Ask Lemmy

Man, I was raised super conservative in a town on the east coast. Now I'm a leftist. The distaste of undereducated, poor, rural people breaks my heart. These people are some of the hardest workers in the country and so much of our society relies on their labor. There's no reason to look down on them. I hate the ignorance and conservative views, but when you've been fed propaganda your entire life and your community is full of like minded people it's really hard to break out of it. I don't get why leftists don't try harder to reach them. Yes, it's hard, because those beliefs are deep rooted, but some people can be educated. I've talked to people that say they won't talk to people with super conservative or harmful religious beliefs because "there's no changing them". My response to that is always that you don't have to argue or be hostile, but I was raised very conservative and if no one ever presented me with different viewpoints, gently challenged my beliefs, or educated me on facts that were hidden from me, I never would have started doing the thinking and the research I needed to change my worldview. I'd probably be a die-hard MAGA tradwife right now instead of being a single woman with a career who is also one of the most left leaning people most Americans will meet IRL.