Are you synonymous with the state you live in?
Does it define you?
Is it representative of who you are?
My answer to that: Aspects may represent and reflect you, but there are undoubtedly features that do not. That includes economics, social norms and naturally politics.
I have read cutting diaries on Iowa given last night’s caucus snafu and the ensuing hand wringing. Some of those diaries use unfortunate generalities captured by statements like “Iowa sucks”.
I would amend and clarify that to “Iowa’s caucus system sucks”. That is not news, even if the last 24 hours have helped to bring that conclusion into stark relief.
But the responses have been equally unhelpful. “Hey, I live in Iowa and I resent you saying my state sucks” (true). “We’re a great state that has mostly voted Democratic if you look at our history” (mixed as that leaves out recent political trends that give the state a red tint, at least for now). “There’s nothing wrong with our caucus system” (false).
You can live in a state and your state’s problems do not have to represent you. Nor do you have to ignore them. I call Washington state home. You might level a whole slew of charges at Washington. Boeing enabler. Amazon suck up. Home of a white nationalist radical currently elected to our state legislature.
All of those have validity to some extent (the last is sadly absolutely true).
But they do not reflect me. Attacking Washington for those things is not an attack on me. Criticizing Washington’s caucus system (thankfully put down after 2016) would not be an attack on me either. The fact that I live in Washington does not make such criticism more or less true.
I have not caused those things to directly come about. I did not help Boeing inappropriately cut corners with regulators. I did not vote for that fascist legislator from across the state. Okay, okay, I confess to ordering items off of Amazon...I’m guilty there.
It’s human nature to attach ourselves to certain things as part of identity. There are pronounced instances of that in our geography, politics and even professional sports. Those then act as an extension of us, even when they should not. Conversation is shut down and solutions to improve the situation never reached. In college and professional sports we have seen this when friends irrationally defend (or stay silent on) a player credibly charged with assault since it’s their team and they “need to support it”. When your state has problems (political or otherwise) I suggest not reflexively taking it personally and to start by answering if there is any validity to the criticism.
And answering that does NOT mean it’s your fault. You are not your state.