So I am in my class today and my teacher happens to give an impromptu speech assignment. You choose question or cliche, pick a number, and speak on the topic. Better known as "How to Talk Out of Your Ass". Any way this girl gets a question on immigration and says that "This is America, learn to speak English, immigration needs to stop. She complains that people at restaurants can barely speak English. Has this person considered how AMAZING it is to learn enough English in a few weeks to be able to take an order? So I launch into her with Americans have to blame somebody for their own miserable lives, and it is the Mexican' turn.
But there's a lot more; another girl says we should stop giving money to other countries in times of crisis, and still another says people who work at Burger King type of jobs should not have kids. I did not ask if this was a law she wanted. Point is in High Ridge,Missouri a rather rednecky part of Jefferson County, a bunch of the vaunted youth still think in the stone age. This is a junior college, not Harvard. But for the first time, I began to see the difference. Think about the level of intellectual in the Ivy league and ask yourself if you really want anything less. I sat dumbfounded at the ignorance and the lack of original thought. So in my opinion, the President will carry many states in 2012, Texas among them, but will not get Missouri, too much ignorance, and too much pride in ignorance.
Note that I worked on the campaign for President in 2008, so I know the state; class is not my only point of reference. Still I expected more out of the youth. It seems Missouri is a state that prides itself on its' ignorance. Not all, of course, but the conservatives here are not the Rockerfeller types at all for the most part. No intellectual curiousity to speak of. No real defense of their arguments, just people thought of as fools who open their mouth, and remove any doubt. Sometimes I wonder if I am going bald or my hair is tired of these people and commiting suicide, I tell you. Better move somewhere liberal before I need the hair club for men.
