Man, I’m sure glad I don’t live in Memphis! Oh wait!
Some info I’ve learned:
- Memphis has the highest infant mortality rate among the nation’s 60 largest cities, with babies dying at twice the rate of the national average. Link.
- Memphis was ranked second among the 100 "most challenging places to live for asthmatics" in a national study. Link 1. Link 2.
- According to Men’s Fitness Magazine, Memphis is the 4th fattest city in the nation, and we got an F rating in the categories of Exercise/Sports Participation, TV Watching, Overweight/Sedentary, and Air Quality. Link 1. Link 2.
- The percentage of school-aged children is really high. Link.
- Sperling’s Best Places says Memphis is the second worst large city for crime (after Tuscon, Arizona… apparently Jo Jo left there for some California grass). Link.
- Out of 200 cities rated, Self Magazine ranked Memphis 200th for Healthiest Places for Women. Link.
- Not to mention the gang problems in the schools, the fact that we have an extremely high percentage of children in our population that we can’t afford, and the "inevitable" earthquake.
I don’t usually use my blog to seek out opinions, but tell me this… What happened here? What’s your theory? Is it the legacy of MLK being shot here? Is it related to its location on the Mississippi? Did freed slaves get stuck here? I mean really… I’d love to know what you think, because things here are statistically quite bad – way worse than average.
