<p>My brothers grew up in Flushing, ( so apart from a love of Korea/Thai food, and a liking for the Mets), I actually have a soft spot in my heart for Queens.</p>
<p>That said......Does anyone want to talk smack about Long Island? </p>
<p>That place is a 120 mile long cesspool of neuroticism and slutty girls from Nassau.</p>
<p>How about we, um.. NOT "talk smack about Long Island"? I realize that there are an insane amount of ridiculously self-obsessed people from there. But, honestly, those people exist everywhere. Maybe I'm being overly sensitive here - but after a whole semester of hearing "smack" about Long Island, I'm sick of it. I don't see why so many people on this forum and on the Cornell campus are quick to jump on the "let's grossly generalize and hate on ALL Long Islanders" bandwagon. It's really annoying and a bit appalling to see how so many people start judging you when you say you're from Long Island. </p>
<p>Get off of your high horses please. I really don't think WHERE you come from makes you a better person. So, you can judge me (and/or my fellow Long Islanders) on my (our) actions, but don't judge me (us) on where I (we) come from.</p>
<p>[/end rant]</p>
<p>P.S. I'm quite aware that for some, all of this is just "teasing" and all in good fun/in jest, but find some other topic to talk about. I have never understood why putting other people/groups/etc. down is a source of amusement for some.</p>
<p>@cc102:</p>
<p>Awww, I'm sorry. I don't actually have anything against people from Long Island (if that's the only information I have about them.....If I learned they trampled that guy at the Wal*Mart to death...well...).</p>
<p>However; teasing something about something you don't identify with, or actively distance yourself from is mad fun.</p>
<p>Think of any joke. I can almost guarantee it will involve either pure absurdity of expectation (ex. Pirate joke where the pirate has a wheel on his dick, and it's "Arrrr, driving me nuts!") or a slight about someone's intelligence/morality.</p>
<p>Also....if you ever get pent up....there's always the EARS service...</p>
<p>jk....no one really needs that, it's just good PR for Cornell.</p>
<p>This is a good thread gone bad..</p>
<p>a few random thoughts ...</p>
<p>Queens and Ithaca are both in New York state but have nothing to do with each as far as safety is concerned. The equivalent would be comparing the safety in Queens to a rural Massachusetts college town ... they are just as close as Queens and Ithaca.</p>
<p>I was at Cornell when the the blue system was beefed up due to safety issues on campus. Ironically large sprawling leafy green campus' have inherent safety risks ... there are lots of isolated spots on campus and the campus security can not be everywhere at once. City schools come with their own inherent issues. But the idea that a college in a college town will be tons safer than a city school is probably not as true as a lot of people think. As always people need to be smart where they go and when. Please do not get this wrong ... Cornell, like almost all college campuses are safe places when it come to violent crime if you're smart about where you go on campus and when (as safe as other environments in their host towns) (all campuses have petty theft issues - watch your wallet, bike, and laptop).</p>
<p>@ collegehopefull:</p>
<p>"However; teasing something about something you don't identify with, or actively distance yourself from is mad fun."</p>
<p>My P.S. statement still stands, and I would actually go so far as to say that what people say about Long Islanders are no jokes. In fact, quite a few of the things people say are rude, obnoxious and petty. Putting a group of people down just because of where they come from is NOT the equivalent of a joke, especially not with the ones you gave as an example. </p>
<p>But thanks for that referral to EARS, buddy! Glad to know someone has my back.</p>
<p>The level of arbitration found in a joke is directly proportional to how quickly you should dismiss it.
In general, if people aren't being malicious you don't need to feel offended.</p>
<p>(I swear, I was not actually being malicious when I talked about girls from Nassau....now...if I had to talk about a specific girl from there......THEN I would be....)</p>
<p>Yeah....The EARS service is nice and all but......I still find it really, really weird.</p>
<p>CC102, I hope you're proud of being from the Island, because our stereotype is far better than what people think of the rest of America. Sure, plenty of people from Long island are obnoxious, but that doesn't compare to the types of people I have met from other parts of the country. The stereotype about Americans is that we're all fat, ignorant, too stupid to point to our own country on a map of the world, and sit on our asses eating burgers and watching TV all day. I was shocked people could think this, because I grew up in a town where just about everyone's into sports, we're healthy, the town isn't made up of fast food places, our public schools are some of best in the U.S, and half the graduating class goes on to top colleges. Up until recently, my view of America was mostly limited to New York State, and the rest of the Northeast. </p>
<p>Then I went to college and met the rest of America. Oh dear. Oh my.</p>
<p>Wait 'til you meet the rest of the world. Trust me, I've been lots of places, and though they were great, it certainly doesn't make me want to move.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Then I went to college and met the rest of America. Oh dear. Oh my.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Nothing better than some East Coast elitism to turn the rest of the country off. No wonder people crack jokes at LI's expense.</p>
<p>@stargazerlilies: Of course I feel proud to be from Long Island, home to one of the highest income gaps in the nation! Of course I'm proud - especially since our highways and roads were designed with racism in mind, with the blatant intention of cutting through the lower-income (heavily populated with minorities) cities/towns and to NOT let kids from the inner city (once again, most, if not all, were lower-incomed minorities) go to Jones Beach because they didn't want the beach to get "dirty". These things still go on today - look at the location of some of the poorest school districts and then some of the richest school districts in New York. It's shocking how they can be right next to each other - both on Long Island. But beyond all else, I'm so proud to come from a place where most of the people who live there don't even realize the history and injustice that surrounds us daily. No, really, instead, I love that the majority of people who live on Long Island is perceived to be materialistic preps who have not a care in the world.</p>
<p>Yep, I'm damn proud to be from Long Island.</p>
<p>@collegehopefull: "The level of arbitration found in a joke is directly proportional to how quickly you should dismiss it. In general, if people aren't being malicious you don't need to feel offended." </p>
<p>Except all jokes have some basis in truth and, like I said earlier, I really DON'T think trash-talking ALL Long Islanders is a joke. Not when you're generalizing and painting everyone based on the actions of a few. Maybe you don't have a malicious intent, but you're perpetuating a stereotype/thought that has a basis in malicious intent and that's just as bad. Look, I'm sorry to use you as an example, but it just gets annoying.</p>
<p>Girls shouldn't walk alone at night?</p>
<p>Sigh. What an attitude. </p>
<p>Maybe girls should wear full hijab and stop tempting men?</p>
<p>Bad things happen, yes, but girls - and women for that matter - shouldn't be asked to live in fear or hide themselves away. Be confident, well-informed, fierce, independent, and fearless. That isn't foolproof, but nothing in life is foolproof, and it sure beats the alternative.</p>
<p>Ahh so when one group stereotypes another, it's ok, but when it's the other way around, it's elitism? if you say so. </p>
<p>cc102 - yep and not only is that part of our history, but it's till true today. you'd be surprised how many people don't realize this...I mean, sure it's brought up in History class, but I would say the average person doesn't realize it. Still, let's not pretend this doesn't apply to the rest of the nation, where it's worse in some areas. Or to much of the world. </p>
<p>polisciphd - I think all that person was trying to say is since we're smaller than men, it's harder to fight off a predator..that said, I walk around NYC by myself, and never feel unsafe, so i doubt an Ithaca girl feels unsafe walking around after dark.</p>
<p>"Trust me, I've been lots of places, and though they were great, it certainly doesn't make me want to move." Who said anything about moving?</p>
<p>stargazer - You're right, for the record, I'm sure that's all he/she was trying to say. And you're also right that we're smaller than men, but I LOVE your fearless attitude. I wish that for all women, that none of us should ever have to feel unsafe. Unrealistic, I know...but sweet dream nonetheless.</p>
<p>Yep I understand...I grew up in a strict Muslim household, and my grandma actually wears a hijab and warned me not to "tempt men" (tank tops - oh no!) so I get how you feel the whole girls not walking alone thing is demeaning. But the truth is predators are often men, and it's so easy to assault a drunk college girl alone at night. In NYC, there are always people around, even at 4 AM, but it might actually be easier in Ithaca (assuming it's not on campus).</p>
<p>stargazer: polisciphd is right when he/she said that that is exactly what I meant. Read what I wrote a little more closely and you'll see that my points coincide directly with yours. Except I never gave the impression that the problems were only applicable to Long Island - or at least I hope I didn't. I merely gave examples specific to Long Island to prove just how "proud" I am to be from such a bigoted place. It was simply an attempt to reiterate the point that I made earlier about how where you come from shouldn't determine who you are and how people shouldn't judge you based on that.</p>
<p>Let's not even get me STARTED on the injustice that goes on in America, much less the world in terms of income gaps and other socioeconomic problems.</p>
<p>No I think Polisciphd was talking about the guy who said girls shouldn't walk alone at night, not you. But I do agree with what you said. And yeah, I don't think we should even bring up socioeconomic problems, since that's all we hear these days on the news/radio/tv/etc.</p>