General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsOn Rural America: Understanding Isn't The Problem
I live in Virginia, surrounded by this. It's a long piece, but really worth reading. Bottom line: It's not up to "coastal elites" to understand rural, white, fundamentalist America; they're not changing their minds.
"As the aftermath of the election of Donald Trump is being sorted out, a common theme keeps cropping up from all sides-'Democrats failed to understand white, working class, fly-over America.' Trump supports are saying this. Progressive pundits are saying this. Talking heads across all forms of the media are saying this. Even some Democratic leaders are saying this. It doesnt matter how many people say it, it is complete bullshit. It is an intellectual/linguistic sleight of hand meant to throw attention away from the real problem. The real problem isnt east coast elites dont understand or care about rural America. The real problem is rural America doesnt understand the causes of their own situations and fears and they have shown no interest in finding out. They dont want to know why they feel the way they do or why they are struggling because the dont want to admit it is in large part because of choices theyve made and horrible things theyve allowed themselves to believe."
Article here:
[link:http://forsetti.tumblr.com/post/153181757500/on-rural-america-understanding-isnt-the-problem|
DesertFlower
(11,649 posts)worth reading. thank you for posting it.
bench scientist
(1,107 posts)LenaBaby61
(6,977 posts)The article doesn't tell me anything that I already don't know, and NO--per some Bernie and Hillary supporters/friends--I'm not kissing their fanny's because of the failed choices they made with their lives and continue making in their lives. Plus on top of that, many of them see people like myself (Native American) as an outsider in what was once Native American land. Now I know not every person from a rural area is racist, however, those who are often time use religion to justify and to explain away their bigotry and racism.
You know, there comes a time when we ALL have to take responsibility for our own actions, and many of the rural folks talked about and described in this article don't think that applies to them. Now, I do have 2 friends who are from a VERY rural area in West Virginia, and they tell me ALL of the time that they were LUCKY that their parents somehow got them out of there, and moved them westward. And some of the family stories they've shared with me are horribly racist and intolerant and yet--here it is again--wrapped around and woven into religion of all things to explain away their bigotry and racism, as if God actually co-signs with and excuses their racism and hatred. It's horrible for one to use religion to justify their racism or homophobia. SMDH @ racism, homophobia, and intolerance of others. Such hypocrisy!!
get the red out
(13,468 posts)is what needs to be understood. Republicans have taken over their Churches, and the Churches say basically to vote R or spend eternity in hell, RW media legitimized their racism and taught them that liberals wanted to "destroy their way of life". I am from eastern Kentucky, and I have been scolded previously on another liberal site for not seeing what quaint, hard-working people these folks are, they called me ignorant, even though I grew up around them and they had little first hand experience. Democrats have ignored the facts in this article and are demonized if they tell the truth. The Democratic Party is considered evil because they point out inconvenient truths. I unfrended most people I knew in high school over their pure hatred of President Obama.
I have to fight my own hatred of rural/small town people every day and try not to demonize THEM. That is hard for me because of all this and the way I was bullied in school. Many of these people are allowed to be cruel from childhood on. I was tormented for having curly hair and not being able to adhere to their very strict social norms. I was an outcast and I am white enough to almost be translucent. What does anyone expect them to think of minorities? My best friend was gay and his life was a living hell.
Arkansas Granny
(31,530 posts)I was told the day after the election that the reason Hillary lost is because the bible says woman should not have dominion over man. I've heard people say that since they are Christian, they have to vote for Republicans.
When you couple that with 30+ year of talk radio constantly demonizing Democrats in general and Hillary in particular, it's no wonder that Trump won their vote. They were willing to overlook the racism, sexism and bigotry he represents because it matches their own feelings.
dhol82
(9,353 posts)Not sure how to overcome this kind of blind thinking.
phylny
(8,386 posts)dhol82
(9,353 posts)The young in these areas are indoctrinated early.
The free thinkers get out as soon as they can.
phylny
(8,386 posts)if we look at the popular vote.
dhol82
(9,353 posts)Overcoming the the electoral college is the problem.
Stinky The Clown
(67,818 posts)This is a good one
ms liberty
(8,597 posts)smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)So much for the party of personal responsibility. They would just rather blame everyone else than take a good look at themselves. To me that is weakness. I think they despise their own weakness and just project it out on to oppressed groups rather then own it. Just like Trump.
HughBeaumont
(24,461 posts)SICK of this imagined "powerful and widespread left" being at fault for some imagined elitism against the "working class". Many of us ARE working class. What, do we hate ourselves?.
It amounts to nothing more than willful isolationism, disdain for education and for decade upon decade giving corporations, white business owners and Republicans a free and clear pass as the cause of all their problems.
PunkinPi
(4,878 posts)handmade34
(22,757 posts)"...what does change the beliefs of fundamentalists, sometimes? When something becomes personal..."
at the risk of breaking copyright laws
this stuff is right on and important...
-Their economic situation is largely the result of voting for supply-side economic policies that have been the largest redistribution of wealth from the bottom/middle to the top in U.S. history.
-Immigrants havent taken their jobs. If all immigrants, legal or otherwise, were removed from the U.S., our economy would come to a screeching halt and prices on food would soar.
-Immigrants are not responsible for companies moving their plants overseas. Almost exclusively white business owners are the ones responsible because they care more about their share holders who are also mostly white, than they do American workers.
-No one is coming for their guns. All that has been proposed during the entire Obama administration is having better background checks.
-Gay people getting married is not a threat to their freedom to believe in whatever white God you want to. No one is going to make their church marry gays, make gays your pastor, accept gays for membership.
-Women having access to birth control doesnt affect their life either, especially women who they complain about being teenage, single mothers.
-Blacks are not lazy moochers living off their hard earned tax dollars anymore than many of your fellow rural neighbors. People in need are people in need. People who cant find jobs because of their circumstances, a changing economy, outsourcing overseas, etc. belong to all races.
-They get a tremendous amount of help from the government they complain does nothing for them. From the roads and utility grids they use to the farm subsidies, crop insurance, commodities protections they benefit greatly from government assistance. The Farm Bill is one of the largest financial expenditures by the U.S. government. Without government assistance, their lives would be considerably worse.
-They get the largest share of Food Stamps, Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security.
-They complain about globalization but line up like everyone else to get the latest Apple product. They have no problem buying foreign-made guns, scopes, and hunting equipment. They dont think twice about driving trucks whose engine was made in Canada, tires made in Japan, radio made in Korea, computer parts made in Malaysia
-They use illicit drugs as much as any other group. But, when other people do it is a moral failing and they should be severely punished, legally. When they do it, it is a health crisis that needs sympathy and attention.
-When jobs dry up for whatever reasons, they refuse to relocate but lecture the poor in places like Flint for staying in towns that are failing.
-They are quick to judge minorities for being welfare moochers but dont think twice about cashing their welfare check every month.
-They complain about coastal liberals, but the taxes from California and New York are what covers their farm subsidies, helps maintain their highways, and keeps their hospitals in their sparsely populated areas open for business.
-They complain about the little man being run out of business then turn around and shop at big box stores.
-They make sure outsiders are not welcome, deny businesses permits to build, then complain about businesses, plants opening up in less rural areas.
-Government has not done enough to help them in many cases but their local and state governments are almost completely Republican and so too are their Representatives and Senators. Instead of holding them accountable, they vote them in over and over and over again.
-All the economic policies and ideas that could help rural America belong to the Democratic Party: raising the minimum wage, strengthening unions, infrastructure spending, reusable energy growth, slowing down the damage done by climate change, healthcare reform all of these and more would really help a lot of rural Americans.
Baitball Blogger
(46,758 posts)"The real problem is rural America doesnt understand the causes of their own situations and fears and they have shown no interest in finding out. They dont want to know why they feel the way they do or why they are struggling because the dont want to admit it is in large part because of choices theyve made and horrible things theyve allowed themselves to believe."
Which is why they rely on the echo chamber to firm up their belief that the blame is in the other party.
Nay
(12,051 posts)states and can attest to the truthfulness of this essay. In my younger days, I used to try to reason with these people; I ran into the same problems the essayist did. I gave up long ago and have just been waiting for reality to intrude into their bubble. It will, but not in time to save civilization. It's the human fatal flaw -- the human race cannot see its own true interests for long enough to stave off any of a dozen looming disasters.
tenderfoot
(8,438 posts)eom
Duppers
(28,127 posts)yardwork
(61,709 posts)I saw first hand the anti-intellectual bullying, the smug celebration of mediocrity, the resentment of anybody who wanted to work hard and actually achieve dreams.
Most of us "coastal elites" weren't born here. We were born in other places that we left because the people who live there were impossible to get along with if you were smart or different in any way. There's a reason why people choose to live in expensive crowded cities. Sure, the country is beautiful. They kill people like me there.