The Rural Brain Drain
American youth are abandoning the Midwest's small towns. The sociologists Patrick J. Carr and Maria J. Kefalas explore causes and remedies. Full Story »
Posted by Kaizar Campwala - via Give Me Something To ReadReview
This story describes the reality of most of rural America quite well, though it does so from an elitist, coastal perspective. The most interesting part of the article, however, is the comment section; I have seldom read a more revealing collection of comments, many written by former and current residents of rural communities.
I have lived in rural communities such as those described in this article, so I can vouch for the accuracy of the commentary. Occasionally I am tempted to move back (in central/southern Illinois one can buy a perfectly nice four-bedroom, two-bath home for slightly more than $100,000), but what stops me are the weather and the cultural isolation. As the comments reveal, these are factors that are unlikely to change.