I just finished reading Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance.
The premise is that, even though people move out of the poverty of Appalachia, they carry many of the traits and ties with them. They still struggle to make a living, but also are left alienated in the new society of such places as Middletown Ohio. One of the strongest things that remains is a fierce loyalty to their family and tribe. J.D. talks of how he was expected to stand up for all of his relatives, even when what they did was wrong. Even if the infighting within the family was fierce, if someone else insulted a family member revenge was essential. As a young man, his identity depended on this. And he learned these rules from his Mawmaw, who was the fiercest of all about protecting the family’s honor.
When Hillary talked of “the basket of deplorables”, I was concerned enough to blog about it. (Thank you Daily Kos for letting me sleep some nights because I have had a chance to stop a worry that is circulating in my head, needing to be voiced.) What I didn’t say in that blog is that I had worked in a poverty program in Appalachia. When I went there as a wide eyed VISTA volunteer fresh from a progressive college, I was shocked by some of the things I heard and saw. Some people expressed violent racist beliefs. People were always feuding within their families, but threatening murder if someone outside of the family insulted those same family members. Kids were whipped with a willow stick, wives were disrespected, and people believed crazy things. But they also banded together. The small group of people who shared the same road and income level made up a community. The kids ran together and most of the adults were at least distantly related. Many cousins married cousins, the social circle was quite small and tight. And because I treated them with respect, they welcomed me into their homes and community.
J.D. Vance tells the tale of how these people moved to Middletown Ohio, to the rust belt that lost us the election.
Hillary insulted some of these people when she referred to them as a basket of deplorables. But, because of the hillbilly code, she insulted all of them. Women who might have voted for her in the privacy of the polling booth suddenly found their fathers, husbands, and sons written off as unredeemable. The code required that they not only withhold their vote for her but actually attack her in retaliation. Men who may have thought that she presented a better future than Trump promised felt in their gut that she wouldn’t take kindly to the community in which they lived.
But this diary isn’t about blame, it is about what to do next. Both because of compassion and because of political expediency, we need to find ways to reach out to what has been called the rust belt. First, we need to change that phrase, in itself derogatory. Hillbilly Elegy made the point that many government programs have failed with this population, but one thing that is essential for them to succeed is a sense of self worth. That is lacking, and liberals and progressives play at least a little part in that. I am not talking about accepting the negative parts of this culture, but finding the positive parts.
Examples of how we create this divide between people who used to share a political party are boundless. When I worked helping poor and disabled people find a job, the dream job of many of the people was working as a Walmart greeter. Walmart represented a familiar and inviting place to them. Every time we call out Walmart with a slight sneer, we alienate them. Michelle Obama tells these parents that they are hurting their children because of the food they serve, but to them it is comfort food and affordable. We mourn if our kids want to join the military, while Vance describes it as an important step up for him. And the right wing media reenforces these differences by exaggerating them. These working class people feel rejected by and alienated from those of us in the middle class even though we have many of the same hopes and fears. We need to reach out, to find those commonalities and to celebrate the ones that move us forward. I remember the Welfare Rights movement of the 70’s when middle class women and poor women banded together, shared stories and fought for equality of opportunity. Can we do similar things together today?
It’s a fine and difficult line. How do we celebrate the person and community while rejecting some of the most egregious beliefs and traits? How do we help create an environment where self worth and honor are restored? What do we do to help make change when it has to come from inside in the end? Please help me think about what we as a nation, in spite of Donald Trump, can do. We lose both elections and many people’s lives if we don’t find the answer.
Thank you.