Rural America: The Invisible People

[NoBushSpokenHere]

Rural Americans have probably suffered much more than anyone knows in these difficult times. They have always thought they were the forgotten people. They often don't hear politicians speaking directly to them, or to their needs. They have the same needs, the same fears and then some.

They own guns not only to hunt, but for protection because of fear robbery. Also for protection against the government. I haven't ever understood why they believe Republicans won't take their guns when we know Republicans would be the first to grab them if America ever tried to revolt against their control. I do believe it is largely because the NRA is Republican controlled and undoubtedly always tells them the liberal Democrats will take their guns. They are probably more well prepared for a revolution than most. Problem is up until these past 7 years, they didn't realize the people they supported were the real opponents.

I remember when I was young living in rural America among mostly Democratic people. I could see it changing as I grew older. It changed because of the NRA, it changed because the rural educational systems were under Republican control. I remember having teachers who would teach in whispers when it came to real discussion of politics. They were afraid of their jobs if they openly taught children the truth about politics.

Through the years people learned to find inspiration in their church. They turned to their church after 9.11. They felt comfort there and some even learned from their church teachings the Republicans were the moral party and some turned away from the party who was the most moral as a result. They have realized over the past few years, their church was wrong for pushing them toward a party full of corruption. They lost jobs, their churches could not feed them.

Rural America today is full of desperation. They have no homeless shelters, they do not have many options for feeding the starving. They have lost jobs, they have lost welfare benefits, homes, insurance and above all hope.

Just wait until Obama and the hope train hits the rural areas... His message does and will resonate with them. Why else is McCain working in the rural areas as we speak? He is trying to get a foothold with the rural voters while we argue about who is going to lead our party.

This just another of the reasons our primary should be over by now. If it were, Obama could be out there speaking to the hungry, rural voter and they could be finally having what they have been yearning for: A leader who understands their real plight.

[izquierdista]

1. They're simple people

You know.....morons.

I hope Obama does as well as Sheriff Bart did.

[RichardRay]

2. Guns are like sofas...

where I live.

Nearly 60% of us have guns; of the folks who don't currently have a firearm of some sort in the house, garage, other outbuilding or a vehicle I'd guess most have in the past or will at some point in the future. Nearly 100% of us have sofas, too.

I know that for folks in other environments that doesn't seem like a telling comparison, and I suggest that the fact that it doesn't reveals just how completely you don't get the people you're trying to talk about.

Lots of us have chain saws, too!

[QC]

3. Great article here:

http://www.boston.com/news/specials/lives_lost/appalachia/

I posted it on DU when it first came out and could not get a discussion going. It is very hard to get people to talk about class here. For most professional, middle-class types, it's just not on their radar. And, of course, white poverty is an especially difficult subject to discuss for many reasons.

You should definitely read the article, though. It is excellent.

[KoKo]

4. I don't believe that Obama will do any more for Appalachia than Hillary or the

rest of them have. That's why I'm undecided. We don't yet have a real candidate for "Change" and we won't until it gets so bad that ALL the people RISE UP and throw the lot of them out.... It will take decades if there is to be any change. The failing economy is the wake up call for those who live outside "Appalachia" and the other areas devasted by the years of neglect. Areas always offered promise by Dem Candidates who never could deliver because the "system" just doesn't allow it.

Obama's clean coal initiative might open more mines up....but that doesn't deal with the pollution and devastation in that area. And, we aren't going to bring back manufacturing to Detroit...but we might be able to do something with Green Energy. That's our last hope to jumpstart our failing economy...due to NAFTA, GATT and other policies.

[QC]

5. I don't think that any of the candidates give a damn about the rural poor.

Edwards did, but he's out, which is when I ceased having a candidate in this race. Frankly, I don't find Clinton or Obama very inspiring and do not believe that either one will do much for the poor, rural or other.

[amandabeech]

7. We might bring more manufacturing to Detroit,

if there were tariffs on imported goods to even the playing field in the costs of labor, health, safety, age discrimination, benefits, non-adulterated chemicals, ingredients that don't kill, and environmental standards, as well as to adjust for the obvious currency manipulation that some nations engage in. Of course, trade agreements and the WTO do not allow generally for such counterbalances duties, which is one reason that many people like me don't like those agreements very much.

Please give a little more thought to the reasons why manufacturers like China and Thailand so much.

Recently, I read an article in one of the Washington Post, the NYT or the Wall Street Journal (I ready one of them every day, but not always that same one), in which Chinese officials stated that the most important reason that manufacturers choose China is the lack of regulation. I wish that I'd kept that citation for and others.

[KoKo]

9. We also need to remember that we lost Manufacturing because of Environmental issues...

the "Tanning Factories" polluting Maine and Vermont rivers...sent the shoes to China...the Steel Mills polluting PA and elsewhere sent jobs to China...the Textile Mill's who moved from North to South killed workers because of the Dust Pollution. American Environmentalists and Worker Safety Advocates tried to get the Manufacturers (Big Business) to put "pollution controls" on the factories that spewed particle laden, toxic fumes into our atmosphere, and we tried to enforce "clean rivers" to get the "tanning factories" to filter and the Textile Mills to use screens and filters for their workers to get the "dust out" of the environment.

The Big Business said "FUCK YOU!" We can't afford to put in "scrubbers and screeners" and to "update our factories" because it will cost too much and we will have to RAISE OUR PRICES! SO...they moved under REAGAN and then Bush I and Clinton I and II to MEXICO, India, Marianas Islands and then China, Cambodia, Vietnam...and wherever they could go to have a slave population and faulty plants that would pollute the rest of the Earth.

There are reasons we lost manufacturing...but it all comes down to that the Manufacturers wanted to make bigger and bigger profits and to do that they had to pay workers less and under "late Clinton and Bush II" the CEO's decided they needed to make 4,5,6 times what their Workers Made so it all got worse.

BUT...it comes down to that rather than invest in technology to CLEAN UP factories which would have allowed our engineers to design NEW Pollution Controls...they "cut bait" and left the USA BECAUSE THEY COULD!

That's the sad part of all of this..... The "unintended consequences" of those who worked for America's Enviro Clean up and Workers Rights...is sad.

[amandabeech]

10. "Environmental regulation" is the final factor that I listed.

I do support cleaning up the environment, and I think that a creative policymaker, who isn't afraid of Wall Street, could come up with a package that would protect both.

However, I have practically given up on getting someone in there who will do it, so long as private money dominates our political process.

[NoBushSpokenHere]

6. Excellent article ty for bringing it to my attention! nt

[QC]

8. You are very welcome!

Good luck trying to get people here to care about class.

[NoBushSpokenHere]

13. Sad that they really don't care about class...

Failed capitization = disguised caste system. It is almost as bad, very difficult for anyone not born to the higher class to make it to the runway, even more difficult to become airborne.

[QC]

15. Few people here are interested in actually discussing ideas.

Most prefer the kind of adolescent catfights that have made this forum such a trainwreck.

[KoKo]

11. can we recommend this...it languishes.......

:-(

[QC]

12. Bump!

[Fox Mulder]

14. Okay...I have a question about this:

They own guns not only to hunt, but for protection because of fear robbery. Also for protection against the government.

Fear of robbery? In a small town? Since when? I've been living in a small town for 15 years now and I've never heard of any robberies in the area. And protection against the government? Has the military invaded a small town?

I tell you right now, rural America is the worst place to live in. Not for the lack of jobs or opportunities, but for the lack of acceptance of any outside beliefs and for the lack of acceptance for change.

[KoKo]

17. There are really folks who do feel guns are for "self protection."

They might be able to fly on airplanes ..but fear for themselves at home. Since I fear to fly on airplanes and don't own a gun...I feel vulnerable...but I can understand that some fear...not to have protection...because to FLY these days...I need the "protection" of mega doses of Tranquilizers...which I don't want to take...

I know this seems to make no sense in some ways...but what I was getting at is that many of us have "Fears" that are only rational to our "own selves." How we choose to protect ourselves...maybe should be up to us...instead of the Govt. to decide? :shrug:

[NoBushSpokenHere]

18. Guns for Protection

in rural America is considered to be a standard in the rural areas of Ohio that I am familiar with. It takes too long for response times of the law enforcement in rural areas. Most people I know believe they are better off grabbing their guns to run off the thieves. They believe it would take the long arm of the law too long to get there if needed and they don't want their possessions stolen. Thieves often target rural areas as they believe there are less people to witness their crimes.

As far as the comment I made regarding protection against the government, many people I know in rural areas believe there will come a day they will have to defend themselves against our government and they want to be prepared. I have always laughed about this as I know if we really did have a revolution, all who participated would be taken out quickly by the government. Not sure why they have always held this belief, but I would imagine it stems from the first American Revolution?

In addition, I have been hearing rural theft rates going up tremendously in the recent years. People stealing copper pipes out of homes, etc.

[psychmommy]

16. i think obama brings a change in attitude.

he's not saying it is your fault pull your self up by your bootstraps. he is bringing attention to their plight. he is rendering them visible. rfk did this with poor blacks and poor whites-showed america the suffering within. all we see is lifestyles of the rich and famous-we forget that there are folks with no running water, living in fema trailers, or living in shacks in the hills. it is time for us to care again about our brothers and sisters-not just give bible quotes about it. whether or not he does anything about it isn't the point. it is what we as americans do about it. we are the change we are looking for.