Which Is the Problem?

In an op-ed in the Washington Post former Congressional representative Donna F. Edwards has an op-ed about her experiences travelling through Red States alone in an RV. Here is an example of the horrors she endured during her 4 month adventure:

On Inauguration Eve 2017, I set up at Gulf Islands National Seashore near Pensacola, Fla. But I didn’t quite have the hang of backing up Lucille yet — an essential skill. Out of nowhere, two older White men appeared to direct me into my spot, and they gave me helpful advice: “Set a chair at the back of the drive and use that as your rearview focus in your side mirrors.” My guides, a retired union electrician from southern Illinois and a small-business owner from rural Alabama, and I became friends for a couple of days.

On Inauguration Day, I heard televisions inside and out broadcasting the festivities. There was an air of celebration in the campground when I took my morning stroll before the swearing-in. It was one that I did not feel as I watched the “American carnage” speech in my own “home.”

That evening, my neighbors and I shared a beer around a glowing firepit. We talked about our travels, as well as the events of the day. They were excited about the new president, and they wanted to talk politics. It was clear they believed Trump was the answer to their concerns about immigration, job loss to China and a range of other grievances.

We went back and forth, in the way that friends do — friendly, teasing, laughing. At one point the electrician began sharing a story about an experience with his union — more new members and fewer jobs. But then he slipped as he described the new union members, the “colored” ones. I didn’t bat an eye in the momentary awkwardness, while he quickly corrected himself.

But there it was — the heart of the Trump thing.

Race.

Even as we shared pictures of our children and grandchildren (one with a Black grandchild, the other with a Latino grandchild) and talked about their dreams, they did not seem to perceive the irony. We all complained about health-care costs, me with my multiple sclerosis and them with high blood pressure, cancer remission and a wife with Parkinson’s disease. Still, there was no recognition of our shared interests.

That’s her sole example. Perhaps she experienced worse.

I guess this is a “glass half empty” sort of thing. I read her anecdote as a sign of the enormous and remarkably rapid progress that we have made on race over the past 50 years. But it’s certainly true that if you look for racism you are sure to find it. I wonder if she think that things would have been materially different if her travels had been in New York or Massachusetts rather than Florida and Texas.

6 comments… add one
  • walt moffett Link

    Grandparents proud of their multihued grandchildren is a very positive sign. But like witch finding there is always one nearby.

    BTW, noticed no mention that these retirees are probably the last generation to enjoy a generous retirement from blue collar jobs. Democrats used to care about such things.

  • Grey Shambler Link

    I remember the time, seventies, of racist jokes being common.
    On reflection, they were embarrassingly dumb, the only purpose was apparently to help white men bond.
    They faded away by and large because of mulatto children like mine.
    Family seems to come before race.
    This woman is dreadfully ignorant. Takes years to get to know a class of people well enough to dare generalize.
    But I understand that she had a deadline and a column to write.

  • PD Shaw Link

    Edwards should go to Cairo, Illinois (which I assume is where one of the retirees is from; not many “coloreds” elsewhere in Southern Illinois). Obama wrote about his experiences there while a U.S. Senator, and the support he received from the union and all of the white faces at rallies sporting Obama buttons was portrayed as showing his cross-racial appeal with whites, including Southerners.

    Obama won the county by 13.6 percentage points in 2012, and in 2016 Trump won the county by 8.3 points, the first Republican since the Nixon landslide of ’72, and Trump carried the county by 14.2 points last year.

    So what happened? She should read about Cairo in “The Audacity of Hope” and try to learn what there is to learn. I doubt that it’s all or even mostly Obama’s fault, but that possibility prevents asking the questions.

  • For those of you not familiar with it, Cairo, Illinois (pronounced “kay-ro”) is in far southern Illinois, the county seat of Alexander County. Alexander County is the only place in Illinois where cotton is grown. Alexander County is more southern than northern.

  • steve Link

    In coal country they are much more open about their racism, but it is pretty weird. They will often accept people they regard as exceptions. The black doctor who works in the ED is OK. Its just all of the other minorities they dont know who are inferior, lazy, drug addicts. Which again is pretty funny given the high rate of meth and opioid addiction in the area. Other than the racism part most people you meet in the country are pretty decent as long as you stay away from religion and politics.

    “I wonder if she think that things would have been materially different if her travels had been in New York or Massachusetts rather than Florida and Texas.”

    Not really. Pretty much the same once you leave the larger cities.

    Steve

  • Greyshambler Link

    {retirees are probably the last generation to enjoy a generous retirement from blue collar jobs. Democrats used to care about such things.}

    Waiting to see about that.
    Hard to watch 5 trillions go out
    when the pension plan asked 30 billion in loans and they said it would bust the budget.

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