An interesting article on fundamentalists in America

Okay, I read it.

It's horrible. tl;dr version: "Rural white Americans are ignorant uneducated fanatical hicks too stupid to know what's good for them, which is voting Democrat."

Inasmuch as the writer makes some legitimate arguments about how rural white voters often vote contrary to their own interests, this is nothing new. But he pretty much epitomized the very thing he claims is a straw man: liberal elitists who thinks Red Staters are dumb, Bible-thumping bigots, every last one of them. So he grew up there, went on to become educated and liberal, and has nobly and futilely spent his life trying to educate his poor backwards brethren, and complains that they dismiss him as a liberal elitist. Gee, wonder why?

His generalizations, that rural white Americans are more likely to have racist, sexist, and homophobic attitudes, are probably true in general, but he doesn't cite a single basis for these assertions, just says its obvious and endemic, uses the term "these people" a lot, and pretty much implies that there isn't a single educated or thoughtful person between the coasts (except maybe in those liberal blue enclaves).

Who is this article addressing? What solution is it proposing? It certainly isn't going to convince them ignorant hicks he's talking about, so it seems mostly meant to reinforce what his fellow liberals already believe - yup, everything you think about "those people" is true.

The article is mostly BS. I grew up deep in the south and have never left. The way he talks, he has not truly listened to the people he claims to have talked to or filtered it through his own blinders. His closing paragraph shows that clearly. People do know why they are angry. Millions of them spoke up on election day and it was not just white racists. There are not enough of them to swing an election. Sure there are true racists...but they come in all colors of the rainbow. People, in general, were tired of the empty promises of professional politicians. They are not subject to many of the rules they impose on everyone else. (The Snopes article at the end presents an alternate viewpoint, interpretation, as usual, is the key)

www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiDxcjrvL3QAhULxoMKHT7VBdwQFggwMAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.professorbainbridge.com%2Fprofessorbainbridgecom%2F2011%2F08%2Fwhy-dont-the-laws-apply-to-congress-the-way-they-do-to-everybody-else.html&usg=AFQjCNEmXt9Bcny804t4EVCoWWyfZuKggA&sig2=OYOQ-MB4pqkemDA3ZHg7mw

www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=8&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiDxcjrvL3QAhULxoMKHT7VBdwQFghCMAc&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.uncommonwisdomdaily.com%2F3-laws-congress-created-that-it-doesnt-have-to-follow-23077&usg=AFQjCNEsaFtwe90-TytmJ-BIuZE-KCNqPA&sig2=-c7b4NBOpI269T1jhZHM3w

And to show another side there is this:

www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=13&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjbiJvxvb3QAhXmyoMKHSa1Dds4ChAWCCEwAg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.snopes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fmedical%2F28thamendment.asp&usg=AFQjCNGx5mQREQOXya0CPbHCd4i6j6hI6w&sig2=UXpnm2gBNN-VrGDxTqgv-g

I've done the "post an article before I finished reading it" thing, Angie. Sometimes the "ooh, interesting premise! I'll share and finish it later!" thing happens to the best of us (since, I, of course, am clearly among "the best of us.")

I shall still tease you, of course, we being mortal enemies and all.

That "someone" will definitely be Cassandra - let's be honest here.

Joke's on her, though. I have no shame, and therefore cannot be shamed.

I fart in your general direction!