There’s a lot here to consider, especially since I don’t hold the rural perspective. It is insightful about the mentality and life experienced there. You bring us the sense of growing up and the struggle curious people have in those communities. One thing I noticed was a report that surprised me about the idea that the January 6th rioters were all some sort of “trailer park trash” — a phrase northerner like me grew up and is the general stereotype of southern white confederates. From the analysis I heard from one professor, I understood that many of those rioters were actually from middle class or educated lass of conservative whites from counties where there was a growing minority presence or very high amount of minorities. For example, in Houston where I live now, there was a doctor mentioned as an example, which was surprising. There was the woman who hitched a ride on a private jet from Oklahoma or Dallas as I recall. Many were not actually poor and hopeless whites from some ‘hick’ area.
But besides that point, your views on how these rural poor are pinched in a sense of helplessness is a key insight, as they do seem ignored by the elite of both parties, currently used more by conservatives on the right. Thank you again for sharing your personal story and lessons from that.