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In reply to the discussion: An insider says that white rural Christian America has a 'dark, racist underbelly' [View all]dalton99a
(81,391 posts)12. Kick
Of course, it didnt help matters that there were scapegoats available toward whom they could direct their fears, anger and white supremacy. A significant number of rural Americans believe President Obama was in charge when the financial crisis started. An even higher number believe the mortgage crisis was the result of the government forcing banks to give loans to unqualified minorities. It doesnt matter how untrue both of these things are, they are gospel in rural America. Why reevaluate your beliefs and voting patterns when scapegoats are available?
How do you make climate change personal to someone who believes only god can alter the weather? How do you make racial equality personal to someone who believes whites are naturally superior to non-whites? How do you make gender equality personal to someone who believes women are supposed to be subservient to men by gods command? How do you get someone to view minorities as not threatening to people who dont live around minorities and have never interacted with them? How do you make personal the fact massive tax cuts and cutting back government hurts their economic situation when theyve voted for such policies for decades? I dont think you can without some catastrophic events. And maybe not even then. The Civil War was pretty damn catastrophic, yet a large swath of the South believedand still believesthey were right and had the moral high ground. They were/are also mostly Christian fundamentalists who believe they are superior because of the color of their skin and the religion they profess to follow. There is a pattern here for anyone willing to connect the dots.
Rural white America needs to be better understood, is not one of the dots. Rural white America needs to be better understood, is a dodge, meant to avoid the real problems because talking about the real problems is viewed as too upsetting, too mean, too arrogant, too elite, too snobbish. Pointing out that Aunt Beas views of Mexicans, blacks and gays is bigoted isnt the thing one does in polite society. Too bad more people dont think the same about Aunt Beas views. Its the classic, Youre a racist for calling me a racist, ploy.
What I understand is that rural Christian white Americans are entrenched in fundamentalist belief systems; dont trust people outside their tribe; have been force-fed a diet of misinformation and lies for decades; are unwilling to understand their own situations; and truly believe whites are superior to all races. No amount of understanding is going to change these things or what they believe. No amount of niceties will get them to be introspective. No economic policy put forth by someone outside their tribe is going to be listened to no matter how beneficial it would be for them. I understand rural Christian white America all too well. I understand their fears are based on myths and lies. I understand they feel left behind by a world they dont understand and dont really care to. They are willing to vote against their own interests if they can be convinced it will make sure minorities are harmed more. Their Christian beliefs and morals are only extended to fellow white Christians. They are the problem with progress and always will be, because their belief systems are constructed against it.
How do you make climate change personal to someone who believes only god can alter the weather? How do you make racial equality personal to someone who believes whites are naturally superior to non-whites? How do you make gender equality personal to someone who believes women are supposed to be subservient to men by gods command? How do you get someone to view minorities as not threatening to people who dont live around minorities and have never interacted with them? How do you make personal the fact massive tax cuts and cutting back government hurts their economic situation when theyve voted for such policies for decades? I dont think you can without some catastrophic events. And maybe not even then. The Civil War was pretty damn catastrophic, yet a large swath of the South believedand still believesthey were right and had the moral high ground. They were/are also mostly Christian fundamentalists who believe they are superior because of the color of their skin and the religion they profess to follow. There is a pattern here for anyone willing to connect the dots.
Rural white America needs to be better understood, is not one of the dots. Rural white America needs to be better understood, is a dodge, meant to avoid the real problems because talking about the real problems is viewed as too upsetting, too mean, too arrogant, too elite, too snobbish. Pointing out that Aunt Beas views of Mexicans, blacks and gays is bigoted isnt the thing one does in polite society. Too bad more people dont think the same about Aunt Beas views. Its the classic, Youre a racist for calling me a racist, ploy.
What I understand is that rural Christian white Americans are entrenched in fundamentalist belief systems; dont trust people outside their tribe; have been force-fed a diet of misinformation and lies for decades; are unwilling to understand their own situations; and truly believe whites are superior to all races. No amount of understanding is going to change these things or what they believe. No amount of niceties will get them to be introspective. No economic policy put forth by someone outside their tribe is going to be listened to no matter how beneficial it would be for them. I understand rural Christian white America all too well. I understand their fears are based on myths and lies. I understand they feel left behind by a world they dont understand and dont really care to. They are willing to vote against their own interests if they can be convinced it will make sure minorities are harmed more. Their Christian beliefs and morals are only extended to fellow white Christians. They are the problem with progress and always will be, because their belief systems are constructed against it.
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An insider says that white rural Christian America has a 'dark, racist underbelly' [View all]
marmar
Feb 2020
OP
No kidding! Who knew...incurious, ignorant, gullible, magical thinkers would be bigots.
Thomas Hurt
Feb 2020
#1
Where I live, the racist bigoted jokes are out of animosity toward any and all nonwhite people.
Jamastiene
Feb 2020
#4