Article shows the truly misinformed and ignorance of rural America

[walkingman]

60. I've lived in rural Texas for the last 36 years after being transferred from Houston

to the Austin area in 1987. All of my neighbors (not that many because everyone has acreage) are Republican with the exception of one person. Interestingly most of the older people (WWII era)that lived here in the 80s were all Democrats but their offspring are all Republicans with only one exception.

The social life in the area is mostly Mom/Pop dancehalls or beer joints and the local churches. They do not like "liberals". When I worked I didn't have a lot of social interactions but after I retired early (52) I let my hair grow long and walked everyday so I got to meet all of my neighbors and they would stop and talk to be daily. It was common for them to use the "N" word so I asked them not because I thought it was offensive - after that they would intentionally use it, I think just because I asked them not to. It was also quite common for them to blame the ills of the world on "taking God out of the schools" and similar retorhic based on their religious beliefs (mostly Catholic).

IMO, these are not "bad" people. Most of them are ranchers who work hard usually 7 days a week. They are not poor, most have lots of land - a lot inherited from their families - but have a common trait....they dislike government. They all use government for AG subsidies, or crop insurance, or even Medicaid or disability (a lot of fake disability) but they are what many would call "salt of the earth" folks.

It could be because this is Texas but the extremes have grown more and more in the last 20 years or so. With the election of "W" as Texas Gov. in '94 the extremism has exploded exponentially.

After all of these years, it is getting where I just hate living in Texas. So embarrassingly and in your face obnoxious but I am too old to start over somewhere else and where would be better and we have my DW's Mom (92) to think of.

I love living in the country but as I get older and unable to take care of things like I used to, it is inevitable I we will have to sell and move to a small place close to the necessities. Not sure where that will be but hoping our country turns around stop this craziness before I am 6ft under. But I'm not holding my breath. ☮