What better day than this? 146 years ago after the Kansas territory had been flooded by supporters for and against slavery, countless bloody battles had been fought, two unofficial capitals had been settled, two constitutions had been written and as many natives as possible were killed, Kansas officially entered the union as a free state.
I'm teaching in the town that was the center of the "free-state" groups. It was burned to the ground twice by pro-slavery factions. When the town named the streets, they numbered the east/west streets and named the north/south streets after states. But only the free, northern states. It was more than 75 years before they started naming them after southern states.
For a state that started out with VERY liberal, forward thinking ideas, 99.9% of the state has swung decided to the right of the red line. Meanwhile, in it's 152 year history, Lawrence, KS has stayed a decidedly bright blue dot on the Kansas map.
It's a wonderful bastion for those who don't think that gays will destroy hetero relationships and the arts will turn our children into flaming queens.
It's also a very nice cross-road of middle America. It's not too snobby, not to trashy.
I spent last weekend in Johnson county, KS, just south of Kansas City on the KS/MO border.
It's the richest county in Kansas. I believe that I read somewhere that something like 40% of the states tax revenue come from that county alone.
To say the least, there's lots of uppity rich folk there willing to pay the $1200 price tags on faux-antique end tables.
On the other hand, I live in Shawnee county. not the poorest county by far. But lots of pick-up trucks 5 feet of the ground.
While "people-watching" at a couple ritzy Johnson county shopping centers, I got to thinking about how similar snobs and trash really are.
To wit:
1. Both do not like you driving on their road. You're in their way. Period.
2. Both have little tolerance for people who are not like them.
3. Both spend money on things that really have no value. (i.e. faux-antiques or NASCAR commemorative dinner plates)
4. While snobs cattily gossip about people over $100/bottle wine, trash talk about the neighbor boys knocked up girlfriend over beer.
5. Snobs have addictions to perscription pills. Trash make meth in the basement.
6. Both judge on appearance alone.
7. Both spend inordinate amounts of money on entertainment be it a cocktail parties or monster truck rallies.
I realize these are gross over-generalizations. But it brings me to the point that people are more alike than they'd ever care to admit.
People are constantly allowing the polarizing effects of our firmly held beliefs from letting us have real conversation and real dialogue. We seem to have forgotten how to talk.
If the atmosphere of non-discourse had existed in 1776 or 1787, we may still be ruled by England simply because we couldn't talk.
I have every vigilant faith in our country, though. A very wise friend (Ted) once compared our country to a train. Forces may try to pull it to the right or to the left, but in the end, it goes right down the middle of the tracks.
And that's what Lawrence is to Kansas. The middle of the tracks. But in a state that is so deeply red, it looks bright blue. But if bright blue means I can hold the person I love's hand while walking down the street and not be afraid of being spit at or cursed at, then I'll take it.
