Regarding the April 21 opinion column by Nicholas F. Jacobs and Daniel M. Shea, “The Last Acceptable American Stereotype: Rural White Anger”:
Jacobs and Shea are not entirely wrong in arguing that outsiders' perceptions of rural white residents are often rooted in stereotypes. I learned that myself.
I grew up in the suburbs of Baltimore and lived in Los Angeles for over 25 years. Twelve years ago, I convinced her husband, a Reform rabbi, to apply for her job in Morgantown, West Virginia. People were surprised when the Tree of Life congregation adopted him. After moving, I decided to try visiting a different county within about 300 miles each month. For the most part, I've liked the people I've met and the places I've been. It helps because I usually travel alone and I'm not young, so people don't immediately assume I'm Jewish or queer.
But our state's politics are terrible, even in Monongalia County, the most liberal county in the state. Instead of addressing issues like disinvestment and deindustrialization, our Republican-dominated Congress is making life harder for transgender teens, concerned about immigration, and West Virginia University. focuses on allowing guns on college campuses while eliminating world language departments. The fossil fuel industry funnels money to states to fight every action that would improve the environment, while cancer rates in polluted states are among the highest in the country.
During my travels, I have seen the same “F— Biden” posters that John Grogan described in his Sunday Opinion article on April 21st. Five writers capture that atmosphere. ” When I was a Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress in West Virginia’s 2nd District in 2022, I was mostly ignored rather than attacked. Democrats I met complained that when unions were strong, they suppressed some of the racism in their neighbors, but now they don't recognize the hatred they see.
I will not let my coastal friends disrespect West Virginians. I like it here. I have tried to change politics, and perhaps my husband and I have brought about some change through our presence and work. Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin III and Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito voted for the Respect for Marriage Act, making marriages like ours safe in every state in the country.
Of course, Mr. Jacobs and Mr. Shea don't exactly live in the center. They teach at a university in a moderate Democratic county in the far northeast of the country. Going back home, as we have done, changed us by allowing us to see the best and worst of our chosen hometown.
Barry L. Wendell, Morgantown, West Virginia
I was tired of the sanctimonious whining about the alleged accusations of white rednecks. Nicholas F. Jacobs and Daniel M. Shea propose a three-pronged argument aimed at excusing these voters and shifting the blame to other voters. First, they suggest that these residents are victims of “economic policies that have destroyed local industry,” but they attribute this idea to a more complex history and impact than they realize. He supports the North American Free Trade Agreement, which he has, with only a passing reference. And they blame a “lack of investment in local infrastructure and education” (without citing a single example or acknowledging the benefits of Biden policies over the past few years). Finally, they blame the politicians and policies that white rural residents have embraced on a “sense of cultural disrespect from urban-centered media and politics.”
Such rhetoric suggests a complete amnesia about other minority groups that are actually oppressed. Check out recent anti-LGBTQ+ bills. This goes beyond perceived “cultural exclusion” and truly harms people. Additionally, atheists and agnostics, who represent a significant portion of Americans, have no representation in Congress, the Supreme Court, or other places of power.
What I see is not so much anger and disgust directed at rural white people, but fear of the anger that Mr. Jacobs and Mr. Shea so easily ignore. I have seen my church's rainbow flag torn from the ground. I've seen people who are afraid to even put a bumper sticker on their car for fear of being harassed. Memories of the murder of Heather Heyer in Charlottesville remain fresh in many people's memories. Recently, I read that Missouri State Senator Mary Elizabeth Coleman declared:we come for you,” she said of her efforts to help fund family planning programs that allow more people to access essential health care. There is a palpable fear that these people in power are actually actively trying to harass the public.
Fear of this kind of anger is real, and it's reasonable. Take, for example, the ongoing trial of former President Donald Trump in Manhattan. There, prospective jurors asked to be relieved of jury duty for fear of what would happen if their identities were exposed. As another example, take his April 21 Metro article in the Post, “Militia warns group members.” There is good reason to fear the outrage of those who walk around in combat gear and talk about the use of explosives.
Nicholas F. Jacobs and Daniel M. Shea's argument that rural white voters have grounds for dissatisfaction relies heavily on their dissatisfaction with the North American Free Trade Agreement and its impact on local communities. However, although Democratic President Bill Clinton was the driving force behind NAFTA, the agreement was signed by the United States, Canada, and Mexico in 1992 when Republican George H.W. Bush was president.
When NAFTA was ratified by both houses of Congress in 1993, Democrats in the House voted against it by a 156-102 margin, and the Senate was narrowly divided, with 27 Democrats in favor and 28 against. By contrast, 132 House Republicans and 34 Republican senators voted in favor of the deal. In other words, a moderate Democratic president supported NAFTA, but Congressional Republicans were very supportive and Democrats were pure opponents. The Democratic House Majority Leader also voted against the agreement and threw out support for it. It's hard to find solid ideological consistency across the vote, but in the House, progressive Democrats were most represented in the “anti” group.
Yes, NAFTA has had a negative impact on many rural areas. That said, it is unclear why local residents would conclude that the Democratic Party is to blame, based on the party vote breakdown shown above. And it's not at all clear why dissatisfaction with NAFTA would lead to other cultural and political beliefs and resentments. Perhaps next time these disaffected voters could try voting for a progressive. They are the ones who want to expand Medicaid and pass other policies that lessen the effects of decades of economic neglect.
Hello from the deep red state of Arkansas. This is an election year and people are fired up. No surprise here. Most people will vote for a straight ticket. Never mind that Donald Trump sat backwards for the longest time of his life while his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. Republicans chose a man who wanted to subvert democracy and strategically chose a judge to overturn Roe v. Wade and seize jurisdiction over my body. It certainly pisses me off because our children have fewer rights than we do. My husband served in the Air Force for 27 years, so he knows what it's like to “protect and defend the Constitution.” On January 6, 2021, that was not the case.
I recently spoke to a friend and she summed it up perfectly: I don't know how much more I can endure. ” Even though she largely opposes Trump, she felt she could not afford to vote for President Biden. She knows she's not alone.
There are many hungry and desperate people on this hill. No one respects us even though they are busy keeping our country's lungs running and feeding our military recruits and citizens for national security. People think we are backwards and stupid, but we are not. We are deep-rooted Americans, accustomed to the challenge of breaking ground among the rocks. We are not a “too much” people to save money, but we are the embodiment of table economics. Few people realize the huge benefits of the stock market because they've never had a 401(k) or investment account. Indeed, the Coffee Mate creamer was $2.49 and now it's $4.29. Morning coffee has become a luxury, but have we benefited from the developments that have fueled the inflation that plagues us? No, not really.
If we want to change the minds of free people in the heartland, we need to see changes in food prices immediately. We must know that when we go to the store, we will hear a cry of “Uncle”.
Katherine Childs, Eureka Springs, Ark.
