Oh no......not The Villages
 

I attended a funeral this week in Tampa of a friend whom I had know for decades. Like most funerals it was also an opportunity to make contact with friends who have taken other life paths and who you had not seen for years.

One lady friend was bringing me up to date about the status of her family members, and of her own activities. She mentioned that her principal recreational activity was Line Dancing. I suggested that she might find the life style in The Villages attractive due to Line Dancing being a major recreational activity in the Town Squares.

"Oh no......not The Villages," she responded. "Too many Republicans."

Personally, I have never observed any segregation of the Line Dancers according to their political positions, but I found it interesting that anyone would eliminate consideration of living in The Villages based upon a perception of the prevailing political climate.

Oh well............. I think she is the loser.

She is the loser without a doubt!

When I tell people that I bought in The Villages people do not hesitate to tell me that The Villages has the highest rate of VD in the state. Oh my, is that what people think of us? I have heard that over and over again.

Don't most republicans have VD? (JK)...

Their loss in my opinion. Republican, Democrat or uninterested in either makes no difference in TV.

No that is not what people think of TV.
It is what the uninformed and the one % that have no idea what they are talking about......it is their small world entertainment.

So.....did the obituary of the deceased include the political affiliation of the deceased, so she could pay respects only to her own kind?

Or is she okay going to a Rep. funeral because the deceased can't respond to prejudice spoken at the solemn occasion in his/her honor?

I had a friend of mine in Boston say a very similar thing when I was home for Christmas last year.
Some people are so into dividing us as a nation that they forget to live their lives.
I'm a right of center, moderate republican but I have friends who are very active in the democrat club here in The Villages. We never talk about it. None of us are totally defined by our politics.

Her loss.

None of us are totally defined by our politics. I only had maybe three of four conversations in almost three years.

It's like two drunks on the Titanic arguing, who's going top pay the bar bill.

Actually, I understand her concerns. It can be difficult to constantly hear nonstop, conservative points of view and a total dismissal if you don't agree with these views. discussing politics can be fun, interesting and a great learning experience. Sadly, true discussions are few here. Most consist of derogatory comments about Democrats, liberals (yes, there is a difference) and our present President. It can make a political creature feel a bit lonely when the day is done. That doesn't mean I regret living here because I don't. I love my bubble. So, I do understand her comment.

A Republican high school classmate of mine purchased a home here. Another classmate, a Democrat purchased a place down in the Clearwater area because there are too many Republicans here. So, I would agree with the above statement.. Even though no signs are allowed, the volume of noise from a particular point of view is quite loud.

I hear this frequently. My question is where did they learn this. They will say "I heard" and I will stop them. That is hearsay. No facts just gossip.
The same thing happens in politics. One affiliation or the other doesn't describe the person.
Life in TV is great and that is that!

This woman's comment accurately reflects the wide division between the two parties. Once there were liberals and conservatives in both parties but in and around the 1960's polarization began. All of this is reflective with the inability of Congress.

As is ALWAYS the case it is a function of what ever the beholder wants to see, hear, think, believe or hallucinate.

I do not and have not any recall of any reference to one party this or the other party that unless the subject of conersation is directed to that end. The other 98% of the time I see things as right or wrong, per my view.

I would venture a guess, that like living any where else on the planet except for muslim or communist lacales, politics is not a consideration or requirement for anything.

When choosing a doctor or a life saving specialist does their political persuasion enter the decision making process?
When going to a restaurant?
The foursome you are assigned to today?
Is it a factor in anybodies mind when they go to a class re-union? ANy social function?

One could keep going for many pages. While politics does not play a role in most of our daily lives.....it is unfortunate that it is in fact affected by it.

If it were not for the 24/7 media and all the instant communication devices and some few radicals continually pumping out their version of how to view the world, politics would be a non event until election time.

Just happened to me last week. The comment, not the disease.

:BigApplause: The modern MEDIA is contributing to our divisiveness. Major networks and Newspapers are promoting either conservative or liberal viewpoints. They don't report the news but comment and tell us what they want us to believe. Our so called political leaders are not accomplishing anything because they are stuck on hard party line views, and have lost the productive art of compromise.

Since I bought last year, I have heard the STD thing dozens and dozens of times. So here are THE FACTS, gleaned from the CDC, Florida Dept. of Health, and the Census Bureau:

These rates are per 100,000 population and reflect syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia:

National rate: 566.9
Florida rate 538.0

Marion County 520.1
Lake County 377.1
Sumter County 277.9


Now for age adjustment:

statewide over 55:

GC: 313/19,555 cases
chlamydia: 411/77,851
syphilis: 78/1,375

So, if we assume 85% of TV population at peak season of 120,000 there would be 100,000 residents over 55. Florida has close to 20 million residents, about 30% over 55 = 6 million. Therefore about 1/60 of Florida's 55+ population lives in TV. If we evenly distribute the above 55+ cases across the state, we get expected STD cases in TV/year of:

GC: 5.2 cases
chlamydia: 6.8 cases
syphilis: 1.2 cases

And even these numbers are skewed a bit high since not all 55+ residents of these 3 counties live in TV
Hardly epidemic proportions, as you can see your chances (randomly) of contracting a STD is about 1% of the national average. Personal behavior will influence your individual odds
I wish the facts would put the rumor to bed, but we all know it will not happen

You're letting the facts get in the way.

my bad:1rotfl:

If more people would just vote for Hillary, then …. On second thought, let’s not let the facts get in the way. :duck:

We try to move the conversation away from politics whenever possible as we are under the impression that most here are very way to the right. Maybe it is those who are very vocal :rant-rave: happen to be republicans. Not that all are republicans or that all republicans are real vocal.

Maybe that isn't so but it is the impression one gets. The media didn't help as I saw a rally for the republicans I think it was during the last presidential in the villages reported on the network news. The narration was "Seniors rally behind their candidate in central Florida."

I have seldom had any problems being a moderate Democrat here in the Villages since moving here in June 2005. I voted for Bushs twice though for President because I have been a fan of Ronald Reagan and his policies since hearing him speak at the University of Nevada, Reno campus around Homecoming 1981. Some of the Bushs seem like ardent followers of Reagan's various policies. https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/georgewbush I try to keep an open mind about politics and listen to people, do research and then make decisions. My 224 613 Project has involved people from all parties getting together to empower survivors/victims of crimes with access to practical information. The responses I received from various politicians in my Photobucket array on Facebook from 1991 through 2005 or so come from both parties. I hear BS from political activists from all the political parties. I do wish more people through would learn how to Google and check whatever a candidate, politician, activist is claiming.

A did not think though good dancers are required to be Republicans or Democrats.

It's how I felt living in Boston for most of my life. It was like watching MSNBC 24/7.

I do recall that at the University of Minnesota Law School (1986-1989) the lone very vocal Republican did get to feel very lonely. There were probably other Republicans there but they did not speak up that much.

Quite different from my 10 days or so at Brigham Young U's Law School in 1982. It would have been the opposite. But again there would have been more Democrats hiding in the shadows.

Thanks, Redwitch, I have experienced the same thing. I have been to club meetings and neighborhood gatherings where very derogatory things have been said about our President and progressives in general. The overwhelming sentiment seems to be that we are all conservatives here and these kinds of comments are the norm. I too love living in The Villages - most people here are kind and accepting and the opportunities for a fulfilling life are abundant. As Americans, we should all love our country and be patriotic regardless of our political views.

The most significant factor regarding STD statistics is not age, but rather race, with blacks, while making up a smaller percentage of the total population, greatly outnumber all other races in the STD stats. Extrapolate that to The Villages demographic, and....voila.

Actually, the race factor tends to even out above age 55. I guess estrogen and testosterone depletion with age are color blind.

Also, with only 802 cases out of 98,781 occurring in the over 55 population, I can't see how race is more significant than age

I agree with Redwitch--there is no true discussion or open mindedness. If you are not on board with another's point of view of politics, role of government or religion, etc. then sarcasm and verbal nastiness often follow. There's little respect for alternate points of view. We've stopped socializing with people like that -- it's not enjoyable, too tiring and life is too short.

Redwitch, I agree completely with every word you said. I moved here from Pinehurst, NC (a predominantly Republican stronghold). Never in my 20 years there did I hear anything even close to the derogatory comments that I hear regularly in The Villages. I don't like to discuss politics, but if I even hint that I am a liberal Democrat, I have had very mean words directed at me.

According to the CDC, nationwide, 48% of black women have genital herpes. That doesn't go away when they hit 55.

STD reporting is generally done on the basis of new cases diagnosed

I suppose at some neighborhood parties I have just tuned out when the political discussions get too heated. Or, I will just ask what movies people have seen lately and hope it is not one that is extremely political in nature as some that appear here in the Villages are. The Villages theaters do seem to only get the very hard core Republican movies while skipping the Michael Moore one's from the hardcore Democrats.

age old proverb: Avoid religion and politics in polite conversations

At the dog park if the dogs start picking up on the negative emotion of some political talk, I just make a quick exit. You can usually tell when a dog is getting upset from people getting angry at one another.

I often think that debates should require dogs to keep their masters calm and honest. It would make a very interesting 9/16/2016 Presidential debate if each party had their pets in their laps.

Got a reference for that "fact"?

CDC, Florida Health Dept

Charts are titled INCIDENCE of STD, which by definition is new cases. PREVALENCE is the number of cases at any given time. There is generally no reporting requirement on physicians to report old/known/ongoing cases, just newly diagnosed and therefore INCIDENCE. Also, CDC is tracking gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia in these statistics, HSVI (herpes) is not included, probably because of the difficulty in tracking a disease marked by exacerbations and remissions

Providers and Professionals | Florida Department of HealthReporting Guidelines

Florida Administrative Code 64D-3 (pdf), entitled Control of Communicable Diseases and Conditions Which May Significantly Affect Public Health, is the mandate that empowers the Department of Health to record communicable diseases and dictates when and how diseases are to be reported to the Department by both practitioners and laboratories.

If you are a practitioner, you should report diagnosis of a sexually transmitted disease (with the exception of HIV/AIDS) to your local county health department or complete the Disease Report Form and fax it along with a copy of the lab to 850-414-8103.

If you are a laboratory, you should contact the Department about electronic laboratory reporting. To discuss ELR implementation, please contact Kenya Roberts, Bureau of Epidemiology at (850) 245-4444 x 2370, or ELR@doh.state.fl.us. Until you have implemented electronic reporting, you must continue to report to the local county health department having jurisdiction for the area in which the office of the submitting practitioner or the patient's residence is located.

The Department of Health utilizes the “MMWR: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines, 2010” from the CDC on comprehensive treatment recommendations for different sexually transmitted infections.

(4) The practitioner who FIRST authorizes, orders, requests or submits a specimen to a licensed laboratory for testing for any agent listed in Rule 64D-3.029, F.A.C., shall obtain and provide the information required by sub-subparagraph 64D-3.031(3)(a)1.-9., F.A.C., at the time the specimen is sent.

And I suspect it works the opposite way in her community. We are polarized.

Actually, no. I lived in Contra Costa County, which had a very large Republican contingent, as well as its liberals, Democrats, Libertarians, Greenies, etc., with Dems being in the majority. Viewpoints were discussed and people were not dismissed for having opposing beliefs. Sadly, that is not often the case here.