A young man I know spent the day dealing with three dead cows that had to be disposed of — and his bloodied truck bed that needed washing out. He is studying for a degree in computer science when he’s not working at the local gas station. He is rural America. This guy needs a job. And reliable Internet.
In this New York Times opinion piece, Ms. LaTosha Brown busts myths about what constitutes the rural vote.
It should surprise no one that jobs feature front and center as the key issue for rural Americans. In a world where your mailbox may be a mile down your driveway, job options are inherently limited. Public transportation is the stuff dreams are made of.
It has been my experience that people in the country have a great deal of pride in their self-reliance. They may be some of the last people you’ll ever hear asking for assistance.
We may be far better served to remember that before Trump, we often viewed rural voters as the Joads doing everything they could just to scrape by in a society that values wealth over labor. Especially labor that involves tending stock or mucking out stalls.
It’s time to see past Trump’s pep rallies and acknowledge the rest of rural America, and accord them the respect and resources they are due.
I’m running to represent rural Americans in Virginia’s House of Delegates. My people need a better option then raising a family on fast food wages. They need living wages. They need reliable, affordable Internet to connect to each other and the rest of the world. They need us to invest time, money, and respect. Distain doesn’t feed the kids and it won’t win elections.
I struggle to understand why most of my neighbors voted the way they did. However, that does not devalue their need for steady jobs and healthcare. Food for the kids. Gas for the truck. I’m running for them, not against them. My hopes for their families are just as genuine as for the Democrats who will cast their vote for me on November 5.
I propose we turn the sword back into a plowshare. One that promises a better economic future for rural Americans.
The author is running for the District 15 seat in the Virginia House of Delegates.
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