Reply #24: Interesting... [View All]

[sendero]

.... and though I have no experience with VA, your comments resonate with me.

I've probably been as guilty as anyone of exploiting certain stereotypes, but lately I see the error of my ways. I do believe there is a strong anti-intellectual streak in America, and I take umbrage at that, not that I'm an intellectual but I respect careful deliberate thinking, and believe it has solved many more problems than it has created.

There is a definite kind of elitism that runs rampant even here. People love to slam "NASCAR dads" and "gun nuts" and various other people who they don't seem to have much of a clue about.

I have the privilege of knowing a lot of blue-collar folks and I'll say this straight up - they are for the most part NOT the dumbasses that so many here seem to think they are. There is a basis for their concerns and to write them all off as stupid is, well, stupid.

For example - here is one that some of you will get. I was at an auto wrecking yard (just think of this as recycling of cars if that helps, this is a good idea on many levels) and needed to have a part pulled from a car. I noticed the guy was taking extraordinary measures to make sure absolutely no compressor oil leaked onto the ground. I mentioned it and he said "we can be fined $10,000 if they find one drop of oil on the ground".

I'm all for clean air and clean water but that is beyond ridiculous. And when those sorts of regulations get passed, they discredit the whole environmental effort. Instead of stopping big polluters we stick it to the little businessman. And then we wonder why they don't trust us at all.