funnystrange.com

For my peace of mind, I've been avoiding news and punditry for the past few days. (It's been a great strategy: not hearing Bush's voice has definitely made it easier to get through this week.) Started reading again this morning, and found an onslaught of opinions that really piss me off. Not from Fox News types but from Democrats. Calls to the blue states to secede. Opining that everyone in the red states is evil or a stupid, unteachably ignorant hick.

I realize that everyone is upset and probably writing out of anger and grief, but this is ridiculous. I'm upset too but as a resident of a red state, it seems to me that open contempt for middle America can only make things worse. These essays make the portrayal of Democrats as elitist assholes seem not so unfair after all. If this is what passes for soul-searching, it's no wonder we lost.

Telling yourself that everyone who voted for Bush is a prehistoric moron may make you feel better, but it isn't a useful way of thinking. I don't understand the mentality of Bush supporters either, but we'd better try to understand if we want the next election to be different.

I guess it was too soon to stop avoiding news & the like. I'll start listening to the radio and reading Slate again when everybody cools down. Meanwhile, this reminds me that we are still living in one country, not warring red and blue states. (thanks again to Supergee)