About those red states and blue states [View all]

[proud2BlibKansan]

I spent Thanksgiving in Memphis. No family there, just love the place. This was our third or fourth Thanksgiving there. We go to eat at the Paula Deen buffet in Tunica, MS on Thanksgiving. Then we tour all of the wonderful music venues and museums and hang out on Beale Street. Just have a wonderful time every time we go. We're big music lovers in my family so we just love the vibe in Memphis.

While we were there and probably because we just had an election, and because I spend way too much time on DU, I kept thinking about Tennessee being a red state. And we drove across MO to get there, and it's now pretty much a red state as well. And while I find that sad, it's not such a horrific thought. I live in a very red state and I've survived.

Anyhow, I was thinking that if I ever let the politics of a state keep me from wanting to go there and spend my tourist dollars, I'd miss out on so much. I live in the most boring state imaginable, in a city that no one ever wants to visit and I'm actually jealous of the people who live in Memphis. I hope they realize what a treasure their city is.

We also aren't Elvis fans in my family. When I was a little girl, my grandmother LOVED Elvis and dragged us to every one of his horrible movies as soon as they hit the theaters and I pretty much was over Elvis by the time I was 12 or 13. But every time we go to Memphis, we stay at least one night in the Elvis motel across from Graceland. Its' a hoot. It has pictures of Elvis EVERYWHERE (even over the beds) and a guitar shaped swimming pool. And Elvis movies on the TV. And even though I'm not a big Elvis fan, I really like staying there.

I think about this whenever I see state bashing here on DU. We'd live such small and limited lives if we allowed our politics to constantly dictate how we spend our time and our money. Don't get me wrong. I think it's important to know that the CEOs of Chic Fil A and Papa John's are obnoxious right wingers and that Red Lobster plans on screwing their workers to pay for Obamacare. And no amount of persuasion would ever convince me to spend my money on a Ted Nugent CD.

But I won't avoid visiting red states just because they are red. I'm betting there are probably more than a few good Democrats living in each of them.