Do you think the term flyover country is offensive?

[Tobin S.]

40. I'm originally from Ohio and I currently live in Indiana,

I've been a truck driver for 20 years. Now days I have a dedicated run that I do out to Pittsburgh, PA and back, but I've been everywhere and to every major city in the nation multiple times for the most part. I've also been to most of the lower half of Canada. I've never been to Alaska or Hawaii, but those are the only two states I haven't been to. Pittsburgh is a great town, btw. There are several large cities in flyover country that have a lot of good things going on in them. Cleveland is a happening town, and I once considered moving there. I love the diversity there. Chicago? Last I heard it was the third largest city in the nation and it's right in the middle of the country. Atlanta? Michael Che from Saturday Night Live once said that Atlanta was a much more racially tolerant city than Boston and it's right in the middle of south. Denver? The first major city in the nation to have legal recreational weed. Houston? Actually a progressive town and more open to diversity and accepting refugees than any major city in the country. Some people think that current day Houston is kind of what America will look like toward the middle of this century as our population is concerned and as our national demographics continue to shift. Lots of good stuff happening in the middle of the country in major cities. Wherever there is even a little bit of diversity going on and some kind of sense of community there is good stuff happening in the middle of the country. My little town here in Indiana of 35,000 people has had Democratic leadership for the past 12 years. Liberal politics can happen anywhere in the nation.

Then we have rural, almost exclusively white America. Although those areas have long held onto social conservatism for the most part, there is some history there of left wing politics and economic liberalism. Democrats aren't going to win most of these people over any time soon, but there are liberals among them and they can be some of the most dedicated Dems you will ever run across. Even though they are in the middle of a sea of red, they still get out there and campaign and help the Democratic party maintain a presence there. You will not find people who are more dedicated to the party than they are.

I love all those world class cities on the east and west coasts, too. The traffic is truly horrendous there, especially for truck drivers, but there are all those beautiful, diverse liberal people living there. So much going on and so much to see. There was a time in my life when I saw the Atlantic Ocean for the first time and was just in awe of it. I wanted to move somewhere on the east coast badly for a while after seeing that, but I never did. San Francisco is the most beautiful city I have ever seen, especially at night. I used to run out to Seattle on a dedicated run and did that for a long time. I fell in love with that city.

My point here is, that there are many wonderful things going on in America all across the country. We are all equally important to the function of the nation. We all have something to contribute. It takes all of us to make this country happen. I know it doesn't seem possible for many people right now, but we really need to see the humanity in each other and make one another feel like we are a valued part of this country. I'm not asking anyone to do that for those who are intent on destroying us, but that point of view does not represent the vast majority of Americans even right now when things look so bleak.