I had an interesting conversation with a die-hard liberal today, a member of my extended family. 

I’m in my late 50s, and he’s in his early 70s, and there couldn’t possibly be a more ideological disconnect between us. 

What’s seriously strange, though, is what he thinks of “redneck hicks in fly-over country” versus what actual people in flyover country think. 

He thinks we are all Christian cultists who despise anyone not like us.  He thinks we are all white supremacists, people who would look at a non-white person and shoot him on the spot.  Really? 

He even went so far as to say that the people here worry about “sinners” and shame the “other.” 

He lives in California and has zero experience living in rural America.  It shows.  He actually believes that everyone here is a Christian Evangelical hell bent on...something...he can’t exactly define what, except that Christian = bad.  What is good is even less defined. 

His definition of us is boilerplate lefty.  It’s saddening but not surprising.  He invited me to visit in his Southern California enclave, all expenses paid.  I agreed — who would not?  As a very poor, white, working-class female, if a lefty white family member with a bit of money wants to spend some on me for a nice vacation, family ties notwithstanding, I’m all in.  Damn my lack of feminist proclivities. 

He asked me to leave my “Ozark self at home.”  My Ozark self?  Yes, I live in the Missouri Ozarks.  We aren’t exactly Deliverance.  We kind of have people of all races, creeds, and beliefs here.  We may or may not always agree, but we are still small-town. 

You got stuck on the side of the road?  Someone will help you, and he won’t care what you look like.  We also care for our own. 

You need help moving?  You need assistance with heating your house in winter?  You have a problem feeding your family?  Yeah, we will help you.  And we don’t care what you look like, whom you worship, or with whom you sleep.  We care if you can feed yourself, clothe yourself, shelter yourself, and get to town, and we will help you with all of the above — if you comport yourself honorably. 

That said, you come here and commit crimes?  We will lock you up in a heartbeat.  This ain’t California. 

I don’t know if there is help for my relative.  I don’t know if he can get past the blinders he has put upon himself to see anyone to the right of Stalin as human.  But I am going to give it my best shot, to show him that yes, Virginia, even conservatives care about their communities, their neighbors, and their families, no matter their color, creed, or anything else.  As long as they are Americans first and everything else after.  Truly, we aren’t so far apart that we can’t at least have a dialogue, right?  Right? 

Still, the trip should be fun.  As long as I leave my “Ozark self behind.”

Wish me luck.

Image: tomaszmichalkania via Pixabay, Pixabay License.