To the Editor:
There is nothing utopian about the exurbs. They are without public space save the shopping mall parking lot, their people do not saunter, the landscape is uninspiring, neighborhoods are often gated, and there is no place to assemble for protest.The exurbs are isolated from diversity, removed from the conversations of the world community and free from the sight of poverty, homelessness and class division.
Michael Oman-Reagan
New York,
Nov. 9, 2004
I always understood that a 'goal' of the enlightened left was to eliminate "poverty, homelessness, and class division." Not to have it available, for 'observation', so their own lives become validated? And, wouldn't Utopia be a place where there wouldn't be a need for a "place to assemble for protest"?
There is sooo much else to comment on within this letter, but I leave it to you.
Here's David Brooks original article: Take a Ride to Exurbia
1 comment:
You're correct, Utoptia would be free of poverty, homelessness and class division. We will never be free of these kinds of suffering so long as exurbanites can ignore these problems, pretending they don't exist while behind the gated communities of cookie cutter homes.
Urbanites vote for politicians who fight against poverty, homelessness and class division because we live with these things. While the liberal, progressive city dwellers pay for federal programs in Red states, the exurbanites vote against thier best economic interests and worry about non-problems like breasts on television. I ask you, which is more immoral, killing women and children in Iraq or Janet Jacksons nipple on TV?
Here is the original letter as I sent it to the times:
There is nothing Utopian about the exurbs. They are without public space save the shopping mall parking lot, their people do not saunter, the landscape is uninspiring, the communities are gated and there is no place to assemble for protest. The exurbs are isolated from diversity, removed from the conversations of the world community, free from the sight of poverty, homelessness and class division. These protectionist enclaves voted for a president who sells himself as a champion against two groups least likely to be found in the exurbs; terrorists and gay people. David Brooks is rightly impressed by Karl Rove's ability to manipulate the fears of the uninformed exurbanites.
A gay artist born in a red state,
Michael Oman-Reagan
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