7 reasons I feel at home in liberal towns
When I was laying the groundwork for planting a church last year, one important value I had was planting in a city where I fit in. Long story short; the profiles kept pointing to liberal towns. Which I could have told you prior to taking assessments and doing the interviews. On a side note, the church we’re planting is now going to be on the Internet…based in Austin.
In conversations with people back in California and the various other places I have people, I often mention the fact that I really dig Austin because it’s a liberal town. When I say that, I mean it in the most broad sense and I’m not even thinking about politics; let’s face it, when it comes to the issues that actually make the world go around the difference between Democrats and Republicans is nominal at best. Not to mention the fact I don’t subscribe to either paradigm; I’m a Pro-Life Libertarian for what it’s worth, which means I’m more conservative than Republicans and more liberal than Democrats…if that’s possible.
7 reasons I feel at home in liberal towns:
#1| Less Hummers
Historically I drive small cars and I can’t stand getting stuck behind monster trucks when I’m going down the freeway. Not to mention the taking up of two parking spots. I won’t say drivers are better in liberal towns…but they do less damage in their Volvos and hybrids.
#2 | Educated Population
I suck at small talk and I don’t watch much in the way of sports, college basketball being the one exception. In a highly educated liberal town I find it much easier to find people to talk with about things like the Large Hadron Collider, flaws in the federal reserve system and whatever was on NPR this morning. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with blue collar towns…it’s just not my thing.
#3 | Protestors
I’m someone that thinks the American population needs to take to the streets a little more often; it’s a great way to keep our government in check, because our power to vote doesn’t seem to be working. I can’t quite pinpoint the exact reasons why there seem to be more protesters in liberal towns, but my best guess is that most liberal towns have a generous surplus of college students and a larger single population in general. Married people with kids a far less likely to take the day off work to go protest the WTO, Monsanto, war or whatever.
#4 | Whole Foods
I love me some Whole Foods. I’m a foodie and a hack chef and I can always count on Whole Foods to have the goods. Not to mention the fact that my family eats organic, natural, grass fed…blah blah blah. It’s clear that Whole Foods targets liberal towns as their market.
#5 | Local Everything
Liberal towns are good to their local businesses. Educated liberals tend to care about stuff like that where as in conservative towns people have become dependent on Wal-Mart and Costco.
#6 | The Arts
I love music and art. Liberal towns are really the only place where music and art scenes flourish. Again, this has something to due with the population of single people, and they are willing and able to do the starving artist thing.
#7 | People Give You the Benefit of the Doubt
At the center of a conservative view of politics is the concept that mankind is inherently evil; whereas at the core of a liberal view is the opposite, that mankind is inherently good. These thoughts are quite often subconscious and not often completely understood by either side of the concepts and there are exceptions to the rule. All that to say the people in liberal towns general give everyone the benefit of the doubt and it creates good energy. I will say that a proper understanding of either view can lead you to think positive of everyone.
Maybe the sociologists out there can help me complete my thoughts?
Vince – great post. I know there are places I feel at home – and places I don’t. I’m curious about your view of conservative/liberal and evil/good view of people. I disagree with your association. I would label myself a conservative politically, necessarily republican. I think government should keep the peace and regulate commerce and otherwise pretty much get out of the way. One of the reasons I believe that is my belief that people are capable of good. We don’t need government to feed the poor, take care of the sick or educate our children – we just need the freedom to do those things on our own. Having lived in a very liberal state my whole life – I see the opposite principal at work. Because people are inherently evil, or selfish or lazy – or all of the above – the government must do everything “good.” The result, the 7th/8th largest economy in the world is bankrupt. How do you see it the other way?
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Vince Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 2:33 pm
@Craig // I didn’t want to get into politics on this one, but since you asked… When I am speaking about liberal and conservative I am speaking in the most basic of terms. The core belief that drives them is whether one believes mankind is inherently evil or good. Most people never whittle their belief down far enough to arrive to a conclusion, but it never the less is the core of the beliefs. I would add that often the belief that mankind is good or evil can go either way, especially in today’s political arena where most people define themselves by just a couple of issues.
Like I said in the article, I’m a pro-life libertarian when it comes to politics so I believe in really limited government and the financial trouble that we have in the U.S. today exists solely because of the Federal Reserve Act of 1913
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Oh no now you have stired up the right side…lol a reminder that we “austin” are still in the middle of Texas:). I love this blog
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@shauna // I tried my best not to be to political since I’m a pretty staunch centrist…but i’m sure this will get read into a bit.
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a) I will protest Monsanto any day- I just don’t know anyone else who knows who Monsanto is besides you…
b) I think I belong in a liberal town too, Micah and I LOVE Santa Cruz. When are you going to convince Micah that we need to move to Austin, because whatever I’m saying isn’t working
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I think the problem here is that all these things apply if your a liberal in a liberal town! Liberals only tolerate people who agree with them. God help you if your in this sort of town and have a different opinion!
Then you would be a member of an angry mob, or be called some other hateful name! Liberals are more then happy to write a hate law for pretty much any group, except conservatives!
They won’t tolerate hate speech towards gays, blacks, women or minorities. But hating conservatives is fair game! Even if the conservative is gay, black, a woman or a minority!
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If you were going to recommend a few towns in America for a liberal to live in other than Austin what would they be?
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Vince Reply:
August 23rd, 2010 at 11:13 am
I like Davis, Santa Cruz, San Francisco California, Portland Oregon, Seattle Washington, Grand Rapids Michigan (getting there) for starters
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Kim – I’m a native Californian who travels. San Francisco and Marin would be ideal places for a liberal to live. I’d have to at least give a nod to Heather – they tend to unapologetically make conservatives uncomfortable. Have to say that is one of the things I like about Austin – you can be yourself.
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