Roam if you want to
The debate on the validity of the suburbs as being part of Buffalo still rages on over at BuffaloPundit’s site. Actually, it’s not much of a debate at all. Except for David Torke from Fix Buffalo (a blog that I read frequently) even the city dwellers who have posted aren’t against the helping hand from us outliers. Unlike David, I don’t believe that we need to feel the pain, so to speak, of living in the city to discuss the city. Martyrdom complexes annoy me.
Actually, David’s site shows quite clearly why everyone that lives in this region need to be part of fixing Buffalo. There aren’t enough people to fix all the problems.
How many more buildings would be on the Tour dé Neglect without those of us that prefer living in the suburbs helping out?
Good points which I have never considered
Derek,
You really piss me off and contribute to an offensive dialog between urban and suburban by posting this crap about me and what you think I said. You missed the point in my comment (on Hodgepoge, I believe) and Alan twists and turns like any kid sent by the teacher to the office while pointing his finger elsewhere.
The point I was making that if you live somewhere – in this case Clarence – your comments about some other place – in this case Buffalo – would be easier to handle if you had a sustained critique about your place – in this case, Clarence.
There are so many things to be writing about in the suburbs. Tune in to Joel Kotkin some time if you need help creating your own ciritique.
But just stop attributing to me gossip, non-sense and hearsay. I believe you are projecting your own and probably righteous position on the City when you post in this way. Stop it.
Live wherever you want. Write about it, too in a sustained way that others can learn from the benefit of your insight.
Martyrdom? Not for me…even if it’s forced on me by self righteous suburbanites like yourself.
Sorry, David, but I disagree with the concept that one can only write about the area they live in. I write about Hamburg when there is something to write about, but it’s not Hamburg that is the core of WNY’s decline.
The martyrdom complex is at the core of the many city residents who say “if you don’t live here, shut up.” What they’re really saying is, “I feel much more of the pain of the city’s problems, therefore only I can speak with authority.” That is a righteous projection.
My whole point with this thread of postings is to counteract that type of mentality. That is where the offensive urban vs. suburban dialog stems from, not from my pointing out that it exists.
I think you’re doing great work with your site and the bike tour (which I hope to take someday). I respect your viewpoints on city issues. I just don’t feel it can be the only viewpoint.
Again…you miss my point. Never said you can only write about where you live and you are attributing more to my critique than I have ever said or mean. Yet, where is the sustained criticism of suburbia here in the Buffalo area? There isn’t any – Photos, text, critique…nothing.
Writing about Buffalo is easy pickings…the sustained suburban critique would take some effort…
I think there’s quite a bit of suburban critique from the blogs that are pro-urban. Maybe it’s not “sustained” in that someone isn’t writing “suburbs suck, suburbs suck, suburbs suck” day after day, but pointing out the benefits of urbanism most often is done by highlighting the shortfalls of suburbanism – traffic, lack of public transportation, non-walkable environments. But the reason many people choose to live in the suburbs is because they like the environment and can overlook those things. I’m not going to be very critical of the aspects of suburban life, because I chose them when I moved here.
Regardless, this topic started not as a critique of Buffalo or urbanism, but a critique of people who are pro-urban, anti-suburbanite input/help. I interpreted your comment to fit that category. If that’s not the case, then I’m still having trouble understanding what you mean by “Living in Clarence and pimping Buffalo is…insulting.”