Geez, Mary Anne, I've lived here for 20 years and I've never even MET anyone in my everyday life like the people you constantly describe. Nor have I met anyone who believes that one becomes rich just because God likes you, and if you are poor it's because God doesn't like you. I've met one or two conservative and very religious wealthy people who certainly think God has been good to them, but contrary to what you think their opinions might be, they felt that this placed them in a position of special responsibility to be more supportive of their neighbors and communities.

That your church doesn't discuss politics should make you grateful. Make no mistake: this may very well be because there are a lot of Democrats in the congregation.

Again, is this the assumption that "tolerance = Democrat?" Okay, okay. I'll drop it.

No doubt the rednecks you describe exist, even in urban Northern California--I've seen those bumper stickers you describe around here, too--but cripes, you seem to attract them like angry bees.

You ever think of moving out of Hooterville, PA? ;)

I came from small towns too, but maybe not like yours. They were midwestern farm towns for the most part. When I grew up there, to the older folks of that time "farmer" and "Democrat" went together, and "conservative" and "Democrat" were not mutually exclusive. They still called it the DFL sometimes, you see, and when you thought of a Democrat you thought of overalls on a guy, not a ponytail. Think more along the lines of Hubert Humphrey, not Paul Wellstone.

Of course, in my childhood I paid attention to none of this. I dimly remember chanting "Nixon, Nixon, he's our man, Kennedy belongs in the garbage can!" in school, although I had no idea who either person really was. By this I assume my folks were Republican even then, although I fervently hope I picked up the chant from another kid, and not my Dad.