I was in Iowa for a year once. It was like being in the movie Pleasantville in some creepy ways.

Obviously there are sane people there too, mostly, but there is no shortage whatsoever of this ‘why can’t things be like they used to be’ shit too, and that does include the ugly underbelly of polite, midwest-nice, racism, It’s a fucking weird thing. They don’t say the quiet parts out loud there often unless you sit down over a cup of coffee and get them talking, and eventually it comes out. Words like ‘they’ and ‘different’. I had one lady just getting back from her church explain to me how immigrants had “lower standards of hygiene’ while appearing perfectly polite and smiling. I asked if she has ever met or seen an immigrant and she said no, but had ‘seen stories and talked with people”. She went to college in Iowa in the 70s. Nurse. Anti Vaxer, but not until Covid. Fox News. Straight out of central casting.

It’s not uncommon as a lot of rural places, and I strongly resist putting populations in boxes, but it’s infuriating to see ignorance couched in righteousness up close, and you can see how these people vote. She also blames democrats because a cup of coffee should only cost 25 cents like it used to and doesn’t think the waitress should be asking to make more money. As if the price of coffee and economic issues are caused by waitstaff wanting a raise above $3 an hour and tips measured in pennies and nickels. Pleasantville.