[Grovenet] Re:a funny story

[Steven]

I think that it was the fact that you didn't mention the university in
glowing remarks gushing in platitudes. Or maybe just that you disagreed with
Geri. She has specifically requested that folks with names starting with
Steve to never disagree with her.

-----Original Message-----
From: grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com [mailto:grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com]On
Behalf Of Steve Jerrett
Sent: Sunday, June 04, 2006 3:17 PM
To: Forest Grove local interests list
Subject: Re: [Grovenet] Re:a funny story


Geri,

Nonetheless, I felt justified in offering a different perspective. Sometimes
the truth comes across as hateful when one doesn 't want to hear it.

What exactly did you find hateful about my post? Was it my characterization
of  Mormons as adding strength to our community. Was it my observation that
many of Dutch Catholic descent are solid upstanding, people? Was it that I
attributed intelligence, practicality and independence to many Eastern
Oregonians?

Is pointing out poverty, drugs and gang activity hateful? Are you being
encouraging and informative when you fail to mention them?


Steve




----- Original Message -----
From: "Geri" <ggsteele at gte.net>
To: "Forest Grove local interests list" <grovenet at rdrop.com>
Sent: Sunday, June 04, 2006 1:19 PM
Subject: Re: [Grovenet] Re:a funny story


> Wow, were we having too much fun communicating without
> you, Steve?  The whole tone of your post makes me glad
> I don't hang out with whoever you get your hateful mis-info
> from!
>
> However, Joy, let me reassure you that those who have been
> friendly, encouraging, and informative to you so far on GroveNet
> are truly friendly, encouraging and informative people.
>
> Geri
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Steve Jerrett" <stevedj at teleport.com>
> To: "Forest Grove local interests list" <grovenet at rdrop.com>
> Sent: Sunday, June 04, 2006 12:26 PM
> Subject: Re: [Grovenet] Re:a funny story
>
>
> : Joy,
> :
> : I have been following this thread for some time now, and would like to
> give
> : you a different perspective.
> :
> : If you were to formulate your impression of Forest Grove based on the
> : conversations on grovenet, you might reach the conclusion that we are a
> very
> : liberal community. Nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, we have
> a
> : University and there is a small liberal microcosm here, but we also a
> very
> : large conservative base.
> :
> : The area was settled in the 1800s by Dutch Catholics and their presence
> is
> : still very influential. The small communities of Roy and Verboort both
> have
> : churches and private schools and names beginning with "Van" (Vandyke,
> : Vandehey, etc.) are still very common. Many of these folks still farm
> the
> : area as they have for many years. They tend to hold conservative values
> and
> : I have found most of them to be solid , upstanding people. Some of the
> local
> : "elite" enjoy joking that the "gene pool" of the Dutch Catholic
> community
> : has been compromised by inbreeding. Some Pacific University professors
> got
> : themselves in hot water a few years back by joking about it in their
> : classes. It seems that they had a few of the locals in their classes. I
> : still hear some of these comments now and then, but it doesn't seem as
> : prevalent as it was. You get some of this on grovenet, although veiled,
> with
> : the redneck jokes, etc.
> :
> : We also have a large Mormon presence. I don't know how large, but it
> : certainly adds to the strength of our area.
> :
> : In addition to farming, Forest Grove once had a large timber-based
> economy.
> : There are no mills in Forest Grove now, but there is one a few miles
> away
> : that employs quite a few local folks
> :
> : In your previous post, you mentioned the conception that Oregon is quite
> : liberal. This is true in the metropolitan areas, but the further you get
> : from the heavily populated areas, the more conservative it becomes.
> Eastern
> : Oregon is very conservative, but it is not the "bubbaville" that was
> : mentioned earlier. I have found, having lived in the eastern part of the
> : state, that many of the folks there are very intelligent, practical and
> : fiercely independent. Western Oregon liberals tend to brand them as
> : "redneck" with all of the negative connotations that come with that
> term,
> : but that is a shallow generalization that often comes from a lack of
> : independent thinking.
> :
> : As for Forest Grove, we are on the fringe of the metro area, and, as I
> : stated before, tend to be much more conservative than Portland. We are
> not a
> : wealthy community in comparison, with some of the least expensive
> housing in
> : the area. We have a fairly large portion of the community below the
> poverty
> : level, as reflected by the high rate of students qualifying for free and
> : reduced lunch at our schools. We have a large Hispanic population, being
> an
> : agriculatural area.There is some gang activity and quite a large drug
> : culture here also.
> :
> : My main objective in writing to you was to give you a different
> perspective.
> : You will tend to get a narrow view from grovenet, as it is not a true
> : representation of the very diverse community that we have here.
> :
> : Steve
> :
> : From: <JBlair2154 at aol.com>
> : To: <grovenet at rdrop.com>
> : Sent: Sunday, June 04, 2006 11:29 AM
> : Subject: [Grovenet] Re:a funny story
> :
> :
> : > Jack had the oil changed in his Explorer yesterday, and came home
> : > grinning
> : > over a conversation he had with the garage owner in our little
> : > Mississippi
> : > town. Ya'll might enjoy it.
> : > Jack mentioned that we plan to move to Oregon.
> : > "Oregon?" said the owner. "My son lives there!" But he couldn't relate
> : > exactly where in Oregon. "I've never  been up there," he explained.
> : > He went on to volunteer: "It's a liberal place...but he  loves it."
> : > He couldn't describe his son's job, either, but declared that his  son
> "is
> : > smart...much smarter than his daddy."
> : >
> : > All I can add to this exchange is a Southernism:  Bless his  heart.
> : > Joy
> : >
> : > _______________________________________________
> : > GroveNet mailing list
> : > GroveNet at rdrop.com
> : > http://www.rdrop.com/mailman/listinfo/grovenet
> :
> : _______________________________________________
> : GroveNet mailing list
> : GroveNet at rdrop.com
> : http://www.rdrop.com/mailman/listinfo/grovenet
>
> _______________________________________________
> GroveNet mailing list
> GroveNet at rdrop.com
> http://www.rdrop.com/mailman/listinfo/grovenet

_______________________________________________
GroveNet mailing list
GroveNet at rdrop.com
http://www.rdrop.com/mailman/listinfo/grovenet