Numerous "liberals looking for a liberal place to live" threads (Portland: loan, neighborhoods)

[snb3]

Do liberals have issues living in a politically & socially diverse area? My general interpretation is of the liberal mindset is one of open mindedness and an all inclusiveness. And yet, I've just read 2 threads today on "must escape the Oregonian rednecks, where is this progressive oasis?" threads. As a person who is considered to be right of whomever I'm around, I sigh when I see this.

If you look @ the CA (OC) forum, you see numerous threads of questions on OC conservatives & stereotypes. There are a few posters here who make blanket statements of certain parts of OR being red and such, being uneducated and having no interests in such. In this instance, I find it to be case of "do as I say, not as I do" when I see a liberal pointing out people they would rather not make their neighbor and yet aspire to live around "other broad minded persons."

Now, I'm just as guilty as anyone when wanting to live where there are like minded persons. My qualifications would be living near others with interests in a strong family and communty, regardless of political affiliation. I live near Hollywood and I disagree a lot more times than agreeing with my friends and co-workers. Still, I consider it healthy for my mind regardless of who's right (if there are absolutes), challenges me as it keeps me intellectually sharp, and the very least, a never-ending conversation (beer guzzling) piece. I have no problem living near Liberals and wonder why a so called Liberal would have a problem living near me?

[Waterlily]

Okay snb3. I'm going to stay out of this as much as possible.
I just want to remind you that this needs to be about Oregon or else it's got to go over to another forum.
I'll also add that many places in Oregon have a combination of political party people living there.

[snb3]

Waterlily,

This thread was a response to the general namecalling in the other threads. I have no problem with whatever actions you need to take as a mod regardless of which direction this may lead.

Regarding OR, like I've stated before, OR and its people are far more pleasant to be around.

[CantWait2Bthere]

This IS about Oregon and I think Snb3 has every right to bring this to the Oregon forum.

From a non resident's point of view, some of these threads would have us think that Oregon has no room for conservatives or Christians as I have read many negative comments toward folks/communities that may be. It doesn't scare me off though because the way I see it we are all on this big round globe of a world for so long before we meet our Maker and for those of us who are doing the best we can, regardless of political or religious views, we can all learn something from one another.

[snb3]

As i wrote this thread, I was thinking about how every day any non-liberal is labeled as a intolerant person due to various reasons and yet I see posts by those same persons seeking out a liberal place to live with the repetitous catchnames. In other words, they are intolerant to live around those they do not share similar feelings. Now, I profess that there are certain factors for me in choosing a place to live, political affliation is not one of them. At the same time, I admit with full honesty that my mind is open to most, but not all, persuasions. It has become predictable reading about the need to avoid certain areas to live in due to a lack of education or similarly progressive mindset. It is that I find skeptical about one's true open mindedness.

I wrote this thread upon my one trip to OR earlier this year. Being a minority, I was treated equally well from Red Roseburg to Blue Ashland. I find (in OR, at least from my experience) cities with red or blue reputations to be overrated and regardless of where you go, your general demeanor to others will be rewarded with like treatment regardless of what color you see yourself to be. You should visit some areas around where I live to see how dysfunctional this subject can make a neighborhood.

[FXRS]

Liberals are not the opened minded people that they would like you to believe. The threads prove just that.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by FXRS

Liberals are not the opened minded people that they would like you to believe. The threads prove just that.

thx

didn't want to have to say it myself

OR has quite a bit of tolerance, but... unfortunately there are 2-3 counties that can sway an election and cram some awfully poor legislation down the throats of the business owners and farmers who provide the foundation of the economy - jobs ... + equity cash flow.

This is a major problem in WA state also, and nationally too.

Elections and causes are won by targeted $$ and advertising, and not necessarily by an informed electorate. Just too bad so many voters (often 'employees' (or dead people and convicts if in WA)) have never gone hungry trying to meet payroll, or make an annual payment on their farm loan.

It would be nice to 'live-peacefully-together', but we are still more fortunate than 90% of the world. Our process is 'kinda' working, but I'm not keen on who is having to pay the price... they have enough on their plate meeting documentation, business planning, and taxation requirements. For the normal 'Joe / Jane', collecting a paycheck (direct deposit) and filing taxes once / yr., and hiking on weekends is pretty ez way to get through life. The alternative is spending weekends and evenings cleaning the barn, fixing the fishing boat, sharpening the saws, or sweating about your employees, (and wondering what next 'hair-brained' legislation will sink your ship)...

[movinonup]

Have we got liberals!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have lived in Oregon since 1980. I grew up in the Air Force, married and lived in Japan before we came to Oregon. Oregon is beautiful, but it is becomig, has become a very liberal state. Just look at some ot the laws passed here. Ashland is a mecca for those accepting liberals.

I graduated from Southern Oregon State Universary. If you want to see for yourself how accepting liberals truely are, attend a university for four years. I am beyond the tender age of most college students so I wasn't fazed by the discrimmination I experienced there. If you are republican, you are considered to be suspect. As a Christian, it was a real gas! Outright nastiness by some--usually the professors! I was pretty outspoken; I thought it only fair that two sides should be aired. A degree in Communication is a harrowing experience. I was approached numerous times by students who told me they agreed with my more conservative views. The worst were professors who were foreign, and seemed to be sent here for the express goal of denouncing the USA and making its students ashamed of being American. If you voiced the opinion that millions of people should not be allowed to come in the country illegally, you were labeled "anti-immigration." If you were a Christian, you were considered "intolerant." If a republican, well use your imagination. However, one of my best friends is a "flaming liberal". We have discussions on numerous topics over lunch and remain friends anyway.

Jackson County is not as much a mix as it used to be. Ashland, of course, was the yuppies, Medford was conservative, but a mix anyway, White City was the dregs, Eagle Point was the cowboys etc. Now all the Californians have blurred the lines. The property prices have gone through the roof right along with the population. I live in Roseburg now, and it is a nice little community. Eugene is worse than Ashland when it comes to those tolerant liberals, and Portland--well just don't spout your views in certain parts of town and you won't get clubbed.

We are a beautiful state though, aren't we?

[heidinbend]

lol ..that is true... Portland ( grew up here) Is crazy liberal.. growing up her I had no idea alot of the rest of the country.. was not like oregon..it almost like you dont want to tell certain people you are not liberal 9but I am a liberal..lol) ..more of moderate really. But yeah other rural area (besides eugene) are conservative. Ranchers and cowboys. Yep. If you move to Portland stay on the SW side if you want to be in the conservative part. The Eastside and NW is pretty liberal. we have bumper stickers that say KEEP PORTLAND WEIRD..lol its funny but maybe a little too left at times...
Peace and love

[furyu]

I came to live in Oregon via Maine, New England, NYC, SF, San Diego and Orange County, CA. I wasn't always 'liberal;' in my youth, in the midst of the Vietnam era, I was fairly indifferent to politics. In the '80s, I leaned to the right and supported many conservative ideas (concerning economics rather than social issues). But in these last six years, let me tell you, I have done a "180" in reaction to what has happened to the U.S. because of the Bush Administration. Even before Bush took office, the ultraconservative right-wing faction of the Republican party was doing some nasty things in the political arena. Unfortunately, a lot of that nastiness was done in the name of 'religious fundamentalism' by people we NOW know were hypocrites (Ralph Reed, to name just one). Unfortunately, that hypocritical image sticks to a lot of sincere church-goers to this day.

The gist of this thread is that liberals are not open minded, that they are prejudiced and intolerant of conservatives throughout Oregon (correct me if I'm wrong, by all means!); that the areas where liberals congregate are living hells for poor conservatives who need constantly look over their shoulder for that ax-yielding crazed liberal who's about to whack off their head, all because of their 'right' political and/or religious views. Monica368, heidinbend, 'movinonup' and FXRs contend that liberals are "crazy," or intolerant, and that they somehow, in some way, feel threatened or at least, 'diminished' by the liberal majority!

These assertions truly stretch my credulity.

Oregon is still mostly rural and similar to all rural areas in its conservative makeup. The major metropolitan areas, Portland and Eugene/Salem and, to a lesser extent, Medford/Ashland, are similar to major metropolitan areas of this country, liberal. Have you wondered why that is? Why are the best places to live, or rather, the areas that offer the 'best' opportunities to live (work, housing, education, etc.) prominently populated by liberal-minded people? Those of us who have grown up in major cities (NYC for instance) understand that we need get along with everyone if anyone is to survive. That realization/understanding is based in liberalism. In "The City," we of the same feather flock together in little neighborhoods, but we get on subways, or buses, or freeways and go to school, work, church, shopping malls, where inevitably we will be faced with and made to interact with 'The Other.' That's life. Not only do we survive these encounters, we are made better by them. We see how others live, we 'taste' their culture and reflect on our differences. We see how we are different and we see how we are all the same.

Like snb3, I can live anywhere, within a community of diverse people and feel very comfortable in my own skin. Currently living along the southernmost coast of Oregon, my community is roughly two-thirds conservative and one-third liberal (that's how we vote, generally speaking). We're all good people, basically wanting the same thing: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I don't see any problem with liberals scaring off conservatives or vice versa. There is a large religious population here and those of us who don't attend church aren't 'shunned.'

This is what we need keep in mind, regardless of what we THINK we believe politically, religiously, morally or civically: everyone wants to have a sense of worth and value. And that basic need transcends all labels.

This basic 'love of neighbor' which was at one time innate in AMERICANS, a trait that unified us, has been deliberately and systemically undermined in the last decade or so. Our government, at the highest level, has manipulated the national dialogue into one of 'division' and we're being indoctrinated to hate "The Other." It has occurred in such a slow but methodical manner, we are generally unaware that it is happening. But it is.

Birds of feather will always flock together (that's not a bad thing!) but as the world grows smaller, the view must change.

We do live in a beautiful state.