Presumably the United States of America is in the center of her universe. If people on the East Coast can fly east to Europe, and people on the West Coast can fly west to China, and a determined person can drive from Europe all the way to the coast of China, then where in the sam hill is the supposed edge of this flat disc?

They want people whose loyalty can be maintained with rewards and threats of punishment.

1984. I was a senior in a private religious college in Austin, TX. The religious denomination of that college had not (yet) gotten in bed with Republican evangelicals, so it was just a nice environment nestled in the heart of a really interesting city. There were not enough student teaching slots available in the denominational schools right there in Austin, so some of us got sent to Dallas and Houston and lived with host families for the 10 week period.

A friend and I were sent to Dallas. We went out to eat one evening and there was an older couple near us. The woman was on a tear about all the evils of secular humanism. As I recall, her dining partner didn't say much at all, but she went on and on. By that time I had several history and history of religion classes under my belt and was very familiar with humanism in the context of the Renaissance and the Reformation, but I had never, ever heard humanism referred to as a bad thing.

In fact, it was probably that overheard conversation that led me to try and figure out what the hell was going on in politics. My family never discussed politics, but I think my parents usually voted Republican. I had already researched how to get an absentee ballot because I was determined to vote against Reagan (thank you Rolling Stone magazine and William Greider!), but I don't think I would have gotten so involved without my horror at what right wing religiosos were doing and saying.