Posted by HenryVIII (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 1:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"It seems as if negativity and discontent has become an epidemic around the country. Locally and nationally something has changed."
I'll tell you what has changed...I democrat was elected president. Now, the conservatives are being sore losers and complaining about everything. That's their style; rather than do something positive to help, they'd rather gripe about how the sky is falling and that it isn't their fault. The conservative television and radio shows they watch and listen to are condoning and encouraging this behavior. The fact that our president is black is another reason for SOME people to have this resentful attitude. Secretly, SOME people are upset that a black man (who they don’t think should share the same water fountain) achieved more than they’ll ever achieve in their lifetime. I don’t think that’s the case with MOST conservatives; only a few.
I think it’s a case of mob-mentality where everyone is jumping-on the band wagon and thinking they are upset because “everyone else is”.

Emporia is a great place to live because I have a good job, the sun is shining, the air is SHS-free, and the beer is cold. What else could you ask for?
'enry

Posted by open_eyes (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 1:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)

LOL Henry. Glad to see you finally came out of your shell you've been hiding in for the last 8 years. Really. You shoulda got out more often back then. Guess you never even watched/listened to MSNBC, Air America, or any of the behavior "encouraged" by them nightly.

Anyway, way to start off the "positive" thread. Remind me again who's sore and complaining?

Posted by EsqEB (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 1:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"Now, the conservatives are being sore losers and complaining about everything. That's their style; rather than do something positive to help, they'd rather gripe about how the sky is falling and that it isn't their fault"

Sounds an awful lot like the Liberals in 2000 and 2004, don't you think Henry? He who lives in a glass house, shouldn't throw stones.

Posted by bdprotheroe (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 1:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)

A nicely written commentary, Ashley. Anxiously, I await to see the new "Great Place" feature. Your inbox should fill up with positive emails, very quickly. Bravo!

Brian Protheroe
San Francisco, CA

Posted by goodoleboy (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 2:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I hate everyone equally=)

Posted by HenryVIII (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 2:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)

goodoleboy,
Me too. I'm an equal opportunity discriminator. ;)

open_eyes and EsqEB,
The author says something RECENTLY changed. I interpreted this as there wasn't a problem during the Bush era. Besides, I don't think liberals are quite as eccentric as conservatives when it comes to showing their displeasure. I bet you're wishing you could shout "You lie!" in the middle of my post, aren't you? :)

Emporia is a great place to live because we have a top-notch newspaper that provides a fantastic community forum.
'enry

Posted by admireed (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 2:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Emporia is a great place to live but bad ideas need to be challanged and the Gazette offers this opportunity

Posted by open_eyes (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 3:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Henry, I was just thinking back to all the marches and protests calling Bush a Nazi and a terrorist, the Rep calling Bush a liar on the House floor, the riots when same-sex marriage got voted down, etc...... and once again.... wondering where you've been hiding. I must say you've given me my chuckle for the day with the "not quite as eccentric" remark...... people really DO have tunnel vision when they put their mind to it.... :)

I don't see that anything has recently changed. Just that the shoe is on the other foot now, and those that think this is a new thing have been completely ignorant for 8 years. But I'm not surprised. I've always figured a certain segment of the population had an extremely short memory.

Posted by EsqEB (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 3:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"Besides, I don't think liberals are quite as eccentric as conservatives when it comes to showing their displeasure."

You are right Henry, Liberals have always shown such restraint towards others they disagree with...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/con...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/…...

Harry Reid calling Bush a “liar” and taking pride in never apologizing…
http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrus...

Pelosi calling a sitting President a “Total failure”
http://www.nowpublic.com/world/pelosi-ma...

Here is video of Democrats booing President Bush during the 2005 State of the Union

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2...

I bet you are wishing you could call me mentally handicapped right now and make fun of me for it...like your president does...

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/030...

Give it up Henry, you are trying to mud sling and ending up with quite a bit of mud on your liberal agenda and ideals...

Posted by dale011 (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 3:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)

henry, henry , henry, you are right. We are upset because a democrat is in the whitehouse, but that is only part of it. A socialist organizer democrat that lies constantly is in the whitehouse and allowing the most liberal part of his party to run congress and threaten everything the rest of us hold dear - America and our way of life. Really look at what they want to do and try to defend it. You can't no matter how long you try, so here we are, waiting for the next elections so we can retake our government from the abomination we now have in Washington.
As far as Emporia goes. it is a good place to live, we just have growing pains.

Posted by HenryVIII (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 3:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

EsqEB,
I don't know much about the other instances you posted (too many links to click), but I think it's funny you are clinging to the Special Olympics remark. From the article you cited:
"The president had been making an attempt at self-deprecating humor in his appearance on Jay Leno's show by saying that a recent 129 he scored in the White House bowling alley had been "like Special Olympics, or something.""
Clearly, the President was poking fun at himself NOT the "mentally handicapped" as you put it. I wasn't trying to "sling mud" or push any agenda. I was simply stating my opinion on why I think the common mindset has changed recently. Fear and anger are contagious and the conservatives to a good job spreading it. You don’t see many democrats going around bad-mouthing Emporia do you? I’m not bitter, so I don’t have any reason to. The problem is that some people aren’t even giving new ideas a chance; they dismiss it as “too much government” or “too much spending” before they even consider the benefit.
'enry

Posted by paulkersey (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 3:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Emporia is a great place to live because it has the highest taxes in the State of Kansas, and the 5th lowest income per capita.

Emporia is a great place to live because it has a ~17% unemployment rate.

Emporia is a great place to live because the city itself is 60 million dollars in debt, and could very possibly be the first city in Kansas to declare bankruptcy in the next three years.

Posted by open_eyes (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 3:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Henry, the fact that you "don't know too much about the other instances" is exactly why you believe that only conservatives do a good job of spreading fear and anger.
Do youself a favor. Get informed and educated. Try following some different news broadcasts instead of just the ones that only show what you agree with. Wake up.
If I "didn't know too much about other things"...... I think I'd just keep quiet about making judgements until I did.

Posted by create (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 3:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Ashley says, "After all, how many towns across the country have the privilege of being visited by three national television crews..." Did they come to cover positive events?

Regarding Tom Brokaw's program, many (including me) sent e-mail and regular mail inviting him to stop here, a crossroads of Highways 99 and 50. He didn't just decide to come here on his own. I specifically mentioned Emporia as being the founding home of Veteran's Day.

I saw the trailer on TV yesterday announcing the coverage of Brokaw's Emporia visit next Wednesday evening at 7. It said something specific about how one local couple was keeping their newspaper business together. I hope the Gazette isn't the only thing he came here to cover, because there's more to Emporia than the newspaper. If that's all the report will be about, I will be sorely disappointed.

Posted by create (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 3:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Another thing please. While there are many positive and good things about Emporia, there are also many problematic things as well.

Wearing blinders can be a dangerous thing. Why not ask some of the people who helped in the recent cleanup? I think some of those helpful folks, God Bless them, were quite surprised at some of the things they saw around this town that needed to be cleaned up.

Posted by HenryVIII (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 3:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)

open_eyes,
You should say the same thing to Ashley Knecht Walker then. She also seems to think the general attitude has only recently took a turn for the worse.
Also, I say I don't know much about those events because they weren't that big of a deal to me. I'm not the one who complained then and I'm not complaining now. Quit blowing it out of proportion.

I so sorry I ain't "educated" enuff fors ya. I juz "keep quiet" now so you smart folk can go 'bout yo' bidness.

paulkersey,
Those may be good points, but how do they really affect you? Can you not afford the taxes? Are you unemployed? How does the city debt actually impact you? Why don't you move? Less people living here = Less people the city has to provide services for. Do something to improve your situation or quit yer complaining! This isn't the place for your tirades. If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all.

Emporia is a great place to live because we have some fancy new apartment buildings for students and some great pizza joints.
'enry

Posted by open_eyes (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 4 p.m. (Suggest removal)

But back to the main subject (sorry I got off-course by the hypocrisy of the first post) - Sure, Emporia has its share of problems, what town doesn't? But its hard to ever see one's hometown in a bad light for very long. No matter where I go it will always be my home. As long as I have family & friends here, it will always be somewhere I enjoy spending time.

"There's no place like home" ;-)

Posted by vankamp (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 4:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Maybe our problem is a president who puts the United States down instead of letting everyone know the good things.

Posted by vankamp (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 4:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Maybe our problem is a president who puts the United States down instead of letting everyone know the good things.

Posted by open_eyes (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 4:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The polls show that the percentage of Americans who think the country is headed in the wrong direction is quite a bit lower than it was, say, 2 years ago. Approval rating of our current president is at the moment approx 20 points higher than this time last year. Maybe Ashley should have consulted things like that first. Or maybe she is the only one that sees a marked "upturn" in negativity. Or quite possibly, it has to do with the economy, rising unemployment, rising deficits, etc..... And while more and more of the country is growing unhappy with the direction it is heading, overall, the polls state that we haven't gotten close to the levels of a couple years ago. So what is Ashley comparing the "rise in negativity" with? Six months ago? Two years ago? It seems people felt they had every right to be negative and voice it when the country wasn't headed where they thought it should be 2 years ago, suddenly we've lost that right?

Those things that weren't a big deal to you then - they are the exact same things you ranted about in your first post, Henry. Coulda fooled me. Your first post sure sounded like alot of complaining and whining. About the exact same things that "weren't a big deal to you" for the last 8 years.

And we wonder why the word hypocrisy gets thrown around so much these days.

But if you want to make your condescending remarks about "enuff fors ya" go right ahead, be my guest. People who don't rant and rave about things they disagree with and then dismiss the exact mirror reverse of it on the other side as being "not a big deal" see right thru it. Regardless of which you side with. As I've stated often, the studies show.... one side is much more likely to read and watch opposing viewpoints and news than the other. And right now, it shows.

Posted by paulkersey (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 4:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)

HenryVIII, you said,

"If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all."

"LOL! I hope they never recover from this. They had terrible service and prices. There's a lesson here; you gotta pay your taxes, kids."

Sound familiar??

Posted by oh4theluvof (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 4:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)

When I was a teenager, there was, admittedly, not a lot of complaining going on. You see, Americans were living in a bubble during those years. It was happy and fun and everything seemed to be going well. For one thing, as far as we knew, the economy was booming...we thought this because anytime we wanted something and didn't have the cash, we charged it. Crime was lower, and an appearance conscious generation was making things look nice....even if it meant leaving too many kids to their own devices and fates. If you've ever watched a bubble, though, you will notice that it has a short life span. It pops at the highest point it can attain, then the droplets promptly fall to the ground. Our bubble popped and many of us fell to the ground of reality. Now, when we address reality, there are many elements of it that we are not going to like and ignoring them will not make them go away. Our country is now faced with many more real life issues than in the eighties and nineties and they are hard ones. Many of our young adults are carrying a lot of baggage from those unsupervised times and are apathetic, irresponsible or even criminal as a result. All that credit spending caught up to the collective country and money is a lot tighter for those who are earning it. Taxes are higher because of those who aren't earning it. Negative? Perhaps to some, reality is negative, but to me, hiding from it and trying to return to living in a bubble is negative. For me, this is the age of honesty: if I like it, I will say so, but also if I don't. I guess it depends on whether you agree with me or not as to whether my statement is positive or negative.
As for the film crews, I never saw the one I know about because they were looking at only a couple of very specific things---not a true representation of the town in it's entirety. I have no idea what the other two were about, but I didn't see them either so they must have also stayed in only the prettier places, like downtown.
Just out of curiosity, are S.W.O.T. assessments negative---especially the W? How necessary or helpful are they?

Irony: someone making negative remarks that someone else's remarks were negative

Posted by open_eyes (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 4:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)

One reason for rise in negativity over the last, say, 10-20 years is the rise in readily available information. We have the blogosphere (in which hardly anyone ever gets on just to be positive about something - people rarely take the time to complain about being happy - LOL) - twitter, etc....... it wasn't all that long ago in years that we probably would have only heard about, say, the election unrest this summer in Iran only later and second-hand. The rise of the Internet, cell phones, etc, information is exchanged much faster and in more volume. So is the world really worse now, or is it just that information on how bad it is just more accessable?

Posted by open_eyes (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 4:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)

And I meant to add, also, is it just that complaints are more easily voiced and heard by a greater audience in the information age?

Posted by HenryVIII (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 5:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)

paulkersey,
Of course I remember that, but that wasn't on this thread, was it? THIS article is about "positive thinking". Therefore on THIS thread, if you have nothing nice to say...go shove off, take a hike, or fly a kite!

of4theluvof,
I'll tell you what's ironic. Someone posting negative things about our town on an article talking about how people need to say more positive things about our town. (looking at you, Kersey)

Emporia is a great place to live because it's full of friendly college girls!
‘enry

Posted by open_eyes (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 5:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"THIS article is about "positive thinking". Therefore on THIS thread, if you have nothing nice to say...go shove off, take a hike, or fly a kite!"

Reference Henry's first post on this thread - 1 positive sentence out of 10 complaining about conservatives and racism. Really "nice" things, too. Which pretty much started the whole chain.

Ya shoulda been hiking or flying your kite then, Henry ;-)

Posted by reddog (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 5:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Adversity always introduces a town and its newspaper to its self and I can see some postive changes.

Posted by YY4U (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 5:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I think a lot of the negativity comes from a government body who fails to trust the people they are elected to represent.

Locally, our government felt that Emporian's couldn't be trusted to operate their own businesses so they passed a law that attempted to modify individual behavior. Then when tax revenue from bars dropped they wondered why behaviors changed.

These same government officials decided that it was the economy that caused to decline in sales, but also ignore the poor economy when it comes to spending.

Face it, Emporia is tale of two cities. The "Private" Emporia is a community cutting expenses to the bare bones and windfalls are being saved. The "Public" Emporia is out of touch with reality. The USD is talking about a possible windfall which they are all ready to spend on a football/soccer field. The extension district is trying to "Expand" services and is asking for permission to bypass the county commission and tax us directly. The city is raising sales tax, water rates, sewer rates, trash rates etc. and wonder why the Private sector is against a visitor center at this juncture.

If you are looking for something positive about our community, go to J's carryout, pick up a sack lunch and go to Peter Pan Park to eat it. Better hurry up though, colder weather is on it's way :-(

Posted by lancemountain (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 6:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The college chicks ain't bad and we got a great slaughterhouse. Man I love that smell.

Posted by Observation (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 7:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Has anyone noticed the pretty flowers about town? I like them, especially the red ones. I also like the zoo. I never met a car buyer that I didn't like. I am proud to be an Emporian. I can stand for hours gazing from the bridge at the Water Works, facing the setting sun. Almost every night I sit and watch the streetlights come on and I am grateful they are there. I like the smell of the meat cooking in the near by restaurants as I walk up through the cars in the Wal-Mart parking lot. I always park as far out as I can, as the walk is so enjoyable. I ride my bicycle through the streets of Emporia often and admire the mailboxes in front of people’s houses. I think mailboxes say a lot about the people in the houses. I smile a lot when I think about Emporia. I am sure that I have said negative things about Emporia, but I will do my best to better myself on that issue. Peace, brothers and sister.

Posted by nannergirl (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 7:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I think Emporia is a great place to live because it's a load better than some other places I've lived. Housing is dirt cheap. The pretty scenery makes me cheerful. It's a small enough place that I can walk a few miles and get wherever I need to be. Plus, China Buffet rocks.

Posted by open_eyes (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 8:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I love the Emporia Zoo - especially at Christmas when they decorate it with the lights. Easy walking distance from the war memorial and Soden's bridge, all great scenic places to enjoy.

Posted by oh4theluvof (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 8:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Okay, I'm guessing that paulkersey MUST have meant:

"Emporia is a great place to live because it generates the highest taxes in the State of Kansas, and only the 5th lowest income per capita, not the 6th!

Emporia is a great place to live because it doesn't have an ~18% unemployment rate!

Emporia is a great place to live because the city itself is only 60 million dollars in debt, not 61, and could very possibly be the first city in Kansas to declare bankruptcy in the next three years while it may only take two for others!"

Benefit of the doubt, people.....the city might be a little more positive if there was a little more of it!!! ;-p

Posted by Observation (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 9:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)

There are lots of cities in this state that wished they had the shine of Emporia. Lots of people from lots of states in this great land that have admitted that they are not in Kansas any more, as a tear leaves their eye. Many countries admire the United States of America and her peoples. Few people in other countries of the world are as blessed as the least blessed that walk our streets. If you look through all the stickers and can't see a rose there somewhere, then we have some good eye doctors in our community that can fix that too. Moisture falls so perfectly in Emporia that the flowers actually smile, especially the red ones. All of our hamburgers are good and our chickens never lay eggs that aren't Grade A. Contrary to popular belief, the wheels of time did not start turning on Main Street of Emporia Kansas, and they are not likely to grind to a halt there either. If you are looking for a great buy on an older car, you do not have to slide past our city limits to seek your satisfaction. I think the stars are brighter here too. Some of that egg got on my Grade A face. I must seek a shower.

Posted by YY4U (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 9:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)

It is hard to be negative about Emporia. It is a great town! I guess when us uneducated and unrefined people point out a need or lack of need for this or that, it is "Negative Thinking." But, when the highly educated and refined citizens point out that our town sucks so bad that it needs a visitor center/dog latrine to balance things out, that is "Positive Thinking" I guess the difference between positive and negative is education. Emporia has a University and a Tech College so no excuses! Here is a practice test:

1. There is nothing wrong with Emporia that a ______ ______ wouldn't fix.

a. Good Education.
b. Little Paint
c. Few Funerals
d. Visitor Center
e. All of the Above

here's a hint, it's not e.

Posted by seriouslyfolks (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 10:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Emporia is a great place to live because Lyon county's foremost authority on the legendary Rock and or Roll band Logjam lives here!!!!!!!!!!!

R.

Posted by b3bill (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 10:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I'm thankful Emporia has easy access to the turnpike and I-35. That makes it very convenient to get to Topeka, Wichita, and KC easily and quickly to go shopping and for other activities.

Posted by seriouslyfolks (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 10:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)

positive thinking is "good" to a point but can be a problem when there isn't any negative.

Say a person's car breaks down and they have it towed to the mechanic. The mechanic just read this article and is only going to think positively from now on. The car owner tells the mechanic that the car died and now won't start. The mechanic says that the tires are still inflated. The car owner says "um? The car won't start. I don't have a problem with the tires. I'd like for the car to start. Can you help me out?" The mechanic says "Gee, that is some shiny paint." Car owner. "How about you see why my car won't start there pal?" Mechanic "Look the doors are unlocked so you can get in and out easily." Car owner "Doesn't do me a lot of good to get in the car when it doesn't start now does it genius?" Mechanic "You could listen to the radio, it still works." Car owner "Look pal I'd like to get home some time tonight. Can you fix my car?" Mechanic "You have a home to go to? That's great!" Car owner "Yes, it's great that I have a house but I have a car that doesn't start and I'd really like it to so I can drive it home to my house!!!" Mechani "I'd rather not think about the fact that your car won't start. Listen to that! Your car is so quiet! Isn't that great!?!" Car owner "IT'S QUIET BECAUSE IT'S NOT RUNNING YOU MORON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Mechanic "Hey you called me a moron. That's gotta be better than being a less-on. Right?" Car owner " I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Car owner pulls tire iron out of the trunk, which opens beutifully by the way, and beats mechanic to within an inch of his life. Mechanic "That was great. You really know how to swing a tire iron."

R.

Posted by goodjoss (anonymous) on September 24, 2009 at 10:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)

• I have an awesome job (grateful for it).
• Emporia is a great place to raise kids, compared to the horror stories from friends in the cities.
• I have the best neighbors. From my understanding, talking to your neighbor is a rarity in America these days - I love hanging out with them on cool autumn evenings while the kids play tag. Americana.
• I can get anywhere in 5 minutes.

And I LOVE the hot-headed reactions that I get to read on this website, even though I'm cynical enough to think that Ashley writes these pieces just to get pageview and unique user counts up to better sell advertising.

Posted by Observation (anonymous) on September 25, 2009 at 6:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Seriously; I like the story about the positive mechanic. The ending could have been better if the mechanic would have just directed the negative car owner to the nearest car salesperson. There could have been a happy ending for all parties then. It sure sounded like the owner was wanting a new car and with just a little positive reinforcement from a well trained Emporia car salesman, it could have happened.

Posted by Steve_Corbin (anonymous) on September 25, 2009 at 6:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Home town kid makes it big in modeling business!

Is that really Teresa Walters son on the Bud Light promotions around town?

Posted by create (anonymous) on September 25, 2009 at 7:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Oh4theluvof,
I enjoyed reading your post. I've never read a more true assessment of why the problems have arisen, and well-written too. Thanks. I read it twice.

Posted by seriouslyfolks (anonymous) on September 25, 2009 at 9:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Observation
I bet if the car owner had been offered a set of steak knives with the new car he would have gone for it. ;)

Posted by seriouslyfolks (anonymous) on September 25, 2009 at 11:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Emporia is a great place to live because, from what I can gather, most people here are against burglary.

R.

Posted by methusla (anonymous) on September 25, 2009 at 1:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Well, I haven't posted for a while, so here goes and get out the methusla bashing clubs !
What I see that has changed recently is the fact that certain people have succeeded in dominating and controlling certain other people and their lives, with the help of outsiders and control of those who govern the City !
As is the fact that not only City but County taxes are on the rise, jobs are on the wane, the City and County are on a spending spree, certain people in Emporia want certain things, not matter the cost, such as landscaping the highway entrances to the City, ( nonsense), suggesting a visitors center, aka dog walk, ( nonsense), complaining about how someones house or property looks, whether they have the means to make it look like the Taj MaHall or Buckingham Palace !
If and when I see something positive to say or believe in about Emporia or when certain people stop complaining about how other people live and stop trying to control how other people live, and stop trying to make Emporia into the image of some other City, then I will definately sing the praise of Emporia, but I have seen nothing of late that is positive or that makes me proud to say that Emporia is a great place, even though it used to be a great place and I used to be proud of my hometown !

Posted by HenryVIII (anonymous) on September 25, 2009 at 3:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Good to hear from you, methusla. I hope you're doing well.
'enry

Posted by giggles (anonymous) on September 25, 2009 at 4:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Methusla, well said. Perhaps certain people should realize that you cannot put down how others live around you, and force them to change it the way you like it and in the next breath tell them they have to have a positive outlook. Kinda hard for those people to be positive when you back them into a corner, sqeezing blood from the turnip that you call living wages, and then you scoff at them for being disgruntled about how city funds are spent.
Your high horse is starting to look like a nag, you might want to put it to pasture and join the rest of us down here.

By the way, you can't fix the problems you won't admit to having.

Posted by nannergirl (anonymous) on September 25, 2009 at 4:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Everyone loves their hometown until someone else moves in and says that it sucks. The person that grew up in the town wants to feel like they have cool opinions too, so they start complaining about it too.

I, for one, still love my hometown.

Plus, Emporia is the home of the Braum's chain. That milk is delicious!

Posted by open_eyes (anonymous) on September 25, 2009 at 4:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Here's some of the positivity we've enjoyed throughout the country for 8 years until just recently (apparently). Just scroll down a bit for some interesting pictures. You don't have to read the right-wing drivel at the beginning if you don't want to. Henry, I realize they "weren't that big a deal to you", but try to take each one....... and visualize Obama's name & face on the picture instead of Bush........... and then maybe you'll have a broader understanding of things.

http://monroerising.com/2009/09/10/bush-...

Posted by HenryVIII (anonymous) on September 25, 2009 at 4:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)

open_eyes,
Don't forget about this one!
http://www.synthtopia.com/content/wp-con...
LOL!
Here is the part you don't understand; I voted for Bush and I wasn't swayed by any nonsense about Bush being a killer or whatever you claim those pictures portray. In the last 8 years, I didn't think my country sucked simply because some crazy people were saying it did. The people with those signs are entitled to their opinions. Sure, some people did the same thing with Bush, but the difference is that now more conservatives seem willing to jump on the bandwagon than liberals did in the Bush era. What I'm saying is, I didn't believe my country sucked in the Bush era simply because some eccentric people said it did, so why do so many people believe it now? Why? I think it’s because conservatives are more eccentric, more easily riled-up, and less sensible than liberals. That's just my theory, though. Do you have a better one?
Perhaps the reason Ashley and I think it has gotten worse recently is because we live in a “red state” and we are surrounded by conservatives who think they should complain about everything since they didn’t win the election.
'enry

Posted by open_eyes (anonymous) on September 25, 2009 at 5:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)

LOL Henry, my cat ran and hid under the bed when I pulled that pic up! - LOL

Here's one with even more pics.

http://www.zombietime.com/zomblog/?p=621...

In it you can also watch videos such as the assassination of Bush scene from the movie "Death of a President", or a clip from the Kerry interview with Maher where this exchange took place:
Maher: You could have went to New Hampshire and killed two birds with one stone.
Kerry: Or, I could have gone to 1600 Pennsylvania and killed the real bird with one stone.
Or a clip of Nobel PEACE PRIZE laureate Betty Williams, giving the keynote speech to the International Women’s Peace Conference in Dallas, Texas, saying, (to laughter and applause from the audience):
“I mean right now, I could kill George Bush, no problem. No, I don’t mean that. I mean — how could you nonviolently kill somebody? I would love to be able to do that.”
Or the Craig Kilborn show on CBS where he put the words "Snipers Wanted" under Bush's acceptance speech.

Were these people all far-left eccentric nutjobs? Or were they 1) Mainstream movie from Hollywood 2) Congressman and former Dem Presidential nominee 3) Nobel Peace Prize winner or 4) CBS and major talk-show host? Who and how do you define "eccentric"?

Yes, I do have a theory: I think that liberals are more eccentric, more easily riled-up, and less sensible than conservatives. (For example, I didn't see any churches storming gay bars before or after the marriage ban in California, but I saw plenty of gays storming churches during the rioting - and the famous video of the young men all stomping on the old lady's cross). In your own words - the things I've listed didn't mean that much to you. Why does it suddenly mean more now? (based on your first post on this thread)

Personally, I'll bet pretty much everyone on each side of the aisle views the other side as being "more eccentric, more easily riled-up, and less sensible". Which side is actually right? Just yours? Or just mine? Or could it be....... neither?

I think you may have actually hit it on the head in your last paragraph. For 8 years there have been alot of conservatives in blue states that have been surrounded by liberals who think they should complain about everything since they didn't win the elections. (Many of the "more sensible non-eccentrics" you brag about claimed they were going to move out of the US - but never did. Haven't heard of a soul yet who claimed they were going to leave the country if Obama won LOL.).

Anyway, its always the old "your-side-is-worse-than-mine" argument.

And it is SO lame alot of the time.

I fully support people's right to demonstrate, protest, march - whether I agree with them or not. But I cringed at all the pics and stories from my links above, and I cringe everytime I see a similar poster of Obama. He started out with high approval ratings - if his policies hadn't taken such a sharp turn south, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

Posted by open_eyes (anonymous) on September 25, 2009 at 5:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I'm curious: If "the difference is that now more conservatives seem willing to jump on the bandwagon than liberals did in the Bush era." - then why is Obama's approval rating still much higher than Bush's was? Why is the percentage of people who believe the country is headed in the right direction still quite a bit higher than it was 1 or 2 years ago?

Could it be that you really don't comprehend how many "liberals jumped on the bandwagon"? Seems to me it was alot more then than now, EASILY, based on the poll numbers. And more than just liberals.

I think what all this positivity/negativity all boils down to is, as you said in your last paragraph, perception. It's only negative when my side is being disagreed with. And everyone who disagrees is obviously more eccentric and less sensible than ME. (Everyone from both viewpoints feel free to put yourself in the shoes of ME).

In other words, (according to the polls) - 2 years ago when 80% of the people thought the country was headed in the wrong direction, the country was positive because only 20% disagreed with me. Now that only 60% of the people feel the country is headed in the wrong direction (more positive overall, anyway you want to spin it) - its more negative because instead of only 20% disagreeing with me, now that I'm on the other side of the fence and think we're moving in the right direction, 60% disagree with me..........

Posted by Steve_Corbin (anonymous) on September 25, 2009 at 6:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Before there was the left and the right, liberal and conservative, we had right and wrong.

When we got stuck with the two party system things went down hill, and we are picking up speed. And instead of trying to stop it, the two of you are arguing who started it.
Answer this question:

Will your kids and grandkids have a better standard of living than you did?

My humble opinion; Not if this keeps up.

Posted by YY4U (anonymous) on September 25, 2009 at 7:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)

On a brighter note, the Mayan Calendar, Nostradamus, and Edgar Casey all predict the end of the world will come December 21, 2012.

Posted by Observation (anonymous) on September 25, 2009 at 8:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Someday there won't be left and right, there will only be up and down. We should probably consider these two planes more seriously today folks than we do and we'd be less left/right sooner and therefore more positive. Positive is just the addition of an up/down line. Plenty easy to do if we let our minds and hearts get on board.

Posted by open_eyes (anonymous) on September 25, 2009 at 9:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Steve_Corbin, I'm not arguing "who started it". Much like the Mideast conflict, its so long ago nobody even remembers anymore. When I said "Anyway, its always the old "your-side-is-worse-than-mine" argument. And it is SO lame alot of the time" - I did not mean that purely from "my" side, I meant it from "EVERY" side. It's always "my side is better than yours, your side is less sensible & more eccentric, etc.......".... and in this case, "we were alot more positive in this country until 'your' side got mad they lost the election". Simply trying to show what a joke that statement is in light of the last 8 years. And what a joke it was to complain that it started 8 years ago in light of what Clinton went thru before that. And Bush/Reagan/Carter before that.

It never ends. Until one sits down and realizes this 2 party system and all its labels is just about the downfall of our country.

You have it exactly right: Before all of this, we had.... simply..... right and wrong. Now the very definition of those terms depends on whether you are left/right, liberal/conservative, GOP/Dem.

On the brighter side, as YY4U says, all this crap will finally come to rest on Dec 21, 2012. (Probably the day Iran fires off its first nuke). So I guess the answer to your question depends on how old my kids/grandkids are at that time.

Posted by seriouslyfolks (anonymous) on September 25, 2009 at 10:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Is it positive to be against burglary? I seriously need help right now. I haven't been this confused since I found out that floats don't really float.

R.

Posted by YY4U (anonymous) on September 25, 2009 at 11:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)

seriouslyfolks, I hate to be the one to inform you, but, http://www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/4...

Posted by seriouslyfolks (anonymous) on September 25, 2009 at 11:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

WHYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!????????????!!!!??

R.

Posted by YY4U (anonymous) on September 25, 2009 at 11:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)

On a positive note, the reindeer have more time to play reindeer games. http://vimeo.com/2487977

Posted by seriouslyfolks (anonymous) on September 26, 2009 at 12:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)

At least reindeer can really fly.

R.

Posted by MisterO (anonymous) on September 26, 2009 at 8:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Ashley:

Positive Thinking vs. Reality Thinking

Regarding the visitor center - it's not that people are fixated on the negative about Emporia.

On the contrary, most of us believe that there are a great many things to like about Emporia. That's why we choose to live here.

However - the great things about Emporia are NOT enough to draw people here off the turnpike as a travel destination.

Having "positive thoughts" is all fine and dandy, but when you are talking about spending taxpayer dollars on a questionable project in this economy, I personally think reality should win out over positive thoughts any day.

I asked a question in the original visitor center thread, and I'll ask it here again - How much of your personal funds or the Gazette's income are you and Chris willing to fork over for this project?

If this visitor center really is as good an idea as some of you think, then you should have no problem at all (positive thinking here) funding it with private donations rather than taxpayer dollars.

When can I expect to see an article in the Gazette with the headline:

"Gazette Begins Fund-raising For Visitor Center with Private Donation from Chris and Ashley"

Posted by Steve_Corbin (anonymous) on September 26, 2009 at 11:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Great Idea!

EMPORIA IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE BECAUSE there are always various fund raisers going on at the same time and most seem to reach their goal. Emporian's are a giving bunch!

Posted by solong (anonymous) on September 26, 2009 at 12:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Emporia is a great place to live because it is only 11 miles to the Chicken House in Olpe and 9 miles coming back, or is it the other way around.?

Posted by oh4theluvof (anonymous) on September 26, 2009 at 12:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)

create:
Thank you for the accolades. That was very affirming and positive of you!! ;-) I appreciated your Sept 24th @ 3:57 post as well, but of course, you and I are sharing the same sentiment in both our posts, so we are bound to think each other's posts are positive.

nannergirl:
I am afraid that I disagree with your theory, although I do agree about the Braum's thing. I have felt trapped in this town for the better part of my lifespan because my interests have no market here. I do have family here so it's not like I want to be horribly far away, but Kansas City would be more ideal. Since I was unable to pursue my actual interests here, I have taken on a different enterprise which does have a market here, but it is also worth more monetarily in KC or even Topeka or Wichita. I also tire of the unbalanced treatment of city maintenance needs and of the snobbery that comes from one set of townspeople toward the other, simply for geographical or "educational" reasons. I realize that this exists in all towns, but given the size of this town, it is way more visible here. It is also hard for me to understand how the uppity people here think so highly of themselves when, after all, they are also just residents of "some podunk Kansas town."

All of that said, I have to admit that I am blessed here and simply let others who don't really matter but think they do, get to me. I do have a hard time finding the positive aspects of Emporia through the prominent negatives. For me, Emporia is a great place to live, only because my husband lives here and no career or money is worth leaving him for. But if he ever decided to leave here, I would be packed in a heartbeat. I have wonderful friends and family that I would absolutely come back to visit, but they would be the only reason I would bother to come back. Sadly, none of the reasons listed here by others about why my hometown is so great have had any impact on my thinking. I am content here (not looking for opportunities to leave), but nothing more.

Posted by methusla (anonymous) on September 26, 2009 at 4:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)

After reading through the comments on this thread I have a couple of questions to put to the people and would like to see how many positive answers there are !
Is all of Emporia a positive and great place to live, or is only certain parts of Emporia a positive and great place to live ?
And if all of Emporia is a positive and great place to live, then why do certain people seem to always be complaining about and putting down certain areas of Emporia if it is such a positive and great place to live ?
Are there two Emporias, one a great place to live and one that is not such a great place to live, are we not all considered to be Emporians, equal to any other Emporian ?
In order for anyplace to become a great and positive place, everyone that lives in that place has to be, rather, must be, considered as an equal, no matter which area they happen to live in and no matter what their education, social status, amount of wealth, success, etc., may be !

Posted by YY4U (anonymous) on September 26, 2009 at 7:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I think it works like this, If you point out a problem and follow up with a solution it is being "Positive" (especially if there is a grant involved). An example of this is when someone said "Emporia wouldn't suck so bad if we had an indoor smoking ban." That was "Positive". "Negative" is when someone else disagrees with the first persons observation. An example of this would be when other people said "Emporia will still suck even with an indoor smoking ban."

Posted by goodoleboy (anonymous) on September 27, 2009 at 1:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)

"Emporia is a great place to live because it is only 11 miles to the Chicken House in Olpe and 9 miles coming back, or is it the other way around.?"

The sheer wisdom endowed in this sentence confounds even me, bravo!

Posted by paulkersey (anonymous) on September 27, 2009 at 3:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)

"This used to be a funhouse. But now it's full of evil clowns. We're gonna burn it down, down, down. We're gonna burn it down."

Posted by seriouslyfolks (anonymous) on September 27, 2009 at 1:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"This used to be a funhouse. But now it's full of evil clowns. We're gonna burn it down, down, down. We're gonna burn it down."

Isn't that from a Spice Girls song?

R.

Posted by YY4U (anonymous) on September 27, 2009 at 2:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

At least paulkersey is being positive. Notice how the problem was followed up with a solution? Great job!

Posted by seriouslyfolks (anonymous) on September 27, 2009 at 3:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)

LOL

R.

Posted by b3bill (anonymous) on September 27, 2009 at 9:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"This used to be a funhouse. But now it's full of evil clowns..." is by the female artist P!nk. That's how she spells it, instead of "Pink". She's got some great songs.

Regarding the article, it is a poor attitude for any person, business or other entity to decide to ignore any criticism or negative comments or feedback. It is very arrogant and haughty, especially in calling the views of many of the citizens a "cult of negativity." The Gazette has always had the opportunity to publish positive articles, so why have they waited until now? The Gazette needs to realize they will also have to publish articles that aren't so fun, such as the continuing developments in the Madelyn's (owner Ms. Jean Woods) story.

Of course Emporia has some positive aspects, but it has plenty of negative issues of all kinds as well. A lot of the negative views have a substantial basis and should not be ignored. To decide to only focus on the positive, and ignore the negative, is a great way to never improve.

Posted by create (anonymous) on September 29, 2009 at 8:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Good comments, b3Bill. You are right. When it's all only positive, where's the base for making improvement? Sounds like the No Child Left Behind Act. People constantly complained about assessment tests. So how else do you set a base then later measure improvement?

As far as the news business is concerned, people who want to only concentrate on positive things are naive. Is there room for naivete in newsrooms?

Too much sugar is bad for you.

Posted by open_eyes (anonymous) on September 29, 2009 at 9:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)

It's all part of the vast right-wing conspiracy.

After all, as evidenced in the above links, we've had nothing but positive vibes and love shown for the past several years.

Darn right-wing-Christians. Meeting every Sunday blaspheming and damning America and anyone with a different skin color from them.

Oh, sorry, I forgot. That was Reverend Wrights church ;-).

Posted by create (anonymous) on September 29, 2009 at 12:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)

You know, open_eyes, I know your comments are tongue in cheek, but it's not always Reverend Wright. I am by no means defending his racist ways, incidentally.

On another thread today, I found out about a movie called "The Rabbit Proof Fence." Briefly, it relates to how the Australian government took aborigine children from their homes in order to "educate" them into the white world.

Sound familiar? Native Americans went through the same thing when church and government schools tried to break them of their "uncivilized" ways of life.

I experienced the same thing as a kid when my parents were urged to send me to an English Standard school as opposed to a regular public school where the language of the streets was spoken. I learned to speak the Queen's English so to speak, and one of the ways they taught me was with a ruler. Another way was by locking me in a dark closet if my verb tenses were incorrect.

At least Reverend Wright was forthright with his opinions, not covert. He said what was on his mind in public. He didn't go behind closed doors to develop government programs designed to break "heathen" children of their language and cultural practices.

Nothing tongue in cheek there.

Posted by open_eyes (anonymous) on September 29, 2009 at 12:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Some of your scenarios reinforce what I believe - that once again, big government is the problem, not the solution. Nothing tongue in cheek from me there, either.

My whole point thru this..... as I tend to be distracted & stray easily..... is that I don't see where the country has turned negative recently. Compared to the 70-some % approval rating Obama had early in his term, of course it has somewhat. All presidents experience ups and downs in their approval ratings. But not in the least compared to the last few years. In 2007 something like 18% of the people believed the country was headed in the right direction, now it is nearly double that, around 33%.
I think, again, it all comes down to how many agree with those making those statements. Again, if you believed the country was on the wrong path in 2007, and less than 20% of the people disagreed with you, and you viewed that as "positivity". If you now believe the country is on the right track, and 65% or so disagree with you, then you see alot of "negativity" around you. Its all in perception. (That's MY perception of it - LOL).
I also have yet to see the level of general public negativity and outright slander and venom directed towards President Obama that I saw the last 5 years or so of Bush's term. Again, to understand what people with opposing views have endured for several years, take each of those pics and replace them with Obama. Absolutely Horrible, isn't it? No matter who's pic/name is used.

Posted by glarson (Gwen Larson) on September 29, 2009 at 3 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Moved to a forum:

http://www.emporiagazette.com/forums/ope...