As a person who prioritizes honesty and values logic, I am unable to sit on the sidelines any longer on one of the most argued debates. A question that roughly divides all New Jersey residents into two polarizing communities, one that could end a potential relationship before it even begins. Obviously, I am discussing the conversation surrounding the legitimacy of “Central Jersey”.
As a self-proclaimed 21st-century muckraker, I am here to expose to my loyal readers this scandal, this outright mockery of scientific reasoning. Central Jersey, the myth and the legend, indubitably exists.
If you are one of the (hopefully) few who believe Central Jersey is a fictional place, let me begin with the most clear-cut evidence. In response to this absurd question, the demand for reason skyrocketed, forcing New Jersey’s Governor, Phil Murphy, to make a public announcement about this crisis. In August of 2023, Governor Murphy was quoted saying, “Today, we settle the decades-old debate once and for all: Central Jersey exists.” This statement officially put Central Jersey on the map after 235 years since New Jersey was founded. This was a monumental and beautiful accomplishment in the midst of an otherwise bleak and upsetting world. Why care about anything else when years of fighting off naysayers finally paid off, when your borderline religious beliefs of the legitimacy of this New Jersey region have finally been validated?
However, like usual, the uneducated and ignorant continue to plague the lives of us logical members of society. Almost a year after the official announcement claiming that this region is legally recognized, I still encounter disbelievers in both real life and on a plethora of social media platforms. I’m not angry at these poor souls, just extremely disappointed. These feelings of pity I am filled with are akin to those when encountering people who believe that the correct name for a Pork Roll is “Taylor Ham”, the same individuals who find logic in calling a sandwich by the name of the brand of meat that happens to be in the sandwich (even when said brand had to legally change its name from “ham” due to it not meeting the legal definition of the word).
Regardless of whether some of our fellow New Jersey residents wish to blindly trust the statements of a politician (I can hardly fault them for that), if they would only do some research this age-old divide would surely cease. Let’s discuss the United States for example. The US has four recognized geographic regions, nine if you discuss geographic “divisions”. This is a fact that is universally agreed upon; we do not just think a location is divided by “up” and “down”. Following that same logic, why would we so radically believe that New Jersey is simply North and South? Why not make it easier to distinguish between the more than 160 miles of distance between the farthest north to the farthest south point of the state?
I am an individual who was born and raised in the allotted geographical area of Central Jersey. Therefore, the skepticism regarding its existence has always astounded me. However, wherever you come from, whether North or South Jersey, or an entirely different state, I hope we can all work toward becoming a better society through the practice of using our brains efficiently. Together, we will improve, debunking one delusion at a time.