I don’t want to trivialize this families heartache, but it is interesting to take this narrative and let x1 = ‘Atheism’ and x2 = ‘North American Fundamentalism’ (plus one or two other variables) and then speculate how far this narrative ports to similar situations by assigning other values x1 and x2. It strikes me that I have seen this sort of persecution scenario time and again.
One interesting question is this: is it always true that x1 != x2?
PS: I think ‘Red’ is a contraction of ‘Redneck’(????) (I think you knew that Larry, didn't you?)
The terms "Red America" and "red state" derive from the practice in the news media of using the color red on election maps to indicate states that have voted Republican. (They used to alternate the colors red and blue between parties each election, but since the terms "red state" and "blue state" entered the language after the 2000 election, they have stopped doing that.
Good old rural "Red" America. I am fortunate to have an academic environment to work in.
ReplyDeleteI should point out that there are places (mostly cities) where more folks just don't care all that much about religion.
Rural America is communist?
ReplyDeleteWhat was the father thinking moving his family to Travesty, Oklahoma?
ReplyDeleteHer tears made liars of the 'Good Christians' on the schoolboard.
I don’t want to trivialize this families heartache, but it is interesting to take this narrative and let x1 = ‘Atheism’ and x2 = ‘North American Fundamentalism’ (plus one or two other variables) and then speculate how far this narrative ports to similar situations by assigning other values x1 and x2. It strikes me that I have seen this sort of persecution scenario time and again.
ReplyDeleteOne interesting question is this: is it always true that x1 != x2?
PS: I think ‘Red’ is a contraction of ‘Redneck’(????) (I think you knew that Larry, didn't you?)
The terms "Red America" and "red state" derive from the practice in the news media of using the color red on election maps to indicate states that have voted Republican. (They used to alternate the colors red and blue between parties each election, but since the terms "red state" and "blue state" entered the language after the 2000 election, they have stopped doing that.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Mystery solved then!
ReplyDelete