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Changing Perspectives
Jan. 27th, 2015 01:41 pmWhen I cam to Indiana three years ago, I did not know what to expect exactly. I knew the state did not have the mountains I knew in Pennsylvania. I also knew that the state leaned somewhere on the conservative and libertarian axis. It also meant increased difficulty in finding Middleswarth Potato Chips, Birch Beer, Lebanon bologna and a few of the foods to which I'd grown accustomed. (I can no longer eat flavored Middleswarth Potato Chips, but that is a different story.)
Even though I expected a somewhat different political landscape, I thought the attitudes would be similar to those I found in rural Pennsylvania. When I paid attention to the political cycles, even going so far as to attend a Wabash Valley Tea Party meeting, I discovered the erroneous nature of my assumption.
Republicans in the Midwest do not behave the same way as do the republicans from the Northeast. Like many people from the Northeast, I find Michelle Bachmann's political ramblings extreme. Her philosophy seems dangerous. Native Hoosiers -- especially those living outside of Indianapolis, Bloomington, or LaFayette, think Bachmann can steer the country in the right direction.
As I spent several campaigns here, I found that the Republican candidates were more than willing to do more than pay lip service to opposing LGBT rights. At the time of writing, Indiana's legislature considers a license to discriminate bill, similar to the one that Arizona's governor vetoed. They introduced this bill a year after they failed to pass a constitutional amendment that would have barred same-sex marriage. While I may not plan on marrying anyone anytime soon, transgender people are usually even less popular in red states than are gays and lesbians.
The change also comes after years of doing what I am supposed to do. I am working and I am doing my job well. I am doing my job well, and doing everything the right way, but this has not improved my situation any. My employer will not put wages above their current pay rate, and they implement policies to keep the number of hours each employee receives down. I cannot even go back to school because of student debts, even if further education. Even if I were able to return, the job market remains shaky. (There is plenty of factory work available here, buy I have never been able to keep up with the machines at these places.)
It's obvious that the way my father did things and tried to teach me to do things does not work. It never worked for him, and stubbornness maybe the only reason I continue to do things his way. Stubbornly refusing to change may be a family tradition, but it's not a very practical one. Maybe it's time to re-evaluate all of my assumptions.
Even though I expected a somewhat different political landscape, I thought the attitudes would be similar to those I found in rural Pennsylvania. When I paid attention to the political cycles, even going so far as to attend a Wabash Valley Tea Party meeting, I discovered the erroneous nature of my assumption.
Republicans in the Midwest do not behave the same way as do the republicans from the Northeast. Like many people from the Northeast, I find Michelle Bachmann's political ramblings extreme. Her philosophy seems dangerous. Native Hoosiers -- especially those living outside of Indianapolis, Bloomington, or LaFayette, think Bachmann can steer the country in the right direction.
As I spent several campaigns here, I found that the Republican candidates were more than willing to do more than pay lip service to opposing LGBT rights. At the time of writing, Indiana's legislature considers a license to discriminate bill, similar to the one that Arizona's governor vetoed. They introduced this bill a year after they failed to pass a constitutional amendment that would have barred same-sex marriage. While I may not plan on marrying anyone anytime soon, transgender people are usually even less popular in red states than are gays and lesbians.
The change also comes after years of doing what I am supposed to do. I am working and I am doing my job well. I am doing my job well, and doing everything the right way, but this has not improved my situation any. My employer will not put wages above their current pay rate, and they implement policies to keep the number of hours each employee receives down. I cannot even go back to school because of student debts, even if further education. Even if I were able to return, the job market remains shaky. (There is plenty of factory work available here, buy I have never been able to keep up with the machines at these places.)
It's obvious that the way my father did things and tried to teach me to do things does not work. It never worked for him, and stubbornness maybe the only reason I continue to do things his way. Stubbornly refusing to change may be a family tradition, but it's not a very practical one. Maybe it's time to re-evaluate all of my assumptions.
