Last year, I graduated from Boulder High and moved to Washington DC. At first, I experienced a bit of culture shock, but
now I am used to my new surroundings. Being in another city really affected the way I viewed my hometown, and upon my return
to Boulder to visit relatives, I made some observations.
The first and most obvious thing one might notice when visiting Boulder is that minorities of any kind are nearly nonexistent.
Whether youre driving around, shopping, or eating at a restaurant, all you tend to see is white people. But the people in
Boulder are not your average white people; they have a different attitude than most.
A typical Boulderite might be the kind of person who might make a statement such as he speaks so well for a black guy.
Or assume that because someone is black, he or she will be naturally better at sports or dancing. Yet, people in Boulder claim
to be open minded, accepting, and tolerant of others. They do not realize that a statement like I have two black friends is
racist in itself because it divides ones friends into black and white. Many Boulderites are much too proud to have friends
that are minorities, wearing it like a badge of open-mindedness for everyone to see. This opens the door for the kind of silent
racism and prejudice running rampant in Boulder today. In brief, they are liberal in theory, but not in practice.
Another thing that is very evident in Boulder is the drug and alcohol culture. Being a college town, Boulder has become
overly loose when it comes to under age drinking and drugs. I know this is not a favorable statement, especially among high
school kids, but I no longer have to worry about judgment from my peers. It is much too common and acceptable for kids as
young as 13 to get drunk and be irresponsible. People are more likely to be ostracized for not recycling than they are for
getting drunk at age 15.
I do want to clarify: not everything I noticed about Boulder was bad. In fact, the eco-friendly attitude of the town
is one of the things I miss most. Out here, it is not uncommon to see someone throw an entire fast food meal out the window
of his or her car and onto the side of the road. This is something I never saw in Boulder.
Ive also come to respect that, while not always doing so, Boulderites try to be open minded and accepting. In some other
communities, it is widely acceptable to alienate and discriminate against blacks, or gays, or other minorities. Effort does
count for something.
It is a shame, however, that people in Boulder have become so hypocritical. A typical Boulderite might hold up a sign
saying NO BLOOD FOR OIL whilst getting into his or her Suburban or Ford Explorer, or perhaps one of their other three cars.
They want to take on so many causes and fight for so many rights and freedoms that they end up spreading themselves too thin
and soon become uninterested. I know their hearts are in the right place, but their minds have to wake up.
(c) 2000-2005 Alexis Gentry
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