Who I'm voting for

It probably goes without saying who I'm voting for, and I remember now that I probably as much as implied that I'm voting for Obama when I made the Edwards post. But I read this report on Salon about interviews with rural White working class folk around the country, especially in Appalachia, and had to make a post.

I wasn't surprised by anything in the article, but it did prompt some self-reflection about the so-called strong anti-intellectual current in Appalachia. I've held this opinion myself for a number of years now, or at least bought in to the idea, but I'm beginning to second guess it. The largest reason is that I am both Appalachian and intellectual, and I know plenty of people who are unquestionably both. And, lo and behold, some of them don't even have a college degree! 

But reporters aren't interested in that; they're only interested in dredging up the dumbest sounding Americans and asking loaded questions so that they sound even dumber.

These so-called anti-intellectuals, much of the time, actually have deep respect for education. Could it be that the appearance of anti-intellectualism is an emotional reaction to well-to-do Whites who've rarely had to do the hard work of facing racism and their own prejudices head on? Unlike working class Whites and Blacks, who've "integrated" in the worst of circumstances. I'm not saying that rural Whies aren't racist or that it isn't wrong. I'm not trying to justify the very real racism I've witnessed in my own family. I'm just saying that instead of writing us off as people who "won't vote for a democrat anyway" [which most certainly isn't true for West Virginians], trying engaging us as equals. But that would be difficult since so many would have to confront and be honest about their own classism [which by the way, is also racist].

There is a real cultural difference that many people don't understand, and don't care to understand. It's easier to complain about the ignorant White Appalachians than to really work for social justice. When's the last time we tried to engage each other in difficult conversations in a spirit of brotherly love? The problem is that many liberals, myself included, are more interested in being right than in social justice.

Anyway, I'm voting for Obama because it is the right thing to do, because it is in the best interest of all Americans. And I just pray that my fellows in the hills and hollers will do the same.