Our borders, porous and unguarded, have become conduits for countless unverified migrants from every corner of the globe. This unchecked influx has not only fueled an alarming surge in violent crime but also seeded potential terrorist cells within our nation’s heartland.
The economic landscape is equally bleak, with inflation skyrocketing while wages stagnate, rendering home ownership a distant dream for many. Urban areas are witnessing an unprecedented spike in crime due to the ill-conceived defund-the-police movement, forcing numerous businesses to shut their doors. The impending commercial real estate crisis threatens to topple banks like dominoes, and our federal deficit and national debt have spiraled far beyond sustainable levels.
Yet, according to some misguided individuals, these pressing issues pale in comparison to the ‘real’ threat facing America: white rural Trump-supporting Christians.
This ludicrous assertion stems from a book titled “White Rural Rage: The Threat to American Democracy,” penned by Tom Schaller, a professor of political science at University of Maryland, and Paul Waldman, a liberal op-ed columnist for The American Prospect and blogger for the Washington Post. Their disdain for conservatives and Middle America is palpable throughout their work.
In an MSNBC appearance, Schaller brazenly labeled rural voters as “the most racist, xenophobic, anti-immigrant…” group in the country. He accused them of conspiracy theories ranging from QAnon support to COVID denialism and painted them as white nationalists who justify violence over peaceful public discourse.
Yet, one can’t help but question the ‘peaceful public discourse’ of leftist groups like Antifa, Pro-Palestinian protesters, Black Lives Matter, and climate activists who have been known to resort to violence and destruction.
The authors audaciously claim that those residing in rural America – which makes up 97% of the nation’s landmass – pose a threat to democracy due to their dissatisfaction with the left’s deviation from the Constitution and Bill of Rights. They further argue that these patriotic citizens are least likely to defend core American principles. But what principles are they referring to? Open borders? Defunding the police? Abolishing the First and Second Amendments?
This condescending portrayal of rural Americans by urban ‘experts’ is nothing new. We’re often dismissed as uneducated hicks because we attend church, work hard, pay our taxes, abide by the law, and refuse to indoctrinate our children with radical ideologies.
Rural America has always been an enigma to urban dwellers. Our differences in speech, attire, thought process, voting patterns, and child-rearing practices have made us targets of condemnation.
A few years ago, NPR published an article titled “Americans are fleeing to places where political views match their own,” highlighting the growing geographical polarization in America. This phenomenon, dubbed ‘The Big Sort,’ has seen red ZIP codes becoming redder and blue ones bluer.
The creeping liberalism is what fuels the distrust of ruralites towards urban dwellers and perhaps explains why leftist elites harbor such hostility towards rural Americans.
The progressive agenda struggles to gain traction in rural areas. Unable to convince us about the merits of transgenderism, abortion, open borders, untested vaccines, and other contentious issues, the left resorts to labeling us with derogatory terms like racists or conspiracy theorists. They’ll do anything but admit that their policies are detrimental to our nation.
Yet, they insist that white ruralites are the most dangerous demographic in this country. Remember that.
Leftist elites rarely bear the brunt of their misguided policies’ fallout. However, those who do – victims of violent crimes or business owners affected by rampant shoplifting – often shift their political allegiance to the right.
But why such blatant hatred? Rajan Laad hypothesizes in America Thinker, “The Democrats view voters as subjects who need to be controlled rather than citizens…” Their relentless targeting of President Trump and his supporters stems from their desire for unchecked power.