This summer I have been able to travel twice to "the South." In June I went to Atlanta and more recently to the coastal area of the Carolina's. On both occasions I made it a point to take in the culture of the area. When I travel, this is something I like to observe. Generally, I look for similarities and differences from my own Midwestern culture. On these two trips though, I went beyond just observing. I intentionally engaged people and asked questions in an attempt to really flesh out how we may be similar or different. What I found, was a little bit of both.
Before I go any further, maybe some context is in order. I went about doing this primarily due to the conversations that dominate our political landscape. Every time we turn around there are stories related to differences in race, gender, sexual orientation, income groups and of course geographic position. This in turn generates a response that usually centers around the idea that we are not all that different. In fact, we are all Americans, united under the Constitution. No matter the categorical groupings mentioned above, at the end of the day, we all share the commonality of being "American". However, defining what it means to be American has long been a topic of controversy. Even if we could agree on what it means to be American, we must ask if it is appropriate to celebrate our differences. I maintain that while what unites us, which should be liberty and freedom, there are many differences that we should celebrate.
When we read stories in the media about those differences mentioned above, the prevailing viewpoint is meant to highlight the difference(s) and typically to nudge us toward uniformity. The application of this comes in the form of government intervention through statutes and laws to force people to behave a certain way. Take religious and LGBTQ rights as an example. Both sides claim the Constitution protects their rights. Front and center in this debate has been the case of the Masterpiece Cake Shop vs. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. Should a Christian baker be forced to provide services for a gay couple? Religious liberty clashes with civil liberty. This is just one example. You can easily run Google searches that will yield the same dichotomous positions and "the people" forced to choose a side. Obviously this leads to a marginalized group.
Conformity is the desired outcome for the statist. What does this accomplish though? Using the force of the government to make people act a particular way does not create a culture of freedom and liberty. What if, instead of forcing people to believe a certain worldview or buy in to a particular political belief, we celebrated the diversity that forged this country? What might that look like? As I reflect back on my trips over the summer I observed many differences in "Southern" culture. There were differences in social norms, music, food, pace of life, etc. This same thing is true with other regions of the country. The Pacific Northwest is different from New England is different from the Southwestern states of Arizona and New Mexico. These regions and states even have differences among them. From localities of counties, towns and cities, there are variances in culture. This site from Indiana University highlights some of the various "regions" of the state and the differences in various cultural items.
So obviously the first thing we must do is to recognize these differences on a number of cultural and public policy issues. The next thing to do is... nothing. We should leave each other alone. If differences occur, then let the people work it out. Where is our faith in humanity when we constantly turn to our government to solve problems?
If there is a state that wants legalized abortion, gay marriage and to ban every weapon under the sun, so be it. If there is a state that wants to outlaw alcohol, gambling and every other type of vice, so be it. As long as the Trump 2020 person in town is not physically harming me, I am fine. As long as the gay couple down the road is not stealing from me, I am fine. As long as my Muslim co-worker is not harming me, I am fine. I don't need, nor do I want the government to tell me what to believe or how to act. I want to preserve and celebrate the diversity of the several states. I want freedom.
Conformity is the desired outcome for the statist. What does this accomplish though? Using the force of the government to make people act a particular way does not create a culture of freedom and liberty. What if, instead of forcing people to believe a certain worldview or buy in to a particular political belief, we celebrated the diversity that forged this country? What might that look like? As I reflect back on my trips over the summer I observed many differences in "Southern" culture. There were differences in social norms, music, food, pace of life, etc. This same thing is true with other regions of the country. The Pacific Northwest is different from New England is different from the Southwestern states of Arizona and New Mexico. These regions and states even have differences among them. From localities of counties, towns and cities, there are variances in culture. This site from Indiana University highlights some of the various "regions" of the state and the differences in various cultural items.
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| https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/9xwo5x/updated_us_cultural_regions/ |
So obviously the first thing we must do is to recognize these differences on a number of cultural and public policy issues. The next thing to do is... nothing. We should leave each other alone. If differences occur, then let the people work it out. Where is our faith in humanity when we constantly turn to our government to solve problems?
If there is a state that wants legalized abortion, gay marriage and to ban every weapon under the sun, so be it. If there is a state that wants to outlaw alcohol, gambling and every other type of vice, so be it. As long as the Trump 2020 person in town is not physically harming me, I am fine. As long as the gay couple down the road is not stealing from me, I am fine. As long as my Muslim co-worker is not harming me, I am fine. I don't need, nor do I want the government to tell me what to believe or how to act. I want to preserve and celebrate the diversity of the several states. I want freedom.
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