

May I point out the grammatical error in your post-the word "one's" is plural, not possessive and therefore does not require an apostrophe. Apparently our lack of education is rubbing off on you.
Unfortunately, there is a large population of people in some areas without much education. The high number of teenage pregnancies helps contribute to this.Personally, I feel that more attention is spent on sports in school than learning, but that is a topic for another post. However, it is nationwide, not just in our state. If you don't like the state, by all means move where you will be happy. Those of us who like less traffic, less violence, a slower pace of life where we can spend time in the outdoors with friends and family and cleaner air like it right where we are. Perhaps you did not see that many areas of Louisiana which were destroyed by the hurricane were also downtrodden "blighted" regions. Missouri has problems, certainly, but so does every place.

[kshe95girl]

IMHO, the op just wants to blow off some steam, and just does not like Mo.
Hmmmmmmm, lets see, I grew up 30 miles away, in Sainte Genevieve, managed to graduate, got a Bachelors, and a Masters, so did my parents, my sis has a PhD, most of my friends from there are successful, even if they didn't manage to get to college.
If the op does not care for Mo, then she should move. The grass is not going to be greener anywhere else.
Some folks just are not going to be happy anywhere........