In my field trip post, I summarized my attendance at a recent series of city council meetings in my hometown.

Two of the most vocal (literally) attendees were both clearly red mindsets.

A summary of my observations with them:

#1 Interaction:  while male, late 30's, small business owner, Caucasian

-  Believes everyone should "provide for themselves", including individuals and businesses
-  Was willing to literally fight for his pov (he got violent after the city council meeting outside with a orange council member)
-  I asked why he, as a business owner, didn't support idea of giving business incentives; his response:  "because I didn't get any, and I started out by myself"
-  When I asked his pov about subsidizing public works for lower income and /or  senior citizens, he shows a softer side, as he feels "they are who people like me are fighting for"

#2 Interaction:  female, teacher, 40's, Caucasian

-  Believes there has been "too much buddy/buddy corruption in this town for too long, and teachers have been a group who has suffered the most" (you may have read about OK education funding or lack thereof).
-  She believes her cause and pov is "superior, more informed" than most reds, yet she also noted "doesn't take a college degree to see what's happening"

My takeaways:
-  I do have respect for fact that Red is so committed to their beliefs they are willing to fight for them (makes me think about historical figures who had potentially green or blue values, but had to accomplish them with a red aproaoch)
-  I can't believe how many of my high school classmates and even some relatives are red; while I love them as individuals, they are pretty much intolerable for me as a group;  too much "group think" which is based purely on and fueled even more on perceptions and prejudices vs. discussion of all facts
-  many of my classmates and relatives are shocked at what the " big city and east coast wife" have done to their buddy Todd Townsend

Todd

Todd Townsend
972-333-0276