Red State/Blue State: Last bit on politics for a long while

Since yesterday, I have been very dismayed by the emotionally charged rhetoric on the Democratic side, talking down the "red states" and speaking of seceding, etc. etc. While I share and understand the frustration motivating that kind of lashing out and know that it will pass, to my mind, it is this kind of divisive thinking that plays right into the Rove-ian strategy. Y'know, maybe "they" are right to say that Democrats are elitist liberals, if we all run around talking about how stupid we think the rural voter is, how we don't like Nebraska, how disgusted we are by shopping at Walmart. This is the party of the blue-collar guy, the disenfranchised, the outsider? Well, it used to be. And the thing is, it's not true. I live here in Austin, smack-dab in the middle of the state most people think is bubba-ville, and we voted hugely for Kerry. The state, as a whole, didn't give Bush such a huge majority--at least 40% of us voted against us (don't know the final figure). That's why I like this map, which shows each state as a blend of red and blue, in percentages as to how they voted. Far more productive and instructive than the horrible "Red state vs. Blue State" way of thinking. Maybe I just get upset about this stuff because my entire family supports Bush, other than me and M. They are not stupid people. They are not mean, selfish, backward, or arrogant. I try to understand where they're coming from and how they arrive at a different perspective, even though I disagree. Marginalizing is exactly what we don't need. Empathy will take us a far greater distance. For example, if you don't support the Gay Marriage Amendment, well, maybe it's more useful to consider why some people do. Maybe it's the way the argument was framed for them. Maybe they're not ready to totally embrace their gay friends and neighbors, and feeling a little scared about social/cultural change. Okay. Try and understand their fears, why they feel the way they do, find compromises and treat them with the same respect you want for your gay friends. It's just one example. But yelling at a racist, for example, isn't gonna change his mind. People are afraid of what's different. It's only natural. Kindness can go a long way towards changing hearts and minds. The more you push on people, the more they're gonna dig in their heels and say "I shall not be moved." But bit by bit, we can wear down a stone.