Growing up in rural America, I have been no stranger to the sight of guns being raffled off as prizes for various events. It was a common occurrence to see local organizations, schools, and even churches hosting fundraisers where firearms were the coveted reward. So, when I heard about the recent news of a church giving away an AR-15 as part of a Fourth of July raffle, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu.
There seems to be a misconception among those outside of rural communities that the act of raffling off guns is a shocking or controversial practice.… Continue reading
to adapt” while the other group says “No, blame those people over there for your problems and vote for us”. It’s a classic tactic of deflecting blame and stoking division for political gain.
The resentment that many rural white Americans feel is real, but it has been misdirected and manipulated by politicians and conservative media outlets for decades. Instead of addressing the root causes of their economic struggles, they have been fed a steady diet of scapegoats and false promises. The closures of hospitals, the loss of manufacturing jobs, the opioid crisis – these are all complex issues that cannot be solved by blaming immigrants or liberals.… Continue reading
Living in a rural area and witnessing the mindset of white Trump supporters firsthand, I can attest to the alarming threat they pose to democracy. The level of disinformation and propaganda that has seeped into their isolated communities is truly astonishing. Decades of consuming right-wing media has led to a serious intellectual malnourishment, turning once tolerant and kind-natured individuals into hostile, paranoid, and extremely well-armed zealots.
The divide between college-educated individuals and those with only a high school education has widened, with rural areas bearing the brunt of economic hardships brought on by decades of Reaganomics. These individuals have been convinced by the likes of Fox News that they too will become millionaires under the leadership of Trump.… Continue reading
John Q. Hosedrinker