"Family Values"

It struck me today that perhaps the clearest illustration of the difference between Republicans and Democrats, is the difference between Gus Walz and Claudia Conway.

Gus Walz is the son of VP candidate Tim Walz. Gus was recently criticized by conservative pundit Ann Coulter as "weird" for openly, unashamedly weeping with pride and joy and calling out "That's my dad!" when his father gave a speech.

Claudia Conway is the daughter of former Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway and founder of the Lincoln Project George Conway (who finally divorced after over 20 years of marriage). Claudia has been an outspoken critic of Trump, the Republican party, and her mother since her early teens, and sought emancipation from her parents at the age of 15. She claimed that her mother was verbally, physically, and sexually abusing her. 

And it strikes me that the self-styled "party of family values" that insists the country was better off, and families were stronger, back when both were run by conservative authoritarians... that philosophy led to the destruction of the Conway family. The party that insists their philosophy is the way to keep families together... was the force that drove this family apart.

On the other hand, you have Tim Walz, whose philosophy of "treat children like humans worthy of respect, protect vulnerable kids from being attacked, and make damn sure that no kid ever goes hungry" has his kid so overwhelmed with love and respect, even awe, that he can't contain it and doesn't try. 

I've seen a similar dynamic with my own teenaged kid. My kid loves and respects me, far more than I'd expected to see at their age to be honest. They have a number of friends who have very liberal parents, and those kids love and respect their parents. And they have friends who have very conservative "spare the rod and spoil the child" parents, and those kids may FEAR their parents, but they do not RESPECT their parents. Those kids have even said aloud, in my hearing, that they are jealous of the relationship my kid and I have. 

SO... which philosophy of how to use power and authority ACTUALLY builds stronger families? Which one ACTUALLY earns respect? Which one ACTUALLY promotes family values?

State of mind

 

Someone asked on Facebook "What state would you would never travel to, and why?" Lots of people responded they'd never go to a red state, naturally. And of course this question is actually fishing for clicks and arguments (best way to get "engagement") rather than thoughtful responses. Nevertheless, it got me thinking.

 

My first response was:

 

What makes you think we have time or money to visit other states? Most of us can barely afford the gas to get to our second jobs.

 

Then on further reflection I had another thought...

 

I sometimes think that's part of why the country has gotten more divided over the past few decades. Used to be possible for city people and country people to spend at least a little time in each other's worlds, learn a little about each other's perspectives and lifestyles and what each of us is working to build or maintain. Now we're too busy surviving to do any of that. 

Maybe the fact that New Yorkers no longer drive to Disney World and stop in a bunch of small Southern towns en route, and Idahoans live their whole lives without ever seeing the ocean just a few hundred miles away, and none of us ever have the money and leisure to see what Mexico City or Paris are like ... that makes us more insular, less empathetic, less open to new ideas and experiences and ways of thinking and living, and more likely to see anyone outside our own little circles as the enemy. Especially since we all spend every waking hour working or recovering from work, and want someone to blame for that. 

Makes it VERY easy to manipulate people into blaming those bastards over in the red states/ blue states, rather than blaming the wealthy people who created and benefit from the current system.

After all, if "travel broadens the mind", then surely lack of travel narrows it.