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I think rural people mostly get tired of city people telling them what their best interests are.
That's true.
I grew up on a small farm in Idaho and watched what agri-business did to small farmers. Would they vote against politicians who were sucked in tight with agri-business? Not on your life.
I watched them rant against the government programs that benefited small farmers.
So strange.
That said, there are some mighty nice small farmers and regardless of their political perspectives, they'd be good neighbors.
Finding liberal rural area anywhere in the nation is going to be tough. Which is strange, since small farmers constantly get screwed by Republican policies.
Though they brag about being independent, government subsidies provide about 40% of farm income. Unfortunately, a great deal of this goes to agri-business rather than small farmers. The top 10% get about 60% of the subsidies.
Health insurance was unaffordable for many small farmers before ACA. The children could get on government funded programs, but the adults were out of luck. If they got hurt or sick, they either sucked it up, or went bankrupt paying medical bills.
That said, as you point out even if liberals are in the minority in rural areas, they are there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GotHereQuickAsICould
That's true.
I grew up on a small farm in Idaho and watched what agri-business did to small farmers. Would they vote against politicians who were sucked in tight with agri-business? Not on your life.
I watched them rant against the government programs that benefited small farmers.
So strange.
That said, there are some mighty nice small farmers and regardless of their political perspectives, they'd be good neighbors.
I wanted to "like" both of these posts but this board, in it's wisdom, says I need to spread the likes around.
I grew up on a small farm in Idaho and watched what agri-business did to small farmers. Would they vote against politicians who were sucked in tight with agri-business? Not on your life.
I watched them rant against the government programs that benefited small farmers.
So strange.
That said, there are some mighty nice small farmers and regardless of their political perspectives, they'd be good neighbors.
That's what I thought when I first read the OP's initial post. Gonna lose out on a potentially GREAT area to live and prosper because of insisting on a PLU (People Like Us). Also, a potentially really good neighbor and even friend.
My closest friend right now is extremely right wing. I'm a crable liberal leaning center more conservative. I see both sides and think politicians are a waste of time and will never solve anything. And I hate the way too many people nowadays seem to worship certain politicians. Hello? What about First Commandment for Christians who do that?
My friend's politics don't stop me from loving her as a close friend. We have other more important things in common (like our faith).
Tennessee and Kentucky which I believe the OP mentioned are beautiful places. I would live in Knoxville. Who cares if it's mostly conservative? Who says you can't form fantastic relationships with someone who disagrees with you politically? Life is short.
Not everyone, although I can see where someone might believe that if they spend their days on City-Data's P&OC forum, lol. Many of us live our lives despite politicians and their nonsense. I don't believe a damn thing any of them say, no matter what party they affiliate themselves with. Politicians' first and foremost interest is getting themselves elected, and after that, they focus on getting themselves re-elected. Anything they may accomplish in between is incidental.
My suggestion is that the OP look for places where people are just not too heavily into politics.
I definitely agree with that. I have an old curmudgeon neighbor who flies a confederate flag (up here in the great Yankee north) he comes down the lane wanting to talk politics. I shut him down!
I definitely agree with that. I have an old curmudgeon neighbor who flies a confederate flag (up here in the great Yankee north) he comes down the lane wanting to talk politics. I shut him down!
Yup, my sister in Northwestern New Jersey has a neighbor with a Confederate flag. LOL, she told my niece she didn't like it that he has that flag because it makes all conservatives look ignorant. My niece, who is half black, just kind of stared at her...like THAT'S the reason you don't like the Confederate flag?
But that sister is generally a fairly moderate conservative, not extreme. I lean more liberal in many ways, but we have more in common than not. And we both love being in the woods and nature more than we care about politics.
I've got 2 neighbors on each side who fly the Confederate flag. Along with the Blue Line/I Support the Police flag. For the record I absolutely support the police, but not blindly. It bothered me when I first moved here but I'm used to it now. A friend of mine who grew up here tried to explain the historical value of the Confederate flag, that it's as much about history and pride in the ancestors (troops) as it is about racism. I sort of got it. Sort of. To a lot of people it just stirs things up. I try to ignore it because it ain't going away. I like to get along with people.
Funny how Liberals are the least Live and Let Live type people.
You don't really understand country people do you.
I live rurally, 25+ years, liberal but not left........but thankfully, I don't have neighbors who talk to people like you just did. Deep South here.
Are you saying you represent "country people"? because you really don't and therefore should not be so egotistical as to pretend to speak for them.
To the OP: as many have already pointed out, people get along just fine when they don't beat each other over the head with generalizations based on political opinions or affliliations. Most people are *more than just that* and therefore, have more than enough in common to be great neighbors and help each other. I've never had any problems and I live in one of the most conservative counties in my entire already "red state". None of us say or do rude stuff to each other.
However, most of them also aren't trying to "announce" their identity with flags in their yard. There are a few like that but they do tend to be big mouths who are somewhat insecure about their place in the world. The rest of us are busy just being nice human beings to each other and have tons of stuff in common. Maybe because we LOOK for what we have in common instead of looking for what divides us?
Last edited by pavedwithgold; 11-07-2021 at 12:49 AM..
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