I Was Born in a Small Town.

I was born in Amityville, New York. Small town. About the size, let's say, of Wasilla, Alaska. My mom was born there too. She's 81 and still lives there. Plays bridge two or three times a week. She has a wide circle of friends, some of whom she has known since high school. My brother Steven moved back to Amityville to raise his family. His nest is nearly empty and he and his wife still live there. My sister-in-law teaches nursery school at the Catholic grammar school that I attended. It is a place where everyone really does know your name. Small town stuff.

My small town has crime. My small town has poverty. My small town has women who are pro-choice. My small town has gay people who live there. My small town has people of color. In my small town, people care about their state, their country and their world.

John McCain and Sarah Palin talk about 'small towns' every day. And Sarah Palin is a particularly good messenger on this topic. We are reminded incessantly that she was the mayor of a small town. But they don't mean my kind of small town. Or yours for that matter.

"Small town" is code. 'Code" for a world view that is black and white but includes no color. Code for a world in which religion and politics connect in a way that feels wrong and scary. Code for a world view where more people spend all their time thinking about what makes us different rather than on what binds us together.

I noted that this is a new code word. What was the old one? How quickly you forget. "Moral values." I guess that was so 2004.

Comments

[MsBeige]

10:03 AM on 09/11/2008

I was born and raised in Amityville and yes it is in Suffolk County and not Nassau County(although it is on the border line of both). I still live there. It is smaller then Masspequa. I'm sure Joan Garry is speaking of the Village (south side) of Amityville. I grow up on the north side (North Amityville). This part of Amiyville is predominantly made up of people of color. Palin is definitely not speaking of places like Amityville....especially not my part! My Amityville is a place where blacks started to migrate when the city(NYC) was no longer a place to raise a family. I LOVE Amityville! Just like any where else we have our issues but it's because of people and not because the town is small. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to grow up in the suburbs. Even though there has been changes over the years especially in the people it still has managed to stay the same in the important ways. The things that ConstanceReader mention happens every where not just in small towns. Like I said it's people and how they handle themselves and their lives not their geographical surroundings.

[ny3614]

11:54 PM on 09/10/2008

stefano, if you "grew up in a town right next door", you would know that amityville is suffolk county and not nassau.

secondly, in comparison of size, massapequa is more than double the size of amityville and while the chances of "knowing everyone" is not realistic, living in a town like amityville, knowing alot of people is pretty much the norm.

[ConstanceReader]

04:36 PM on 09/10/2008

I spent my life in real small rural towns and I was (sorta kinda) joking to someone that as a matter of fact, yes, the GOP does have small town values. Specifically, the small town values of sticking your nose into everybody else's private business (while raising holy hell if anyone sticks their nose into yours) and passing judgment on them. Of believing that everybody else must look, act, walk, talk and live exactly like you. Of suspicion and marginization of "outsiders", especially if they have dark hair and skin. Of dealing with conflicts using vicious rumor if not physical violence. Of teenage pregnancy and delinquency because there's nothing better to do on the weekend than drink, fight and screw.

There are many good aspects of small town life, I know, but the above are the things I remember the most and miss the least.

[Stefano]

04:20 PM on 09/10/2008

Joan, i grew up in a town right next door, Amityville is not a small town. Its on Long Island, in Nassau County, one hour train ride from NYC. I think they might be talking a little smaller than a suburb or NYC. I certainly didn't know everyone in Massaqequa, you don't know everyone in Amityville. This is just getting silly, McCain Palin is a bad ticket, we don't need to get crazy here and call the suburbs small towns...lol

[LeftRight]

08:39 PM on 09/10/2008

However, *I* did live in a small town, Sterling, IL. It is bigger than Wasilla, by about double, and yet I see more in common with Joan Garry's Amityville than what sarah quaylin claims is her small town!