Free Republic

...Patriotism in Red America didn’t have to be relearned after September 11. Selfless sacrifice is still an honored tradition in our communities, whether it takes place on the nation’s battlefields or a home in the nursery...Aside from religion, one of the most marked differences between the two parts of our country is the way we think about the military...Red America is full of smart people, as many employers are learning. It’s just that intellect, like wealth, isn’t flaunted here..... After the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections the blue and red map became ubiquitous. The large expanses of red represented areas...

After the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections the blue and red map became ubiquitous. The large expanses of red represented areas where a majority of voters favored Bush. The smaller, but more heavily populated, areas of blue represented votes who chose Gore [and now Kerry]. Now the nation’s social commentators want to know why there’s such a gap in our citizenry’s disposition. When David Brooks penned an article for The Atlantic Monthly (December 2001) describing the differences between rural and urban America, he started with his tongue in his cheek. But in the midst of the long essay, to the...