re: The reason we are so divided

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1. Cajun food is not New Orleans. It's from Houma going west to Morgan City, New Iberia and then Carencro. It stops around Rayne. Some people say it goes north to Ville Platte but that's a bunch of shite.

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I think that is generally correct - geographically speaking. People in New Orleans think that just because they live in New Orleans, it automatically means they can cook. I won't disturb their little fantasy.

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A video of a liberal and conservative having a pleasant conversation on an airplane doesn't go viral. There are a lot people vested in creating division.

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This is the effing problem.

Last week I was traveling for work and watched an NBA game in the bar by my hotel. Some drunk dude starts talking to me about the game and after a while he got to politics because he was drunk. We were completely on different sides of the aisle on everything but both agreed we want to do good by the people we come into contact with and treat people kindly. He drunk hugged me and left.


"Drunken white republican and Hispanic democrat agree to be nice people and handle differences civilly over conversation of how much they dislike LeBron."

That shite doesn't make it to CNN.

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And we in Birmingham don't have an outlet to push our culture onto them and expect them to like it. They push their culture and worldview on us through every ounce of media.

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Very well said and it's a point that urban liberals simply do not understand.

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I think an issue is middle America is much more homogeneous and has been less open to change. The coasts possibly feel like middle America is dragging them on their progression to a better society for more types of people.

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Wrong, the lower midwest (middle America) and some parts of the south is what's left of the soul of America. I would pontificate on all the reasons I believe this but then I would just be considered an old fool to someone who has achieved enlightenment.

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And we in Birmingham don't have an outlet to push our culture onto them and expect them to like it. They push their culture and worldview on us through every ounce of media.

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Good point. I think even more of the division comes from people who use the government to force their views on others. I can (and do) ignore pop culture/entertainment. But I can't get away from government intrusion.

Best example I've experienced personally was the HHS contraception mandate, which forced my insurance plan off the market. Perfectly good plan but it didn't fit the prog social agenda, so the feds stuck their nose where it doesn't belong.

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That is very disrespectful of Colum

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College football is not very popular in NYC.

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So many conservatives are willing to use government intrusion when it comes to women and medical decisions.

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There is not a single state in which abortion is illegal.

What medical decisions of women are intruded upon by the government?

Oh, they have to pay for birth control? Well guess what, men have to pay for condoms and I had to pay for a vasectomy when I had that done. Women are not uniquely picked on by having to pay for things like that.

Please elaborate for us what medical decisions of women are being intruded upon.

not going to venture into the Creole/Cajun food conflict

Regarding the open divide in society today, my impression is it's on liberal elitism and intolerance. Both liberals and conservatives bring something to the table, but the truth is that the majority of Americans are mostly middle ground. We veer back and forth.
Currently, I think we've strayed too far to the left, and we were bound to push back right regardless of the candidates. None of the other Republicans inspired anyone, so Trump was able to take that party. When he did, he inherited the common people's support.
Had he lost (and it was predicted he would), I think we'd have seen a lot more disillusionment amongst the heartland, although it wouldn't necessarily have been protests (we have to get up and go to work). Probably just a lot more apathy, instead.

That's why these protests are so out of touch- most normal people don't want a bunch of zealots yelling at them about things that don't affect them, and they certainly don't want those zealots in power. The civil rights movement was fine when it was about tolerance, but when you get protests and riots when police are just doing their job, it's too much. We want to feel safe in our homes. That is not racist.