Patriot News MN

TO THE EDITOR:

We are “flyover country.” Flyover country refers to unimportant people who don’t live on a coast and whose opinions don’t matter. An insult or a compliment? For politicians from the coasts, it is an insult. From recent years. Obama (2008 & 2015) said we “cling to guns or religion or antipathy toward people who aren’t like them.” Clinton (2016) identifies us “a basket or irredeemable deplorables.” Minnesotans are “ugly folks” (Biden, 2020). Young people 18-24 are “Stupid” (resurfaced video, Harris). In “Hillbilly Elegy,” JD Vance shared his autobiographical journey, which sparked an interest in re-examining our Midwestern roots. Let’s re-evaluate the claims made by those elitist politicians. From the Midwest to the Bible Belt to the Rust Belt, people hold religious beliefs and firearms in esteem—Faith, Family, and Country. But they also embody empathy for their neighbors. People have a strong work ethic. They work one or more jobs to provide the “breadbasket” for family and community. Patriotism is valued—that does not make them “ugly.” Garrison Keillor declared that our children are “above average.” We define “wealth” differently. We count our blessings—family, friends, employment, God’s creation, a home (not just a house), food (nutrition, not presentation). We are resourceful, frugal, and generous. Parents work so that children will have a “better” life measured by family values and not expectations set by the elitists. Without “blue blood” and a “silver spoon in our mouth,” we appreciate our lineage as “red-blooded Americans.”