South Florida's Atmosphere

"Sunny South Florida's Gloomy Overcast" by v. johns

South Florida represents a retreat for many who have tired of cold weather, political strife, higher taxes etc. from their own home states and countries. It also embodies a place to chase opportunities, to start all over, to relax. But, despite its sanctuary image, some of the same misery and bad vibes seen elsewhere in the nation can also be found in this 300-mile stretch of beach-front paradise. Crime, poverty, drugs, unemployment and other ills, though they will always persist here and elsewhere, to some degree or another, have become more and more intense in this region and are only made worse by neglectful governance and pay-to-play politics. Consequently, this type of misery, poorly addressed, if at all, has crept into and spread across nearly all demographics to create an environment that sows seeds of doubt as to whether or not a place so sunny, but with so much underlying misery and gloom, can actually be called a paradise...

At first look, you wonder how and why any misery, and its various servants, can even dare to exist in such a cool place as this. One where leisure and happiness seem to be the order of the day. Maybe some people are not trying hard enough to be happy. Maybe they live in bad neighborhoods. Maybe some miss the snow. But upon closer observation, you see how poorly things are run in our local governments and how strained things are between different classes and types of people and how politics and side deals and pay-to-play schemes reign supreme over real progress and, at some point, it all begins to make sense... Our paradise is one that is lost.

Once a nice place to live, South Florida has become merely a nice place to visit. Many here, happy or not, mostly natives and long-timers, feel that we have become nearly unlivable. And for most of us who just want to live our lives in peace, that feeling comes not only from rising taxes, higher living costs, higher fuel costs, sleazy politics and rampant crime -- all of which have negative effects on people's outlook on life -- but also from the resulting abundance of bad attitudes that surface in revolt. Add to all of this: a brooding culture of excess and a plethora of uncivil behavioral patterns and norms that have gone unchecked in our overall decade-long rush toward urbanized sprawl. Not to mention all the fallout from the failed one-party rule of our national government. Along with a failed, unimaginative state leadership.

Even with everything going on nationally excluded, many of our residents, here in South Florida, are just plain stressed. Some are naturally miserable and overly stressed, living in such a manner as a lifestyle of sorts to look cute or in line with the etiquette of their caste, while others are mainly, understandably and legitimately stressed by traffic, crime, construction, racial strife, low wages, medical bills, bad neighbors and other urban growing pains as the region continues its overall trend toward uncontrolled urbanized sprawl. Not to mention our continued recovery from past storms and the fallout over insurance rates that followed. All of which make for an unusual mix of sunshine and misery... in a place that is not supposed to have any misery... at all.

In the midst of all this misery, one of the most frightening aspects about South Florida is the threatening feeling that criminals and their various sympathizers and apologists have all but taken over. From organized gangs to smooth operators with suits and ties to petty creeps trying to rob someone with their pants sagging lower than their socks, South Florida's crime trends tend to surprise even those from northern big cities. Leaving many people to fear for themselves and their families in a place that should be, at least, reasonably safe and secure, overall.

And as if the greed and vanity of a brash and brazen criminal culture isn't enough, the negative, scorning vibe of Miami's hedonistic dark side pulsates throughout the region. As a result, the good people and their culture of neighborly goodwill and unselfish deeds are often overshadowed, if not overtaken, by the pervasive culture of carnal indulgence, vanity, narcissism, selfishness and excess that looms over and darkens South Florida's brightest of skies. Add to this misery, a state and regional leadership that seemingly only exists to serve the people with time or money on their hands (retirees, transplants, vacationers, the very wealthy etc.) and not the people who must make a living here from scratch.

For many of our poorest residents, by the way, their lives have often been plagued with inflation, stagnant wages, poor quality health care, declining neighborhoods and, at times, a seemingly self-imposed lack of upward mobility. Some of them, not educated enough to understand the forces shaping their environment, resort to a type of group-think and isolationism that only serves to benefit their exploiters. And, as a result, the same cycle of shattered dreams persists generation after generation as education is supplemented with pure emotionalism. A cycle made significantly worse by a political structure that fails consistently to invest in our region's most valuable resource: our people. The result: a shallow, poorly-funded and non-influential education system that fails to form deep links with its equally floundering and unimpressive industrial component. Followed by many broken homes and lives... that don't have to be.

But even before education, security is paramount. Security clears the path, in these often forgotten neighborhoods, toward progressive thought and the building of dreams. Perhaps now that there is a major effort underway in our local law enforcement agencies to remove filthy gangs and other criminals from our most troubled areas, in places like Lake Worth and West Palm Beach -- perhaps now -- the good people remaining in these areas can finally begin to think about building their dreams... instead of about how to dodge bullets and raise their children at the same time.

Whether one is rich, middle class or of meager means, life is just so much better when ordinary people feel that they can live a good life no matter what class they are in or income level they are on. Most people don't ask for much. In effect, real progress is made, ultimately, when citizens and their governments are fully committed to working whole-heartedly toward mutual outcomes that benefit us all. So, while South Florida's misery and gloom stretches across all ages, races, classes, genders and religions, it is generally safe to assume that, in any case, a better outlook on life tends to make for the creation of a better life... Wouldn't you agree?