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IDoMath

(404 posts)
Sun Jan 6, 2013, 08:39 PM Jan 2013

Why the Liberal/Conservative Split is also an urban/rural split [View all]

(I was asked to report this from a thread as an op. I will expound on this as well.)


Urbanites and rural folk *really* need to talk to each other about how guns effect their lives. Guns are not the issue, guns are a symbol of the differences between these groups. It's one of many but it stands out.

Rural folk don't understand what the urban folk fear. They don't understand living in a high density space where one stray bullet can result in a dead child. They don't understand being in a space where having a gun is more liability than its worth.

Urban folk don't realize that guns are also tools. They are taken out on ranches and farms everyday as another tool. They may be used to kill a rattlesnake or wild a rabid animal. They may have to be used to euthanize an injured animal. Children are taught firearm safety from a very young age. They are taught when and how to use them ethically, effectively and safely.

Folks who live off the land are aware that calamity may strike at any time. When I say calamity I mean calamity on a community scale, not just personal. Calamity may come slowly in the form of a drought or quickly in the form of a flood. It could come from the collapse of central authorities which all too often ignore the rural areas. It may be more personal in the form of a blizzard that snows you in or the breakdown of your truck. When the nearest grocery store is 15 miles away or more, you learn that you may have to find food by other means for extended periods.

Urban folk don't necessarily understand these factors. Some clearly have no idea where their food comes from before it reaches the grocery store. At the same time, rural folk don't understand what it's like to live in a space where you rarely see trees and grass. They don't recognize the tradeoffs of living in a dense urban area. They aren't used to being able to depend on having a grocery store or deli open at all hours a few blocks away. They don't understand the value of going to a subway for a ten minute trip across town. They don't experience all the extra time that can be built into people's lives by these amenities. They also don't recognize what's its like to depend on this infrastructure. So, when a Sandy or Katrina strikes a major urban area they are sometimes left scratching their heads and wonder "Why don't these people just do 'x'"?

Rural folk also don't feel the stress that comes from being in the city. They can't always grasp the forces that drive people to desperate acts like robbery and gang warfare.

These two sets of people rely on two different infrastructures. Each has its benefits and costs.

These discussions are being conducted in the wrong places and between the wrong people. We are talking past each other. Its not just that we have different perspectives its that we lack a common base of experience to start from.

So, when you talk about gun control in the wrong way, a rural person may fear for their sense of self-reliance. They feel like you want to bind their hands and prevent them from feeding themselves. They see a slippery slope that begins innocently but ultimately ends up hurting them. But when you talk about gun rights in the wrong way, the urban dweller sees only innocent people lying dead from weapons in all the wrong hands.

It's not just about guns. It's about a host of issues including how/when/who should help the helpless? It's about whether and how much to trust government to do the job right. It's about how much time we can dedicate to monitoring our government. Urban dwellers get cheaper food as a result of government ag subsidies. Those subsidies began as help for family farmers but have mutated into corporate welfare that has hurt family farmers. Then we add educational aid and now health care. For those who experience tells them to fear government reliance it is fair for them to ask "how far should this go?" But we never really get an answer to that question. We should have one. And we should have a rational reason behind that answer.

But as long as we are divided by our experiences and unable to understand the different experiences that produce different conclusions we will never have adequate answers to these questions.

The far left has very little traction in rural areas. The issue of hunting nearly tore the MN Green party apart due to urban/rural differences. The Democratic party is the only real left/liberal presence in rural America. It needs to do more than just offer lip service to rural concerns. It needs to offer solutions that work for both rural and urban America.

If it can do so, it will drive the Republican party to extinction.

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Nice food for thought +1 Remmah2 Jan 2013 #1
You and I have very similar stories. n/t IDoMath Jan 2013 #5
Lost cause, lets focus our resources on the people who voted for Obama MightyMopar Jan 2013 #2
I suppose it has gone completely over you head Budgies Revenge Jan 2013 #3
Some rural people voted for Obama. But rural people voted overwhelmingly for Romney. bluestate10 Jan 2013 #12
I LIVE in rural Texas IDoMath Jan 2013 #4
I was just talked to few hundred of them in the last month. MightyMopar Jan 2013 #6
Um.....yet again..... Budgies Revenge Jan 2013 #7
Not enough to help us politically, you can help them and they'll still vote for Pukes MightyMopar Jan 2013 #9
Tell that to the people who voted for President Obama PennsylvaniaMatt Jan 2013 #11
Thanks IDoMath Jan 2013 #13
In blue states and battle ground states but give up on the red states rural areas MightyMopar Jan 2013 #14
Obviously you're not paying attention to the people you talked at. IDoMath Jan 2013 #23
I apologize for offending good Democrats MightyMopar Jan 2013 #29
Of course there are dumbasses. They're everywhere. IDoMath Jan 2013 #34
I hope TeXXXas leaves the union, it holds the western world back from advancing! MightyMopar Jan 2013 #8
Whoosh!!!! nadinbrzezinski Jan 2013 #17
Deer Hunting With Jesus- by Joe Baegant. Rural folks are Republican by default. KittyWampus Jan 2013 #10
+ brazillion nadinbrzezinski Jan 2013 #16
Excellent book Populist_Prole Jan 2013 #54
Hit the nail on the head... R_Flagg_77 Jan 2013 #15
I'm rural but very much give a damn about social issues, not just "mine" uppityperson Jan 2013 #20
Not to put words in his mouth IDoMath Jan 2013 #25
I see a difference between not focusing on something and not "give a damn". uppityperson Jan 2013 #28
No sir. R_Flagg_77 Jan 2013 #31
What good will it do ANYONE to get married? Why target gay people? Only until we have economic uppityperson Jan 2013 #33
Priorities R_Flagg_77 Jan 2013 #35
If there are such "few associated benefits" then why deny them? It is simple. Why deny them? uppityperson Jan 2013 #36
I can't... R_Flagg_77 Jan 2013 #40
Thank you. And thank you for continuing to reply. If you don't have a good job, you can at least uppityperson Jan 2013 #41
Another question for you. If you would be so kind. uppityperson Jan 2013 #46
Thank you, and to answer your question... R_Flagg_77 Jan 2013 #47
Thank you for the answer. We have had a sudden influx of gun focused posters and were wondering uppityperson Jan 2013 #48
You're welcome. R_Flagg_77 Jan 2013 #49
DU has a Gun Control & RKBA forum you might be interested in. uppityperson Jan 2013 #50
Curious what your line of work is, that you would need such a gun? uppityperson Jan 2013 #51
To be honest... R_Flagg_77 Jan 2013 #57
That makes sense, thanks. That is one of my sayings also. uppityperson Jan 2013 #59
I think the point is that what's important is different to everyone davidn3600 Jan 2013 #32
Agreed. R_Flagg_77 Jan 2013 #37
I agree. But it is possible to multi-task. And there ARE some civil rights that are universal. uppityperson Jan 2013 #39
Nail on proverbial head. nadinbrzezinski Jan 2013 #18
The same observation could be made about hammers. Remmah2 Jan 2013 #21
Murder with hammers is not a city thing. It can happen anywhere. JDPriestly Jan 2013 #53
I'll bet they're legal guns too. Remmah2 Jan 2013 #58
It's nor just hunting; consider how long it will take a sheriff's deputy to respond to a 911 call FarCenter Jan 2013 #19
Half an hour average nadinbrzezinski Jan 2013 #42
It's simply divide and conquer. sleestak smile Jan 2013 #22
Americans aren't ready for a discussion. Now is not the time. closeupready Jan 2013 #24
If not now, when? IDoMath Jan 2013 #26
When? Some other time. But now isn't it. closeupready Jan 2013 #27
Excellent OP. I have brought this up several times in threads, but not in this detail. freshwest Jan 2013 #30
In the country, some times the horse has blinders on. nt Remmah2 Jan 2013 #38
Well, I didn't have horses, only cattle. They were considered a luxury. freshwest Jan 2013 #45
Good post loyalsister Jan 2013 #43
Living in a rural area is no excuse for being conservative. DanTex Jan 2013 #44
K&R. I understand this very well. JDPriestly Jan 2013 #52
Very thought provoking post Populist_Prole Jan 2013 #55
I live in the city and don't own a gun. If I ever move to the country... redgreenandblue Jan 2013 #56
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