I'm a liberal who moved to a conservative town — here are the most shocking things I discovered abou

[Sanguine]

    I'm a liberal, and my first job out of college was working in a small, conservative town in Georgia.

    Many of my political views were challenged during my time there, and I was shocked to discover certain aspects of life in a conservative town.

    I came to understand where conservatives were coming from on hot-button issues like guns, abortion, and healthcare, even though I disagreed with many of their views.

I still vividly remember the political "conflict" my household experienced during the 2007 Democratic presidential primary season.

I loved Barack Obama, my dad liked John Edwards, and my mom adored Hillary Clinton....

https://start.att.net/news/read/category/finance/article/business_insider-im_a_liberal_who_moved_to_a_conservative_town_here-newscred2

She's still a leftist, but she got some things right. Interesting read.

[PeteS in CA]

Well, she understands more than many Lib/Prog elites, but there's much she didn't perceive. If conservatives "love" guns, it's related to knowing they have prepared themselves for potential life-threatening emergencies. They hope those emergencies never happen, but have done what they can to prepare. There's also a pride in learning and honing a skill, whether it's target shooting or running-walking your first marathon.

Being Pro-Life is not just feeling. It's knowing that what is a aborted is a living, growing human being. IOW, an abortion averted truly is a life saved.

[LMAO]

Well, she understands more than many Lib/Prog elites, but there's much she didn't perceive. If conservatives "love" guns, it's related to knowing they have prepared themselves for potential life-threatening emergencies. They hope those emergencies never happen, but have done what they can to prepare. There's also a pride in learning and honing a skill, whether it's target shooting or running-walking your first marathon.

Being Pro-Life is not just feeling. It's knowing that what is a aborted is a living, growing human being. IOW, an abortion averted truly is a life saved.

The writer stepped out of their bubble. It doesn’t mean viewpoints were changed. It just means you now understand someone else’s point of view

[Sanguine]

The writer stepped out of their bubble. It doesn’t mean viewpoints were changed. It just means you now understand someone else’s point of view

Which is massive for most leftists.

[LMAO]

Which is massive for most leftists.

 I tend to run on the more libertarian side  of the political spectrum.  Many of my viewpoints are more aligned with the Barry Goldwater thinking of the party versus a Rick  Santorum.  Barry Goldwater said something to the effect that one of the tenants of conservatism is that people can live their life peacefully without a lot of government interference as long as they don’t harm anybody or seek to cause harm. I have a radically left sister-in-law who is all for higher taxes, government run healthcare..  you name it. And she believed that she’ll be able to implement all of her beliefs on other people without any pushback or unintended consequences.  For example, she does not believe that people left places like California and Illinois because of their high tax rates and regulations and unfriendly business environments. That’s part of that bubble thinking. The writer of this article probably did not change her mind on the things she supports. But has probably discovered why  it’s difficult  to implement her point of view on other people easily through the legislative process

She also probably discovered that simply disagreeing with her doesn’t make one evil



And as you can probably tell by my tagline, I am a Goldwater fan.
 

[Sanguine]

I tend to run on the more libertarian side  of the political spectrum.  Many of my viewpoints are more aligned with the Barry Goldwater thinking of the party versus a Rick  Santorum.  Barry Goldwater said something to the effect that one of the tenants of conservatism is that people can live their life peacefully without a lot of government interference as long as they don’t harm anybody or seek to cause harm. I have a radically left sister-in-law who is all for higher taxes, government run healthcare..  you name it. And she believed that she’ll be able to implement all of her beliefs on other people without any pushback or unintended consequences.  For example, she does not believe that people left places like California and Illinois because of their high tax rates and regulations and unfriendly business environments. That’s part of that bubble thinking. The writer of this article probably did not change her mind on the things she supports. But has probably discovered why  it’s difficult  to implement her point of view on other people easily through the legislative process

She also probably discovered that simply disagreeing with her doesn’t make one evil



And as you can probably tell by my tagline, I am a Goldwater fan.

Same here.

[Cyber Liberty]

What's not "shocking" here is that the writer is "shocked."  As WFB once pointed out, liberals are all for free thinking, until they are shocked to discover others think differently than they do.

If she's still a leftist, then she's still viewing the locals as organisms under a microscope and has really learned nothing at all.

[Cyber Liberty]

Same here.

I liked Barry until he remarried after his wife passed away.  That's when he started spewing leftist talking points.  It's kind of a local thing that most non-Arizonans missed.

[Sanguine]

I liked Barry until he remarried after his wife passed away.  That's when he started spewing leftist talking points.  It's kind of a local thing that most non-Arizonans missed.

Yes, I didn't know that.

[Cyber Liberty]

Yes, I didn't know that.

When Barry retired, John McCain (from my House District) ran to replace him.  Barry ended up endorsing a Dem for that Congressional seat, who was predictably the second worse Representative I ever had.  The worst was much later, in the form of my now-Senator Sinema.  Needless to say I am not happy with the way our DeeCee delegation has shaped up over the years, and Barry started that snowball rolling down the hill years ago.

He was a great one, but not for his whole life.

[Bigun]

I tend to run on the more libertarian side  of the political spectrum.  Many of my viewpoints are more aligned with the Barry Goldwater thinking of the party versus a Rick  Santorum.  Barry Goldwater said something to the effect that one of the tenants of conservatism is that people can live their life peacefully without a lot of government interference as long as they don’t harm anybody or seek to cause harm. I have a radically left sister-in-law who is all for higher taxes, government run healthcare..  you name it. And she believed that she’ll be able to implement all of her beliefs on other people without any pushback or unintended consequences.  For example, she does not believe that people left places like California and Illinois because of their high tax rates and regulations and unfriendly business environments. That’s part of that bubble thinking. The writer of this article probably did not change her mind on the things she supports. But has probably discovered why  it’s difficult  to implement her point of view on other people easily through the legislative process

She also probably discovered that simply disagreeing with her doesn’t make one evil



And as you can probably tell by my tagline, I am a Goldwater fan.

@LMAO

I have often considered writing one of those alternative history novels based on Barry Goldwater winning the 1964 Presidential election.

[Free Vulcan]

1. Conservatives bathe daily
2. Weed isn't it's own food group
3. There are no wild west gunfights on the streets at high noon
4. Nobody wears KKK garb on the streets, to meetings, to church, or to work
5. Everyone has just one wife
6. No one is inbred
7. People have modern tech like computers, smart phones, internet, and social media
8. Men and women aren't kept from socially mixing with each other
9. No one wears Amish clothes

[Cyber Liberty]

1. Conservatives bathe daily
2. Weed isn't it's own food group
3. There are no wild west gunfights on the streets at high noon
4. Nobody wears KKK garb on the streets, to meetings, to church, or to work
5. Everyone has just one wife
6. No one is inbred
7. People have modern tech like computers, smart phones, internet, and social media
8. Men and women aren't kept from socially mixing with each other
9. No one wears Amish clothes

All points she had to have rejected in order to remain a leftist.

[TomSea]

That was his book back then, I think I'm seeing it can be read online, I will have to try to do it, I doubt if it is very long.

A good thing about that era and into the '70s and indeed, '80s too, was the paperback culture. For a fairly cheap price, there were books on everything.

[Sanguine]

That was his book back then, I think I'm seeing it can be read online, I will have to try to do it, I doubt if it is very long.

A good thing about that era and into the '70s and indeed, '80s too, was the paperback culture. For a fairly cheap price, there were books on everything.

You can get it on Amazon for $4.99 paperback or read for free on Kindle.

[Hoodat]

I now see the gun-control issue as wholly irreconcilable

Of course it is.  Either you believe in the Constitution of the United States, or you don't.

Not to make excuses, but in reality you see less of the sort of brazen racism and xenophobia [in the South] than you might expect given media portrayals of the region.

After learning that first hand, have you considered what else the media may be wrong about?

[austingirl]

@LMAO

I have often considered writing one of those alternative history novels based on Barry Goldwater winning the 1964 Presidential election.

@Bigun

I'd classify that as utopian fantasy.

[Cyber Liberty]

Of course it is.  Either you believe in the Constitution of the United States, or you don't.


After learning that first hand, have you considered what else the media may be wrong about?

She doesn't want to know.  She disbelieves her own lyin' eyes.

[Bigun]

@Bigun

I'd classify that as utopian fantasy.

Well yeah, @austingirl but just thinking about the USA without the "Great Society" programs and having the Republic of South Vietnam on the map of the world gives me goosebumps.

[austingirl]

Well yeah, @austingirl but just thinking about the USA without the "Great Society" programs and having the Republic of South Vietnam on the map of the world gives me goosebumps.

@Bigun 
If only... a lovely idea.

[Bigun]

@Bigun 
If only... a lovely idea.

Just following out the repercussions of those two things would make a mighty fine book I imagine.

[austingirl]

Just following out the repercussions of those two things would make a mighty fine book I imagine.

@Bigun

You should write it.

[Bigun]

@Bigun

You should write it.

Perhaps I will someday.

[austingirl]

Perhaps I will someday.

@Bigun