General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Do We Disrespect Rural America? [View all]GreenEyedLefty
(2,073 posts)I grew up in the Flint, Michigan area, in a small rural suburb. I worked for a time for Borders Books, in their headquarters in Ann Arbor.
When the Flint store was built it routinely led the chain in same store sales. The company execs couldn't believe it. I heard many jokes and comments about how surprised they were at the number of readers in the Flint area. I'll tell ya, that pissed me right off. It's comments like that, that turn people away from liberalism. People in rural areas might not have college degrees (and more actually have them than you might think) but they do have brains and the ability to think critically. It's time we start talking *to* people and not about them.
I see elitism here all the time. Underestimating, undervaluing and marginalizing rural people, and if they happen to be from the south, it's a double whammy. It really sucks.