[Anon_vt1]

Originally Posted by LisaMc46

As far as the sub-discussion on diversity is concerned, I'm from a very diverse area outside of NYC and I think that, for the most part, diversity is a good thing. I was exposed to many different cultures just by making friends at school and it was fun to observe Passover with a Jewish friend and to eat homemade tacos and Cuban sandwiches at different friends' houses, and to learn about the Muslim religion from my best friend whose family was from Egypt rather than from a FOX news commentator.

Can you see, though, that your last sentence is actually a stereotype? I know people who watch FOX news and I know people who listen to NPR. I find them both to passionate about the future of America. The difference is mostly a model and understanding of how the world works.

That's why, in part, I don't think that diversity is a "value", either good or bad. I find that the people hang their hat on it as such, usually there's some sort of negative comment about a part of American culture that follows. True tolerance doesn't involve looking down on Mid-west Christians whose lives have been very different than a middle class New Yorker. The real deal understands we are all prisoners of our experiences. FOX news needs to be celebrated as part of diversity also.

Originally Posted by LisaMc46

On the other hand, I find Vermont's attempts at diversity to be just plain weird. Like inviting refugee groups to the state just to increase the minority population or promoting nationwide searches for minority teachers b/c we don't have larger numbers of minority Vermonters applying for those jobs.

This I totally agree on. But this has to do somewhat with the nature of the imports of the last 30 years. I think most New Yorkers are fine with the lily white state they came to. However, the same vocal minority that you discussed seems to feel the need to recreate what they just came from because it's "good" for all of us. (ie, To have the experiences they had in NYC)

The net result is importing people solely based on the color of their skin. If there was ever an example of "the road to h?ll is paved with good intentions", I don't know what is.

Originally Posted by LisaMc46

Where I was raised, diversity happened organically. People moved there from all over to create better lives for themselves. They assimilated in some ways while holding strong to their cultural heritage. For the most part, people got along just fine.

The key is that it happened organically. People *want* to live together in NYC. You can't force everyone to feel like that and if you do, you become what you say you despise. As long as they are not violent or impacting other people's rights, there is nothing wrong with people wanting to live in homogeneous groups. It is not intolerance. It is simply a wish to life by their set of dreams.

[MRVphotog]

Not sure how this thread went from " Is Vermont liberal" to a diversity discussion but I just wanted to add to Lisa's post that Vermont's lack of diversity is not a Vermont thing but a rural vs urban/suburban thing.

I grew up in a very small town in New York and for all the 13 years I went to the local public school I don't remember one African American kid in school. That was 40 years ago and it's still the same. Go to any small town in the northern states and you find a lack of diversity. IMHO it's has nothing to do with the small towns or states like Vermont or Wyoming but a lack of what a minority family is looking for.

[vter]

Yup...this thread has gone far enough off topic. If you all want to discuss the upcoming election or diversity in VT please feel free to start a new thread.