RE: "Conservative and Lower Middle Class - 10/11/2
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5/27/2013
I have lived in Nashua for over 20 years, having previously lived in MA (10 years), preceded by growing up in So Cal. I find the opinions expressed in "Conservative and Lower Middle Class - 10/11/2008" to be based on stereotypes of New Hampshire that do not hold true.
Here are some stats for my local middle school, per the "Find a Good School" website:
Total number of students: 664
Total number of American Indian/Alaska Native students: 4
Total number of Asian/Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander students: 27
Total number of Hispanic students: 127
Total number of Black, non-Hispanic students: 35
Total number of White, non-Hispanic students: 467
Total number of Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander students: 0
Total number of Two or more races students: 4
While we're not a big, inner city, the community is certainly becoming more ethnically diverse. I feel that my daughter is exposed to multiple cultures in her school setting.
Likewise, the political scene of New Hampshire can no longer be characterized as "Conservative". We have been a swing state in the past two presidential elections, both times ending up "blue". Since 2005, our Governor has been a Democrat. Our current Governor is a woman. Our mayor (a Republican, I believe) since 2008 has been a woman.
I'm not sure how "Not Happy" quantifies a "high emotional IQ" or what makes someone an "enlightened, emotionally educated local"(sic). (By the way, if you want to appear educated, perhaps you should learn to use a hyphen for "emotionally-educated"! I'd hate to read YOUR graduate thesis!) Is he/she equating only being "upper class" with being enlightened? Seems pretty vague and illogical to me.
As a California emigrant, I will say that the people of New Hampshire and New England do not wear their hearts on their sleeves. They likely NOT tell you their life story the first time you meet, unlike my personal experiences in check-out lines and at the gas pump in CA! However, that does not mean that people are unfriendly. They are just private, and respect YOUR privacy more than people in some parts of the country. We have a very high rate of community and state volunteerism, and I have found that people will definitely go out of their way to help anyone in need.
I have raised my children here, and as a life-long Democrat, I believe it is a great place for families and kids. I certainly prefer it to free-wheeling Southern California, where I was raised.
I'm sorry "Not Happy" had such a miserable experience. However, I think that one often finds what one is looking for. That is, if you expect a place to not be open-minded, that is what you will see. If you seek an "enlightened" and involved community, you yourself will join organizations, churches, and groups that seek to improve the quality of life for others around you. That is where you will find people with the qualities you seek.
Jennifer D. | Nashua, NH