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So--
How many of you here agree or disagree with the portrayal of North Dakota by Charles Bowden in the January National Geographic? And then, how many agree or disagree with his depiction of critics of the article as having less intelligence than a 10 year old from Arkansas? That latest bit was on local news in Fargo and Bismarck yesterday as well as on the GF Herald and Forum websites today.
For those that might have missed it on the news, here's the link.
The Emptied Prairie
In the early 20th century, railroads lured settlers into North Dakota with promises of homesteads. Towns were planted everywhere. Houses rose from the sweep of the plains, many, like this one, with a story no one can trace. People believed rain would follow the plow. But they were wrong.
I saw his interview on KFYR-tv clip. Yes, very arrogant. He can't even answer a legitimate question without responding with a negative response. Basically saying we are illiterate, uneducated, uncultured...because we take offense to his interpretation of ND. He is SUPPOSED to be the cultured and educated one, but then has to compare governor Hoevens literacy to 10 year olds in Arkansas.(basically using the old Arkansas slam that so many people use...like they are all Hillbillies...and so are North Dakotans) in his eyes. Loser.
"North Dakota is a rarely visited state and surely one of the loveliest and most moving. "
This quote is from Bowden's article and I agree with it. Although the rest of the article paints a painful picture of the ghost towns of North Dakota, I know North Dakota has a lot more than ghost towns to offer visiters and residents and am still looking foward to a visit and then, hopefully, to add to North Dakota's population by at least one adult and two or three cats (my senior kitty is 17).
The problem is he took towns that, in their hayday, were never more than 500 people. With farms consolidating, and some farmers living in bigger communities and commuting to their farms, of course small towns like that will dry up. The population shifted - moved - to a new area in the state. He intentionally took photos to make North Dakota look like a wasteland that no-one lives in.
He intentionally 'forgot' the major cities like Minot, Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks, Jamestown, and Devils Lake (to name a few). He is in defensive mode because people saw through his article and are calling him on his bias. He lost his credibility and he is fighting tooth and nail to try to hold back the floodgates.
The biggest problem is his article backfired and now people all over the US are hearing how this person wrote an article that was false and they are actually learning about the truth of North Dakota..exactly what he didn't want anyone to do. Now, all he is doing is putting nails in his own career and credibility.
The problem is he took towns that, in their heyday, were never more than 500 people. With farms consolidating, and some farmers living in bigger communities and commuting to their farms, of course small towns like that will dry up. The population shifted - moved - to a new area in the state. He intentionally took photos to make North Dakota look like a wasteland that no-one lives in.
He intentionally 'forgot' the major cities like Minot, Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks, Jamestown, and Devils Lake (to name a few). He is in defensive mode because people saw through his article and are calling him on his bias. He lost his credibility and he is fighting tooth and nail to try to hold back the floodgates.
The biggest problem is his article backfired and now people all over the US are hearing how this person wrote an article that was false and they are actually learning about the truth of North Dakota..exactly what he didn't want anyone to do. Now, all he is doing is putting nails in his own career and credibility.
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