The Rural Colorado Project

The 2016 Presidential election was like no other.  It was different in so many ways, the campaign ran for what seemed like an eternity, actually,  it was only 16 months, but it seemed like a lifetime.  It was a malicious, malevolent, sarcastic, vindictive campaign fueled by the mainstream and social media.  It seems, at least to me, that media had, and continues to have  its own agenda, and it fought hard to make that agenda a reality.  I do not have to rehash the campaign, the election or the aftermath, we are made aware of it every single day.

 It was brought to my attention by a Facebook acquaintance that there are a vast number of people who view Rural America as being  full of second class citizens, bigoted, uneducated and on the bottom rung of society.  I live rural Colorado and this attitude really angered me. My Facebook acquaintance could not fathom why anyone with any "class" or education would choose to live in a rural area.  He also blamed uneducated, bigoted Rural America for Donald Trump's Presidential victory.

I do not believe that Mr. Trump's success was based on racism, sexism, or any other ism you can name.  Donald Trump went to rural America, he spoke about the jobs that had left and continue to leave the United States.  He campaigned in rural areas, while Hillary Clinton spent most her campaign time in large cities and metropolitan areas.  President-elect Trump may not follow through with all of his promises, but he is one of the few politicians who listened to and actually heard voices from Rural America 

The people of America were looking for a change, they were "fed up", for the lack of a better term with politics, as usual, they were angry with the establishment politicians in Washington DC, Mr. Trump was a breath of fresh air, he was the "change" candidate.  It is up to you if you see his proposed changes as good or bad, but he was the anti-establishment, change candidate, while Hillary Clinton was the establishment candidate.  She had spent over 30 years as a Washington insider, she was an extension of President Obama, and even though Hillary Clinton and President Obama were very appealing to the majority of voters in the large city and urban areas, rural America was looking for something different.  These voters came out to support the "Make America Great Again' candidate

Racism, bigotry, and a dysfunctional, outdated Electoral College did not put Mr. Trump into office, it was because he listened to Rural America.  The political elite and the media dismissed these voters as "a basket full of deplorables" as uneducated, and racist, and nothing is farther fro the truth.

The forgotten, the disrespected and overlooked people came forward and voted for Donald Trump.  It does not matter if you disagree or agree with him, what does matter is that Rural America believes that he will bring America back from the brink and make her great again.  What truly matters is that the red electoral college map was a scream for recognition a scream against the extension of the last 8 years.  While the media and  Democrats were yelling racist, bigot and misogynistic slurs at the opposition, Rural America elected Donald Trump.  Hatred did not elect him, Rural America did.

I spoke to an older gentleman recently, who is a farmer.  He expressed his great displeasure with the way things were going in our country.  He said he was not a bigot or a racist, nor was he uneducated he holds a dual BA in Agriculture and Business Management, and yes, he is a farmer.  He said that he was tired of the "politically correct crowd" who have grown up in a make believe world with few if any consequences for behaviors, where no one keeps score and everyone gets a trophy, and when they are flung into the real word they have a coast to coast meltdown.  They demand "safe places" where they can go to have their ruffled feathers soothed and a warm shoulder to cry on  when someone offends or disagrees with them. They walk out, protest, break windows and assault officers, while our kids get up, do their chores, go to school, come home do their homework, finish their chores and go to bed, only to start again the next day.  He said he has two grandchildren in college, one studying veterinary medicine and the other Agriculture, with a plan to come home and run the family farm, He went on to say that having a college degree does not make one "educated".  He said that he sees and hears of young people graduating from college with a worthless degree, few job opportunities and a mountain of debt, how can you call that being educated.

Being educated does not have to equate to a college degree.  As a retired teacher, I personally and professionally think that schools across this country indoctrinate kids from preschool,into thinking that if you do not have a college degree then you are doomed to be aa failure in life, that you will never earn as much as someone with a college degree,  but we will leave this conversation for another day.

This brings us to the point of The Rural Colorado Project.  To educate the city and urban population what rural America and especially rural Colorado is all about.