Dear Joe,
I picked up Deer Hunting with Jesus in San Francisco last year on a visit (I live in Decatur, Georgia, just east of Atlanta). I loved your book, although it made me uncomfortable as hell, seeing as I'm one of those over-educated, white wine quaffing, Democrat voting, lefty elitists that the patrons of the Royal Lunch probably hate. (I'm also a big fan of Jim Hightower, whom I think resonates with you.) A few months later, I wondered whether you went to press before or after the Virginia Tech shootings.
I looked for a reference to the episode on your website, to no avail. My guess is, the book went to press before the massacre, or you would have discussed it.
Also, what do you make of Hillary Clinton's strong showing in Appalachia?
All the Best,
John
(retired psychologist with James River roots from 1688)
Decatur, Georgia
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John,
Yer right. The book went to press after the Virginia Tech shootings. They did not change my view of guns and gun control. I still think we need to deal with the root causes. Urban liberal solutions to gun violence remind me of the way we have dealt with the meth epidemic among working and poor whites, an epidemic which is eating the core out of the heartland working class. Meth is the poor white man's crack cocaine. Instead of addressing the social dynamics of hopelessness that drive the meth epidemic out here among working class whites, laws were passed to remove over the counter cold medicines. Sure, it was an appropriate move. But mostly it has been moving production of meth to "superlabs" in Mexico, India and good ole China. (Ah, globalism!)
Anyway, there seems to be more meth around than ever, judging from the locals in my hometown. Meanwhile, law enforcement gets beefed up with more bucks for busts, the newly privatized prison industry expands and the middle class of both party affiliations remains smugly within the politics of the comfort zone. They are still living on a safe street, sending their kids to Montessori and getting their slice of the ever shrinking American quiche. They are not going to take serious risks in the battle for America's soul, which is being waged on the grounds of despair, ignorance and anger outside their psychological consumer compounds.
As to Hillary's success in white Appalachia, especially West Virginia, well, certainly there is racism at its core. But also, it would not have hurt Obama to have at least set foot in the state, make an appearance at places like Morgantown and Shepherdstown, college towns with liberal contingents who would have died to see him speak (my own oldest son among them) -- or Charleston. When Obama blew them off, he let down a lot of good folks fighting a hard battle for liberalism in those places. West Virginians, so often the butt of East Coast jokes, are sensitive to being snubbed. What if Catholic John Kennedy had made the same choice in those heavily protestant states? Beyond that, Obama now has the fattest war chest and thus the opportunity to bribe his way in West Virginia, like Kennedy did. I say let him put his money where his mouth should have been.
Seriously though, Obama decided he did not need them and I'm sure that a few more people in West Virginia have now decided they do not need him. Frankly, I think Obama's message could have moved quite a few hearts and minds there, maybe not enough to win it, but enough to help decrease the margin, and certainly he could have lent fire to the struggle of progressives there. Of course in our high stakes, victory or nothing system, there is no time for a white political minority in a redneck state. Then again, I notice none of the Democratic candidates speak at gay and lesbian events either. Probably because the Democrats can assume their votes, just as they can assume blacks' votes.
Anyway, even the transparent ambitiousness and phony rhetoric of a Hillary beats a no-show.
In art and labor,
Joe
