[Orlando P.]

Is it true that everyone on the East Coast is incredibly class-conscious and elitist? Why does it seem that they so completely look down on everyone else in the country, and even the world, who did not attend private preparatory and university schools, come from a wealthy family or have access, financially and socially, to exclusive places in Europe and elsewhere on the globe? Having lived in D.C., I was appalled by the behavior I witnessed on a daily basis. What is at the root of this? Why are their lives so preoccupied with money and status? It is very disturbing to me because this is where the decisions about our country are made. It has made me believe that the perception of the government as unconcerned about the plight of the little people is not just a perception, but almost unquestionably real. It is disturbing to me not only as an American, but just as a person trying to get by in this world. It has deeply saddened me and turned me off to our political process and the nation as a whole.

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Name : Orlando P., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 30, City : Meridian, State : MS Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[John K.]

As someone who has lived on the East Coast his entire life, I am now wondering what happened to all of my freebies. I mean, I went to public school, took out massive student loans to go to a public college, only went to Britian once for a high school choir trip... where are my exclusive resorts? My obligatory private schooling?

Obviously, not everyone on the East Coast lives so extravagently. Only the older, rich WASP families live that way, and they pretty much look down on the rest of us middle-class types. You are correct, though, to assume that the government does not give a damn about me or you, unless you have a lot of money to contribute to their interests. Or, alternatively, if your vote can give them the power they want.

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Name : John K., Gender : M, Age : 27, City : Cranford, State : NJ Country : United States, Occupation : Chemical Engineer, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Rhiannon]

I've lived on the East Coast and in the Midwest. Yes, there's more money on the East Coast, and more things like nice department stores, fancy restaurants, extravagent weddings, Prada bags, etc. However, it's definitely a stereotype to say most people live like that. In addition, along with the greater extremes of wealth, there are great extremes of poverty on the East Coast. Washington, D.C., may be full of status-oriented people, but it's also full of areas that look like Third World countries.

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Name : Rhiannon, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 29, City : Eden Prairie, State : MN Country : United States, Occupation : Professor, Social class : Middle class, 

[Anonymous]

First, let me say I am SHOCKED that you saw elitist attitudes in Washington, D.C. - especially considering the fact that the mayor of D.C. did time in prison on drug charges, and D.C. was, in the not too distant past, the murder capital of the country! Have you been in downtown D.C. past dark? Elitist?

As for the rest of the East Coast, I think it depends on where you are. You may run into that kind of thinking in a very wealthy East Coast neighborhood, just as you might in posh Beverly Hills. I don't think it's the coast that makes the difference, but rather the socioeconomic standing.

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Name : Anonymous, Gender : F, Age : 26, City : Southern, State : NJ Country : United States, Social class : Middle class, 

[Caren19224]

I feel I am in a fairly good position to answer your question. I grew up in New York and spent years as an adult on the East Coast, and I now live in rural Oregon. I come from a wealthy New York City family, yet I too was appalled by the things you describe. It seemed unnatural that people were either very prosperous or very poor. I felt quite uncomfortable living on the East Coast. People seemed so separated by class, religion, etc. I moved out West in 1980, and I have enjoyed a liberating sense of freedom since I've made that decision. Here, in Western Oregon, people tend to judge you more on who you are rather than your backround.

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Name : Caren19224, Gender : F, City : Corvallis, State : OR Country : United States, 

[Lisa]

I was born and raised in Concord, Mass., right outside Boston, one of the hubs of Eastern snobbery and class consciousness. Other such 'hubs' can be found all throughout Massachusetts, in Connecticut, and in upstate New York. In regard to all the negative characteristics listed in your post, I think one can say fairly that they exist in a few places. The rest of New England (Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut and Rhode Island) and the East Coast (New York, Pennsylvania maybe) is primarily blue collar. They are millers, factory workers and fishermen. That's where those funny accents ('Do you drive yah cah in Hahvahd yahd?') originate. That's where the whole Irish-Italian thing comes from (and regrettably a lot of racial strife historically.) I have lived in D.C. as well, after college. In my opinion, it is NOT the East Coast. It's below the Mason-Dixon line and west of all of New England. Remember who you're meeting in D.C.: Clearly not the 80 percent-plus Afro-American populus that actually live in the city, clearly not the huge influx of Midwesterners trying to make their way, and clearly not the Southerners who live nearby. You must be meeting the small group of Ivy-Leaguer grads who were raised privileged and move out to D.C., subsidized by the family, to work in 'politics,' whatever that may be. Please be careful with your generalizations. As to who's making decisions in politics, I say wake up! It's been an elitist group for a a while now, with few exceptions (our current president being one of them.) Opportunity is in direct relationship with means. Maybe you should spend more energy noticing the people who don't have the power, because that's where empowerment begins.

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Name : Lisa, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 24, City : los Angeles, State : CA Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[Andrew]

Do you really feel every person in an entire region is rich, extravagently educated and snobbish? If that's the case, who were all those people in my public schools - Canadians? Where do the homeless people in Eastern cities come from - Montana? Do the jobless people in Rust Belt cities all come from Alabama? I think your assumption could have been avoided if you had ventured off Capitol Hill while in Washington. Your assumptions show an inability to observe what's right in front of you. I grew up in the Northeast, and I sure wish I had access to all the things you insist I do. That would be nice. But it ain't true. Not one of your assumptions has even a whiff of truth to it.

Two more things to think about: Although Washington is in the East, the power structure is not. The president, the two white men running to replace him and the majority leaders of the House and the Senate all are from the South and West. When you complain about injustice, look in your own back yard. Secondly, the most class-conscious, elitist, private-school-educated city I've lived in (and I've lived in several around the country and overseas) was New Orleans, buried deep in the South.

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Name : Andrew, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 35, City : Huntington, State : NY Country : United States, Occupation : Reporter, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Redeemed130121]

Class-conscious, elitist people, private preparatory and university schools and wealthy families are not peculiar to the East Coast. I was born and raised on the East Coast and served more than 20 years in the Air Force, including three overseas tours. Snobs were found everywhere I was stationed, from the East Coast to a poor province in Thailand.

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Name : Redeemed130121, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Age : 52, City : Newport News, State : VA Country : United States, Occupation : Administrative Coordinator, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Natasha20103]

Are you sure you are being fair? To paint the entire East Coast as having conceit is being too liberal with your brush. You may simply have been around too many rich, snobby people in D.C. Did you live/work anywhere in the East?

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Name : Natasha20103, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Afro-Caribbean, Religion : Christian, City : Capitol Heights, State : MD Country : United States, Occupation : receptionsit, Education level : Technical School, 

[J.W.]

Unlike most responses, I have to agree with you. I am originally from Ohio and just moved to the East Coast last year. The people here do seem snobbish and uppity. I constantly feel that the people I come into contact with do not accept me for who I am. If a person is not in their world and doesn't do the things they do, they look down at them like something's wrong with them. They can't accept that there are different types of people besides the ones in their world. Ohioans accept all types of people for who they are regardless of the things they do. It seems people on the East Coast are concerned only with making money. They don't have time to meet and get to know me because they're too caught up in other things.

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Name : J.W., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Methodist, Age : 25, City : Springfield, State : OH Country : United States, Occupation : Customer Support Administrator, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Kate]

I think that's very true about what you said. I've been raised in Seattle my whole life and I've never been judged by my backround, but who I am. Like what I wear, or what I do is judged. It's not really like you care very much about where a person's from, unless it's really noticable.

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Name : Kate, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 13, City : Seattle, State : WA Country : United States, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, 

[Mary21979]

Having lived in the D.C. suburbs all my life, and as my mother and grandmother are native Washingtonians, I think your observations are right on target for most of the D.C. area population. It is downright scary. Washington used to be friendlier and more sleeply but has become very rude, rushed and elitist. I think part of the problem is that Washington attracts a lot of nerdy workaholics with little or no social skills, and social climbing, along with the right schools, clothes, cars and address makes them feel more adequate. Plus, as in Hollywood, there are so many big egos and yes men that they are used to being demanding and getting what they want. Also, there is the money factor, as this is one of the wealthiest areas in the country. I guess living here has seriously jaded me about politics. The most frightening thing is that most people here have no clue about the way the rest of the country lives or thinks and can't understand why someone wouldn't want to keep up with the Jones.

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Name : Mary21979, Gender : F, Age : 36, City : Gaithersburg, State : MD Country : United States, Social class : Middle class, 

[Amy]

D.C. is only one city on the East Coast. Obviously everybody cannot be this way, because the majority of people cannot afford to. You say that we all attend private schools, but there are a lot more public schools than private schools, and a lot more people in them. I have been to Europe, but that is because my family was military. We could not have afforded it any other way. How can you say we look down on people who aren't wealthy when the majority of Easterners and Americans, and people all over the world, are not wealthy? If you say we are preoccupied with money, maybe it is because a lot of us barely have enough to live on (fortunately, I am one of the luckier people who don't have this problem). If you think the entire East Coast is this way, maybe you ought to think about where you are. D.C. is the place where politicians and other government workers live. If politicians are obsessed with wealth and status and high education, maybe it is because they need it to achieve success in their field. And no matter who is running this country, remember that they cannot be elected if normal, everyday people don't elect them. The amount of representatives you have depends on the population of your state, and I do believe the state that is farthest west on the mainland has more votes than any other state in the country.

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Name : Amy, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 17, City : Hinesville, State : GA Country : United States, Occupation : Student, 

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