If you've been cruising the interwebs, by now you know about New York Times columnist David Carr's contemptuous reference to those of us in flyover country as people with "low-sloping foreheads." You may even know, thanks to Ann Althouse, that the supercilious Carr is an admitted former crackhead.
But you may have missed, in that Althouse post, the response of Kansas farmer Bart Hall. It's a doozy, and here it is (emphasis in original):
< rant > The essence of his position is that anyone voting Republican is subhuman. It's even worse when, as I do, the cretins farm for a living, or reside anywhere you actually have to drive in order to move around.
This particular "slope" of a farmer is completely fluent in three languages, quite comfortable in three more, and able to be polite in several others. How about you Mr. Carr?
I am part of a family which has brought forth officers for the defense of this nation in every generation since 1701. How about you Mr. Carr?
One of my closest neighbors (also a farmer) has two Ph.Ds. Another worked for many years as an engineer. He could even calculate the median slope of our foreheads out here.
I can grow truckloads of vegetables from a few handfuls of seed, or design and build a house from scratch. Or, for that matter work as an analytical chemist should I choose, or explore for valuable minerals. Mr. Carr wouldn't even know a monazite if it came up and bit him in the arse.
Yet Carr and his colleagues consider themselves the "creative class". Yet what do the really create apart from putrid puddles of petulant pig piffle? < /rant >
I can assure you, the chief political goal out here in the heartland is simply to be left alone. In order to achieve it, however, we must find ways of restricting the intellectual left's political power and influence to something like the 15% of society they actually represent.
And the biggest difference of all? Mr. Carr could show up at my door next week and I'd be very polite to him, feed him well, show him around, and if he got into a serious problem … do my utmost to help him out of it.
Any of my neighbors would do the same, but I doubt it would be reciprocated should circumstances be reversed.
Bravo, Mr. Hall! Mr. Carr, you obnoxious little elitist turd, you've been pwned!
What makes the picture and the people so moving to me is the background of this cross raising event. St. John's Chaldean Catholic Church was car bombed along with two other churches all within minutes of each other exactely one year ago on November 8, 2006. The congregation took down the cross and bells and put them in storage. They cleaned up the interior of the church, and at an Easter liturgy this year they welcomed a Shiite notable, who spoke movingly of the unity of Iraqis. I am touched by the generosity of spirit of these Muslims. The cross and bells are hated by reactionary Muslims. What a magnificent rebuke is this event of neighborliness. This is an icon of tolerance and mutual acceptance and,yes,love.