Most people tend to base their political beliefs around the people they spend most of their time around and are influenced by the most. The information that you take in and consume will help to shape and sculpt the way you see the world. Yet, somehow, someway, I am a proud progressive Democrat living in a deeply conservative Republican state. Despite being surrounded and heavily influenced by a conservative culture all my life, I’ve never been able to see eye-to-eye with these values. And here’s why:
1. The Coal Mining Industry
West Virginia is one of the biggest supporters of a fossil fuel-minded administration. This has always been a coal mining community. And most people here are not ready to simply give up on that. Even the Democrats in this state tend to jump party lines to support coal mining. Throughout my life here in West Virginia, I’ve been able to personally see why people still want to keep fossil fuels going. It’s their way of life. Jobs and bread winning are on the table here. It’s not just CEOs of big businesses, it’s the blue collar worker who’s just trying to feed his family. I consider myself an environmentalist, which is a very rare mindset in these parts. I’ll always put environmental protection over short-term sales. It’s my conscience and I’m confident in it.
2. Pro-Life vs Pro-Choice
West Virginia is in the Bible Belt. A large portion of my state is deeply Christian. And that’s okay. But it leads to people putting their religious beliefs over the actual health of other people. The “pro-life” mindset says we need to put a mass of cells over the health of a woman, over the financial security of the family and over all the negative ramifications that can occur from an unwanted pregnancy. Without taking into consideration the fact that the pregnancy could’ve come from rape or incest. Basically, this mindset doesn’t take much of anything into consideration. Thus, I’m not a fan. I see the idea of choice as a very important part of our country.
3. Gun Control
In West Virginia, most people tend to feel more safe with a gun or two lying around the house. They sleep soundly at night knowing they can easily be ready in case a home invader intrudes. Some even feel more safe by carrying a piece on them at times for personal protection. This I can understand. What I can’t understand, however, is what happens when common-sense gun control is brought up. It makes no sense how we can sell an assault rifle to a person with a criminal record and/or a history of mental health issues. It’s blatantly putting lives at risk. However, most people tend to lash out and cite the Second Amendment without hearing the full statement. My case tends to go with a real-life example: the Orlando Shooting. Omar Mateen, the killer of 49 people in an Orlando nightclub last summer, bought his assault rifle the day of the shooting. He had a history of domestic violence and abuse. But this didn’t bring up any red flags at the gun store, apparently. He walked into the store, bought what he needed, and proceeded to become one of the deadliest shooters in our history. Common sense regulations could have prevented this. But instead, 49 people had to die and 53 more had to be injured.
In this past year’s heated and divisive election season, I had it out with many people. These are issues that many of my fellow West Virginians hold dearly. Some of my closest friends and I shared our views and fiercely debated our opinions. But at the end of the day, I live blue.
