Anchorage is full (Fairbanks: college, moving, office)

[MauriceD91]

Originally Posted by Nephler

Then why don't you stay in Alaska for school? You are no better then anyone else.

Because there are no HBCUs (Historical Black Colleges and Universities) in AK. That is why! Why don't you leave AK and go back to where ever you came from! I am sick of the transplants and their ignorant mentality!

[ShipOfFools42]

Originally Posted by MauriceD91

Because there are no HBCUs (Historical Black Colleges and Universities) in AK. That is why! Why don't you leave AK and go back to where ever you came from! I am sick of the transplants and their ignorant mentality!

Hmmm. Ok, here's one for you. So, black guy from Fairbanks moves to Atlanta for HBCU's. Totally understandable. I don't know much about other HBCU's, but I know a good deal about Morehouse, and it's an excellent school where several good friends of mine have earned degrees. Overall, Atlanta has, for my whole lifetime, been a hub of black culture and a generally very diverse city. I halfway grew up in Atlanta, my sister lives there still (and has for 25 years), and I just got back from there yesterday. I totally understand why you want to come to MY region, to MY city (I don't really think it's mine, just making a point).

So imagine you have an avid salmon fisherman... from Ohio. All he wants to do is deal with salmon fisheries, and the poor guy has to go a long way to even see a salmon, much less to see the beautiful, wild salmon that exist in Alaska. So, thin as this example is, let's say that Alaska is for that guy what Atlanta is for you: it's a great place to do what he wants to do in life. How is it that you have more of a right to go to Atlanta for the HBCU's than he does to go to Alaska for the salmon (or the aviation, or the oil business, or whatever else)? What gives you any more right to tell him to go away than I have to tell you to go away? Pure, unfettered hypocrisy, man. You can do better than that.

All this is totally understandable though. I see Asheville changing before my very eyes. I don't like most of it. It actually really sucks in a lot of ways. But there are two things I tend to take comfort in. For one thing, unexpected positives tend to come out of situations that look profoundly negative. For another thing, you simply cannot do anything about it, and sometimes the hardest thing to do in life is to simply let go of your control, or more accurately, your illusion thereof. I have spent a lot of time trying to explain to myself and others why I want to live in the North. I have finally realized that I have so little control over that sort of thing that it's best to simply do my very best at everything I do, and trust that things will work out that way, and most importantly, to stop feeling that I owe anyone an explanation.

As usual, Met said it better than I can: stop focusing on things you can't change, and focus on things you can change. Also, I will add that if you spend a lot of time making things out to be negative, they will inevitably end up looking negative to you. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy, which can be a nasty, discouraging thing. It would do Anchorage a lot more good to think of ways to stop the growth of the problem and fix it than it will do for you to sit around and bemoan the endless negativity of the situation as you see it.

[soldn2slavery]

Curious, MauricdD91, where did your folks come from? Were they born and raised in Alaska, too, or were they also transplants?

[RedJacket]

Originally Posted by MauriceD91

and most of them don't hold anything beyond a basic high school diploma.

collage is a waist of monies.

[Nephler]

Good one Red.

It's people like Mauric that give any place a bad name.

[MauriceD91]

Originally Posted by ShipOfFools42

Hmmm. Ok, here's one for you. So, black guy from Fairbanks moves to Atlanta for HBCU's. Totally understandable. I don't know much about other HBCU's, but I know a good deal about Morehouse, and it's an excellent school where several good friends of mine have earned degrees. Overall, Atlanta has, for my whole lifetime, been a hub of black culture and a generally very diverse city. I halfway grew up in Atlanta, my sister lives there still (and has for 25 years), and I just got back from there yesterday. I totally understand why you want to come to MY region, to MY city (I don't really think it's mine, just making a point).

So imagine you have an avid salmon fisherman... from Ohio. All he wants to do is deal with salmon fisheries, and the poor guy has to go a long way to even see a salmon, much less to see the beautiful, wild salmon that exist in Alaska. So, thin as this example is, let's say that Alaska is for that guy what Atlanta is for you: it's a great place to do what he wants to do in life. How is it that you have more of a right to go to Atlanta for the HBCU's than he does to go to Alaska for the salmon (or the aviation, or the oil business, or whatever else)? What gives you any more right to tell him to go away than I have to tell you to go away? Pure, unfettered hypocrisy, man. You can do better than that.

All this is totally understandable though. I see Asheville changing before my very eyes. I don't like most of it. It actually really sucks in a lot of ways. But there are two things I tend to take comfort in. For one thing, unexpected positives tend to come out of situations that look profoundly negative. For another thing, you simply cannot do anything about it, and sometimes the hardest thing to do in life is to simply let go of your control, or more accurately, your illusion thereof. I have spent a lot of time trying to explain to myself and others why I want to live in the North. I have finally realized that I have so little control over that sort of thing that it's best to simply do my very best at everything I do, and trust that things will work out that way, and most importantly, to stop feeling that I owe anyone an explanation.

As usual, Met said it better than I can: stop focusing on things you can't change, and focus on things you can change. Also, I will add that if you spend a lot of time making things out to be negative, they will inevitably end up looking negative to you. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy, which can be a nasty, discouraging thing. It would do Anchorage a lot more good to think of ways to stop the growth of the problem and fix it than it will do for you to sit around and bemoan the endless negativity of Ythe situation as you see it.

I haven't been to Fairbanks since 1996. I'm from Anchorage. Was just born in Fairbanks. YOU SIR are a TRANSPLANT! Why don't you go back to your broke state? Answer that! I am one of the few REAL ALASKANS and pride about it! All you other outsiders opinions are irrelevant!

[MauriceD91]

Originally Posted by soldn2slavery

Curious, MauricdD91, where did your folks come from? Were they born and raised in Alaska, too, or were they also transplants?

My mother was born in Fairbanks, Alaska in 1972 and graduated from Lathrop High School C/O 1990. Like I said I am a REAL ALASKAN! You people moved to MY STATE at a chance of a better life! Quit trying to change MY STATE!

[Nephler]

Hate to break this to you, but... It's NOT YOUR state.

Oh, and please define "real Alaskan".

[MauriceD91]

I know I am venting, but it really gets on my nerves when all of these idiots, like Sarah Palin for example, move to AK and try to claim they are Alaskans! They are NOT! And they give REAL ALASKANS, like myself, a bad reputation. It is annoying when I tell people I am from AK and then they begin to make Palin jokes. That woman does not represent me! She should be honest and say she is from Idaho! Now that is the demographic she represents!

[MauriceD91]

Originally Posted by Nephler

Hate to break this to you, but... It's NOT YOUR state.

Oh, and please define "real Alaskan".

"Real Alaskans" are those BORN and raised in AK.