Martha's Media Image: Fair or False?

Given the of the Obamas returning to Martha's Vineyard for another summer, it looks likely that Martha's Vineyard will soon be the subject of mass media attention . . . again.

The Island is no stranger to the news; it first found its way into the modern media spotlight with the notorious 1969 Chappaquiddick incident involving Ted Kennedy and Mary Jo Kopechne in 1969. Since then, Martha's Vineyard has often been depicted in the news as the location where the nation's affluent spend their summers, where celebrities buy another house to add to their list and where the liberal elite, including Democratic presidents, spend their weeks off in the summertime.

While much of this may be true, it also leaves out a lot of what Martha's Vineyard is about. Dukes County is one of the poorest in the commonwealth. Its year-round population is largely comprised of teachers, farmers, fishermen, small business owners and service workers.

Even many of those who summer or vacation on the Vineyard are far from extraordinarily wealthy. They may spend the rest of the year scrimping and saving both money and vacation days so that they can bring their families to the Island for a few days or a few weeks.

Do you ever tire of having to explain what it's really like here? Of saying, "Yes, I'm from or I visit the Vineyard, and no, not everyone who lives there is a billionaire?" Do you ever fend off the urge to correct articles that descriibe Martha's Vineyard as "posh" and "elite"? If so, here's your chance to sound off. What do you wish people would know about the Island?