# What's the deal with the stereotypically "angry racist rural person"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 2, 2014, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-stereotypically-angry-racist-rural-person/687514 "2014-05-02T17:15:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-stereotypically-angry-racist-rural-person/687514/101 "2014-05-09T10:49:10Z")
_Burn down your cities and leave our farms, and your cities will spring up again as if by magic; but destroy our farms and the grass will grow in the streets of every city in the country._ -William Jennings Bryant Funny that 100 years ago, if you wanted to find any capital P progressives, you’d go out to the countryside. ---
**Author:** ![Waymore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Waymore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waymore)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2014, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-stereotypically-angry-racist-rural-person/687514/102 "2014-05-10T09:43:03Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > With justification, as long as there have been cities. At least, that would be my strong sense–obviously I wasn’t there. For reals? I shouldn’t be surprised that people who profess tolerance look down their respective noses at people not like them, but… ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2014, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-stereotypically-angry-racist-rural-person/687514/103 "2014-05-10T20:23:01Z")
For reals. Although I don’t necessarily “profess tolerance”, certainly not toward my enemies. I also break, f’rinstance, with my fellow progressives on tolerance of Islam, which I see as profoundly anti-progressive and the natural enemy of women and gay men, not to mention atheists, artists, creative iconoclasts, etc. > [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > Funny that 100 years ago, if you wanted to find any capital P progressives, you’d go out to the countryside. That’s bunk. There were certainly rural Progressives, but the party was bankrolled by U.S. Steel, fer chrissakes; and per Wiki: “In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the local Republican boss, at odds with state party leaders, joined Roosevelt’s cause.” ---
**Author:** ![Waymore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Waymore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waymore)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-stereotypically-angry-racist-rural-person/687514/104 "2014-05-12T02:06:21Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > For reals. Although I don’t necessarily “profess tolerance”, certainly not toward my enemies. I also break, f’rinstance, with my fellow progressives on tolerance of Islam, which I see as profoundly anti-progressive and the natural enemy of women and gay men, not to mention atheists, artists, creative iconoclasts, etc. At least you’re honest about it. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-stereotypically-angry-racist-rural-person/687514/105 "2014-05-12T02:15:43Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > I see what you did there. But Dan Savage (who most certainly is not an idiot) does not have a radio show AFAIK. He does have [a great podcast](http://www.savagelovecast.com/) that I highly suggest everyone to check out and subscribe (the man’s witty and funny). ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-stereotypically-angry-racist-rural-person/687514/106 "2014-05-12T14:56:51Z")
> [@Sahirrnee](#): > > No it’s not. > For certain people on this board to comment over and over that ALL rural people are racist and ALL rural people are stupid and ALL rural people are undereducated and ALL rural people are bigoted and that liberal city people are far superior is just another form of bigotry and hatred. I don’t think anyone here said “ALL”. I asked where the stereotype came from. That’s not the same thing as asking “why are all blah blahs blah blah blah?” > [@Sahirrnee](#): > > So it’s not COOL in their group to hate blacks, or Jews or Muslims so they change it to making fun of and picking on county people or Southerners and sit back and congratulate that they are so much better than those undereducated racist yokels. > > It’s no damn different, it’s still an us against them mentality. > It’s still the same bigotry. Well…the difference is you don’t have a choice in being born black or Jewish or Muslim. You do have a choice in whether you want to be uneducated and racist. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-stereotypically-angry-racist-rural-person/687514/107 "2014-05-12T15:52:27Z")
You do have a choice, at least if you live in a Western country, as to whether you want to stay in a religion. I just want to point out that race/ethnicity is not the same as religion, which is a belief system. It may well be hard to go against your kinship group and break out of such a belief system (as my wife, who was raised by devout Christians but became an atheist in her teens, knows all too well), but the same is true if you are one of Bundy’s kids. I doubt you will be too welcome at the next Thanksgiving dinner on the Bundy ranch if you start professing liberal cosmopolitan beliefs. ETA: > [@orcenio](#): > > He does have [a great podcast](http://www.savagelovecast.com/) that I highly suggest everyone to check out and subscribe (the man’s witty and funny). Cool, I will have to check that out–thanks. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-stereotypically-angry-racist-rural-person/687514/108 "2014-05-12T19:35:19Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > You do have a choice, at least if you live in a Western country, as to whether you want to stay in a religion. I just want to point out that race/ethnicity is not the same as religion, which is a belief system. It may well be hard to go against your kinship group and break out of such a belief system (as my wife, who was raised by devout Christians but became an atheist in her teens, knows all too well), but the same is true if you are one of Bundy’s kids. I doubt you will be too welcome at the next Thanksgiving dinner on the Bundy ranch if you start professing liberal cosmopolitan beliefs. Fair enough. However, I was making a point regarding persecuting someone because of their religion. You (as in “people”, not “you” specifically) have a right to be Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Presbylutherarian or whatever and practice that religion in whatever way suits you, provided you don’t impose those beliefs or persecute others who don’t share in them. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-stereotypically-angry-racist-rural-person/687514/109 "2014-05-12T19:46:14Z")
Sure, you also have a right to be an angry racist. It doesn’t mean I have to respect either belief system. ---
**Author:** ![Waymore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Waymore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waymore)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2014, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-stereotypically-angry-racist-rural-person/687514/110 "2014-05-13T04:49:12Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > You do have a choice, **at least if you live in a Western country** , as to whether you want to stay in a religion. And what of the untold millions of Muslims who don’t live in the West? You know, the places where apostasy is a capital offense, if not _de jure_ then at least _de facto_. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2014, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-stereotypically-angry-racist-rural-person/687514/111 "2014-05-13T08:18:51Z")
Yeah, that’s a different kettle of fish. It certainly doesn’t improve my overall impression of Islam, but it does prevent me from holding any given individual “guilty” unless they are pushing things beyond just keeping their head down and avoiding trouble. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2014, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-stereotypically-angry-racist-rural-person/687514/112 "2014-05-13T17:59:15Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Yeah, that’s a different kettle of fish. It certainly doesn’t improve my overall impression of Islam, but it does prevent me from holding any given individual “guilty” unless they are pushing things beyond just keeping their head down and avoiding trouble. Also, I have to think that out of the 1.5 billion practicing Muslims in the world, at least a couple aren’t looking to commit Jihad against the Infidels from the Great Satan. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2014, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-stereotypically-angry-racist-rural-person/687514/113 "2014-05-13T19:39:46Z")
You made an unwarranted assumption there. There could be no documented cases of Islamic terrorism in human history and I’d still dislike the religion just as strongly. ---
**Author:** ![Waymore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Waymore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waymore)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2014, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-stereotypically-angry-racist-rural-person/687514/114 "2014-05-14T03:41:08Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > You made an unwarranted assumption there. There could be no documented cases of Islamic terrorism in human history and I’d still dislike the religion just as strongly. That’s part of this that truly baffles me. Do you not really see a difference between passively holding an objectionable opinion and resorting to violence due to objectionable opinions? In my view, anybody can hold any nasty worldview he or she chooses, and while I may not like it, I’ll manage as long as that person is not hurting others. When you start killing folks, **THAT** is a different kettle of fish, IMHO. In fact, I find the idea of unanimity of thought inherently objectionable. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2014, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-stereotypically-angry-racist-rural-person/687514/115 "2014-05-16T07:07:49Z")
It’s not about views that are not acted on, either. It’s stuff like this: [http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/04/10/iraq-poised-to-legalize-marriage-for-girls-as-young-as-9/?tid=hp\_mm](http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/04/10/iraq-poised-to-legalize-marriage-for-girls-as-young-as-9/?tid=hp_mm) > [@](#): > > Called the Jaafari Personal Status Law, it would prohibit Muslim men from marrying non-Muslims, prevent women from leaving the house without their husband’s consent, automatically grant custody of children older than two to their father in divorce cases and legalize marital rape. > The law, which proponents say will save women’s “rights and dignity,” would also permit boys to marry as young as 15 and girls to marry as young as nine. Girls younger than nine would be permitted to marry with a parent’s approval. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-stereotypically-angry-racist-rural-person/687514.md?page=5)