I Heard Something This Morning That Disturbed Me About People In South Florida......

[global1]

What I heard was that they are the most misinformed people in the U.S.

This bothered me all day. Why are they the most misinformed? Lack of newspapers? Lack of news broadcasts on T.V.? Because they are old? Because they are easily influenced?

Does anybody know the answer to this?

How could we get these people more informed and with the right info? It seems to me that if we can provide them with correct information - this would be an asset.

[madeline_con]

1. You may be misinformed. n/t

[Ian David]

2. When they dance on the bar, they set people on fire. n/t

[dchill]

3. You misunderestimate them.

;)

[Skink]

4. W got to the Texas school system way before he got into the white house

[Clovis Sangrail]

5. don't know about south Fl. but north Fl is full of the 'uninformed'

or as I like to call them... stupid fucking rednecks.

It's not that information isn't available, it is.
They just don't want it.

Boortz, Limabaugh, and Hannity have convinced them that information is bad.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

8. Yeah, don't try to change their minds with facts.

[Lex]

6. First of all, why do you even think that's true?

Who said it? Why?

In what context?

That is where you should start.

[HockeyMom]

7. Everything in media is slanted REPUBLICAN

and right wing religious. Unless, of course, you have the Net and DU. When I came down here, I was shocked the first time I watched a local TV newscast or read a newspaper.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

12. And it targets a fourth grade level of understanding.

[angrycarpenter]

9. Talk radio is very big there

Very long commutes make them a captive audience.

[LiberalEsto]

10. They got them some stupid

in the drinking water, maybe

[ThomWV]

11. They are saturated by right wing propoganda

Much different from mid-state Idaho or Montana, where they are not saturated by that trash but its the only thing they get.

[SoFlaJet]

13. a mighty FUCK YOU ALL

to everyone who thinks this or writes this kind of shit.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

15. Take it easy, I'm from Oregon and we have some stupid ones

here to, never could figure out why someone would be proud to be dumb.

[JanMichael]

16. Hmm. I spent most of my adult life in Florida and I can attest that...

...it is transient enough in SW and SE Florida to attract some of the dumbest people in America.

The Panhandle is super stupid conservative and the HS graduation rates are...Oh hell read them yourself:

http://www.sptimes.com/2002/11/21/State/Florida_dead_last_in_.shtml

Not to say a GED is bad, no it's a good thing for an individual, but the fact that so few kids actually make it completely out of that miserable system with a diploma out speaks wonders.

[juajen]

14. What a condescending post!

I'm sure that is just an opinion, not a statistic. How in Hell could anyone know how misinformed So. Florida is? They have the usual access to media that you do.

BTW, the elderly are probably a lot more informed than the regular population, as they have more time to spend reading, and actually grew up reading, rather than playing video games in their mothers' basements.

[Clovis Sangrail]

19. You must be lucky

A good chunk of the old people I've known (not in Fl) are anything *but 'more informed'.

I think it's related to how comfortable they are on computers (so they can look things up).

[stillcool]

17. I lived in South Florida for..

a number of years. I met people from all over the world. Much more so than anywhere else I have lived.

[RockaFowler]

18. Wow Global1 you couldn't be more wrong

South Florida is the most Liberal part of the entire state. We are the most informed part of the state as well (sorry to those in Tampa/Orlando). If your statement had been about North Florida, I would agree with you. Miami may have a lot of Republican Cubans, but it is a very progressive area from the Keys all the way to Port St Lucie (my town).

[lib2DaBone]

20. Big melting Pot -

Florida's east coast is New York. Florida's West coast is Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. Throw in a LARGE number of Mexicans and Cubans, and you have a big melting pot. Sadly, the pot is stirred by Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly and Micahael Savage. Almost every radio station in Florida is owned by Clear Channel. Wall-to-wall NEOCON 24 hours a day. People are like parrots. They repeat what they hear repeated. They fail to think for themselves. They "Catapult" the propaganda... as it were...

[tkmorris]

21. South Florida? Misinformed?

[Patsy Stone]

22. Who said that?

We are very well-informed.

[peacetalksforall]

23. You should immediately dismiss a broad claim such as this one.

Every single part of the country has a ratio. There are some brilliant people all over southern Florida. And the ratio may not be better or worse to many other places in the U.S.

Ask yourself what they are getting at. Yes, it's way too broad. Are they speaking of their tv watching, their education, their interests, the jobs they can get? Were they measured against some nationwide statistics?

It's a statement you can toss out.

Some people in the south would say that about central or north Florida - it's a statement mostly based on an unstated prejudice. Context is essential for a statement like that one.

There is a high ratio of people who haven't had the opportunities that others have received.

Now, if they are graded on some consideration skills, they might be lacking - such as stopping in the middle of the street to drop someone off, rather than pull over so that traffic can flow.