Why does this writer consider Phoenix "the home of the spiteful" and "the poster city for hate?" (Tucson: sales, to buy)

[Highpointer]

Here is an excerpt from an article about the Tucson shootings, titled Branded: Can Tucson Ever Live It Down? from the Phoenix New Times:

"And the truth is that the target was about a hundred miles off. Yes, Tucson has a handful of Tea Party Patriots; in fact, they came close to defeating Congresswoman Gabby Giffords last November. But metropolitan Phoenix is the home of the spiteful, the land of Tent City and Sheriff Joe Arpaio, of Senate Bill 1070 and Russell Pearce — and a governor who champions it all.

Just last October, a think tank at Arizona State University called the Center for the Future of Arizona released poll data showing that civic engagement is far higher in Tucson than Phoenix. In Tucson, more people vote, more families eat dinner together, more neighbors exchange favors.

There's still lots to love about Phoenix, my hometown, but really, if any place deserves to be the poster city — accidental or otherwise — for hate, it's Phoenix. From up here, I can't help but think one thing:

Tucson took our bullet."

I have highlighted the key points of this excerpt in bold.

Why does Phoenix have this negative reputation? What can Phoenix do to be a city that is not "spiteful," where people engage in higher levels of civic engagement, and be a city that is not viewed as the "poster city for hate?"

[azdr0710]

Originally Posted by Highpointer

Why does Phoenix have this negative reputation? What can Phoenix do to be a city that is not "spiteful," where people engage in higher levels of civic engagement, and be a city that is not viewed as the "poster city for hate?"

maybe the New Times writer had a deadline and needed to rake muck???.....

gee, been in Az for 36 years and never thought Phx was a spiteful, hateful place....smart outsiders know Arpaio et al are just PR hounds who know which way the wind blows....

[observer53]

Well, to answer the question in the subheading of your post, why don't you ask her? (she's a Phoenix native... wonder why she's still here? )

This is one person's opinion (who happens to have a platform in a free weekly newspaper). That doesn't equate to being this city's "reputation". I don't even know how a city can be "spiteful". "Poster city for hate?" Again, that's an opinion, phrased for maximum shock value and effect.

As far as greater civic engagement, comparing Phoenix to Tucson is apples and oranges. Almost 40 years ago, Phoenix was dubbed the "world's biggest small town" in a story after the Don Bolles killing. It isn't that now, but Tucson DOES have that feel in many respects, and in a good way. The community reaction after the shootings is a part of that. Is civic engagement any better in NYC? Los Angeles? Any number of other large cities? I'm not so sure. Would more civic engagement be good? Of course. But that would be true of a lot of places.

[Bondurant]

Because this writer writes for the New Times.

[azriverfan.]

Unlike other cities, politics are actually interesting in Arizona. It makes me laugh how people are now trying to label as some type of backward neanderthal conservative capital when just a few years ago, we had a Democratic (and Lesbian) governer, voters just rejected an anti-gay marriage bill, there were more Democratic politicians in this state than Republicans, Phoenix was considered a city for West Coast residents to escape expensive housing on the coasts. Yes, we always had Sheriff Joe but he wasn't as publicized back then and was considered a crazy but endearing character.

All of this has changed in a short period of time. Nonetheless, it will change back forth over the years here. The reality is Arizona and Phoenix is a true moderate state. There are more Independent voters registered in this state than Democrats. Registered Republicans fell by 5% as well while Independents grew. So with a population like that, you are going to have major swings in the political identity of this state. So unlike true conservative states, Phoenix is going to go through these swings over the decades. That's just how it is here.

[Finger Laker]

It's a junk article and does nothing to advance any real discussion or discourse

I'm not sure what "brand" Tucson has been hit with ........ I definitely haven't heard that it is a city of hate or full of spiteful people.

If anything, I think the community has been recognized for not only being a place where you could have such access to a politician, that young people were interested in seeing how government work, how they have responded well to the tragic events (with the right amounts of strength, humor, mourning, solidarity and emotional release), they even handled those westboro dopes without incident.

Even though there were/are a lot of political opportunists trying to make their claims on this - I think most thinking people quickly moved beyond the thought process that it was some deranged tea party member, gun toting, AZ wingnut and the discussion has shifted towards mental health, etc

Also, with all the discussion about how political rhetoric shapes mentalities, if it's appropriate to use "targets" in adds, etc ... this author drops the "Tucson took our bullet" ...... real classy - Tucson didn't take a bullet, 19 innocent individuals did from a range of political affiliations and ideas - 6 of which are no longer alive

Not shocking though that someone would try to take this tragic event, create a false premise and then spin it to take a shot at Phoenix and the state at large ....... it's amateur and lazy and unfortunately way to prevelant in this world of instant media

It's also sad that articles like this hurt the credibility of the paper on the whole because on occasion they do really come up with some good investigative journalism - which unfortunately gets washed into the same bin as this drivel

[observer53]

Originally Posted by Finger Laker

It's a junk article and does nothing to advance any real discussion or discourse

I'm not sure what "brand" Tucson has been hit with ........ I definitely haven't heard that it is a city of hate or full of spiteful people.

If anything, I think the community has been recognized for not only being a place where you could have such access to a politician, that young people were interested in seeing how government work, how they have responded well to the tragic events (with the right amounts of strength, humor, mourning, solidarity and emotional release), they even handled those westboro dopes without incident.

Even though there were/are a lot of political opportunists trying to make their claims on this - I think most thinking people quickly moved beyond the thought process that it was some deranged tea party member, gun toting, AZ wingnut and the discussion has shifted towards mental health, etc

Also, with all the discussion about how political rhetoric shapes mentalities, if it's appropriate to use "targets" in adds, etc ... this author drops the "Tucson took our bullet" ...... real classy - Tucson didn't take a bullet, 19 innocent individuals did from a range of political affiliations and ideas - 6 of which are no longer alive

Not shocking though that someone would try to take this tragic event, create a false premise and then spin it to take a shot at Phoenix and the state at large ....... it's amateur and lazy and unfortunately way to prevelant in this world of instant media

It's also sad that articles like this hurt the credibility of the paper on the whole because on occasion they do really come up with some good investigative journalism - which unfortunately gets washed into the same bin as this drivel

It isn't Tucson the column branded with the "spiteful" and "city of hate" term, but Phoenix. Otherwise, to this post.

[phxgreenfire]

Well... I know this forum doesn't represent the population of Phoenix as a whole, but the people who post on this forum and don't like living here are branded as being "negative" by the people who love it here... who usually bash and attack people for expressing an opinion different than theirs. Seems spiteful to me.

But I would imagine the author wrote that piece for a pretty simple reason: an inherent characteristic of writing-- as a form of art-- is to get people talking. She was at least able to get a thread posted about it, so... mission accomplished. She works in an extremely competitive field in which people have to get noticed, and The Phoenix New Times is a pretty inconsequential rag when you consider media on the national scale. I have no doubt if she were offered a position at Time she would be out of Phoenix in a heartbeat. Of course, that's applicable to the vast majority of cities in America.

In any case, I prefer this Newsweek description of Phoenix:
Tea Party Patriots to Convene in Arizona - Newsweek

[ExNooYawk]

Originally Posted by Bondurant

Because this writer writes for the New Times.

With that statement, you are kind of doing the same thing you are condemning the author for doing which is making a blanket statement about an entity.

My impression of AZ is a good one, for the most part. We're headed down to Tucson from Oregon to visit our daughter this weekend and looking forward to the trip.

The shooting event was beyond tragic, as we all know. But. What mystifies me about AZ is why so many people rushed out to buy guns immediately afterward. I mean, what is it with AZ and guns? We're not talking shotguns for when there's a rattler on the front porch. We're talking semi-automatic weapons.

So, as much as I like AZ (as an outsider) and as unfair as it is to give any one place a label, I do wonder about the love affair the peeps of AZ appear to be having with guns.

[Ponderosa]

The shooting event was beyond tragic, as we all know. But. What mystifies me about AZ is why so many people rushed out to buy guns immediately afterward. I mean, what is it with AZ and guns? We're not talking shotguns for when there's a rattler on the front porch. We're talking semi-automatic weapons.





Guns sales jumped nationwide (at least in areas where such sales are allowed) not just AZ. They always do after these tradegies. The press surmises it was because of a gun ban fear, but I think it has something to do with the insecurity people feel after such events and the notion that gun ownership/carrying would protect them. As for AZ being armed, well no one apparently had a gun in that Safeway lot other than the murderer. Gun advocates would argue if someone had, the outcome might have been different.