Comments on Adirondack Almanack: Adirondack Native, Local, Outsider or Stranger?

AGD, I must also point out that some locals have a...

2012-01-28T20:06:56.451-05:00

AGD,
I must also point out that some locals have a low opinion of many of the locals.
Not all prejudice comes from outside a group. Some comes from within.
Us versus them is often a fantasy. There is no "us." As the song goes, There ain't no good guys. There ain't no bad guys. There's just you and me and we just disagree."

AGD, thanks for the response. You make a good poin...

2012-01-28T18:58:44.732-05:00

AGD, thanks for the response. You make a good point, and perhaps claiming that they are devoid of emotional ties was too strong an assumption. Clearly any person is emotionally invested in their work (or at least they should be). Specialists aren't robots so I apologize if I made it sound that way.

To clarify the point I wanted to make, it is my belief that a specialist is

I have to question the assumption made by Ross tha...

2012-01-28T17:29:00.070-05:00

I have to question the assumption made by Ross that specialists and experts are not emotionally invested in outcomes, and thus their opinions should be given greater weight. I'd argue that the opposite can actually be true, given the incredible investment in time and energy (not to mention the numerous personal sacrifices) required to become an expert. My own experience as an expert involved

Responding to what Dave just above said, it's ...

2012-01-28T16:51:45.003-05:00

Responding to what Dave just above said, it's not close to prejudice, it IS prejudice. I'd point out though that it goes both ways: "outsiders" often make some ugly assumptions about the intelligence, education, and work ethic of us "locals." Regardless of which direction it's coming from, it is destructive. Fortunately (as Dave also notes) these assumptions and

What an interesting post! The lineage aspect of de...

2012-01-28T09:39:13.290-05:00

What an interesting post! The lineage aspect of determining whether a person is an outsider is very true. My grandfather is a well-respected figure in the Adirondack community, and I have found time and again that mentioning my relation to him has opened doors and changed the way people deal with me.

On the other hand, I find that I don't quite agree with the assumption that

To the extent the Adirondacks becomes a melting po...

2012-01-26T19:26:53.445-05:00

To the extent the Adirondacks becomes a melting pot, it will grow. To the extent it doesn't, it will shrink.
The same is true for the whole darn country. And I'm not just talking numbers. The more the gene pool is mixed, the better. Purity of race, creed, color and national origin is a prescription for backward minds.

"where one comes from is important. It is use...

2012-01-26T14:37:29.262-05:00

"where one comes from is important. It is used to establish an initial impression of an individual by classifying them based on previously learned assumptions."

That comes awfully close to the definition of prejudice.

And liking 'outsiders' only when they agree or financially benefit you, as TiSentinel suggests, strikes me as a pretty miserable attitude too

In the Adirondacks, like many rural regions, where...

2012-01-25T23:30:55.422-05:00

In the Adirondacks, like many rural regions, where one comes from is important. It is used to establish an initial impression of an individual by classifying them based on previously learned assumptions. It is only through getting to know one another and showing mutual respect that these preconceived opinions are corrected and one's "roots" become of little significance. We must

The people of Tupper Lake said it very clearly, th...

2012-01-25T18:13:47.277-05:00

The people of Tupper Lake said it very clearly, that the so called "outsiders", the types they like, are the ones who are going to invest in their community. My family has lived in the Dacks going back to when the king owned the land. One thing we do not like is people who show up, plant their flag and say now bow to Rome. The reason a perceived shchism between locals and outsiders

Very provocative Marianne, and evocative of so man...

2012-01-25T14:24:00.189-05:00

Very provocative Marianne, and evocative of so many communities of the Northern Forest stretching from the Adirondacks to eastern Maine where "come from awayers" and service providers, real or perceived, share the turf. Thank you for enlivening the Almanack today!

Thanks to each of you for your thoughtful notes. ...

2012-01-25T10:07:30.281-05:00

Thanks to each of you for your thoughtful notes. And to Bob for continuing to wade through prior vitriol with good humor!

WOW! A VERY important topic of real consequence fo...

2012-01-25T09:56:04.022-05:00

WOW! A VERY important topic of real consequence for the Park & thoughtful, constructive comments from folks that care.. a refreshing change from the vitriol that often accompanies these posts.
Bob Meyer {always and ADKer in spirit wherever i live).

You hit the nail on the head with: “Who among us i...

2012-01-25T09:31:57.552-05:00

You hit the nail on the head with: “Who among us is socially and economically disadvantaged such that our circumstances prevent us from feeling empowered to contribute to a discussion about the future of the Park?” Those that do feel that way are then resentful of those who do care about and take action about the future of the Park.

Let me attack this from several points of view. No...

2012-01-25T09:16:51.923-05:00

Let me attack this from several points of view. Not attack in a bad sense but in a good sense.
I have been living in Hamilton County since 1987.
Though I have always been aware of the local/outsider issue, it has never meant much to me.
I was born in Detroit, entered the Navy, then moved to NYC.
One of the beauties of NYC is that all you need to do to be a New Yorker is to