This is a letter to the editor I published at the Daily Advance. Posted here for posterity, since they have no online archive:
I would like to affirm my enthusiasm for City life. Cities are awesome. The cultural Mecca that is New York, the architectural fantasy that is Chicago, and the endless otherworldliness that is Los Angeles are just a few of the monuments to human civilization America has to offer.
Yes, cities have more crime. They also have more theaters, films, music, books, restaurants, art, and other cultural inspirations. Blockbuster Movies and Wall-Mart cannot restrict access to city-dwellers’ media as they use their localized monopolies to do so here. Give me the competitive brand of capitalism found in cities over the market socialism corporations exploit our locals with any day.
Cities also have more museums, homeless shelters, mass-transit systems, parks, libraries, better schools, roads, and other social-support services. The people who live in cities are a close-nit community where individuals rely on their millions of neighbors’ collective goodwill to survive. We are all members of a civilization, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the city.
From this perspective, I find the rural houses sitting on acres of land, alienated from the human race rather lonely and desolate. I’d much rather live within walking distance of the theater, museum, book store, coffee shop, library, and restaurants downtown EC has to offer. I don’t sacrifice any independence in doing so, quite the contrary, I broaden my horizons, expand my mind, and exercise my individuality.
Cities are awesome! No wonder 94% of Americans choose to live in urban centers.