To the editor:
America’s behavior continues to baffle me. I recently took a trip back to my roots and was astounded by the change in our nation by leaving my quiet, New England comfort zone. I landed in St. Louis and traveled into the deep state of Southern Missouri.
kAm~? E96 H2J[ x D9FEE=65 E9C@F89 E:?J E@H?D H:E9 >@C6 49FC496D E92? 9@>6D[ >@C6 8F? D9@AD 2?5 =:BF@C DE@C6D E92? D9@6 DE@C6D 2?5 4=@E9:?8 DE@C6D[ D68C682E65 D>@<:?8 :? C6DE2FC2?ED WDE:==nX[ 2?5 2 4@?DE2?E C6>6>3C2?46 @7 E96 “H2C @7 }@CE96C? 288C6DD:@?]”k^Am
kAm%96C6 H6C6 D:8?D @? =2H?D :?5:42E:?8 H9@ H2D ?@E H6=4@>6 2?5 H9@ H2Di “}@ A@=:46[ }@ y6HD[” “{6E’D v@ qC2?52?” WJ6D[ >:DDA6==65X[ 2?5 “}@ $@4:2=:D9[ }@ r@>>F?:D>” Wt?8=:D9 :D 2 D64@?5 =2?8F286 ?@HX]k^Am
kAm%96C6 H6C6 D:8?D :?5:42E:?8 E92E :7 J@F H6C6 ?@E H9:E6[ J@F 36DE 36 @FE @7 E@H? 367@C6 E96 DF? D6ED] %96 :562 @7 “DF?D6E =2HD” >2J 36 2 ?6H 4@?46AE 7@C J@F[ 3FE :E :D ?@E 7@C >6] xE :D 2D @=5 2D E96 9:==D[ 2?5 2D x A2DD65 E96D6 6A:E96ED @7 4C:E:42= C246 E96@CJ[ x 9@A65 7@C 2 >@56C? 8=24:6C @7 E9@F89E E@ 8C:?5 E9@D6 9:==D 5@H? E@ 2 AF=A]k^Am
kAmx H:E?6DD65 DE@C6 H:?5@HD H:E9 %CF>A 7=28D AC@F5=J 5:DA=2J65[ 2=:6?2E:?8 92=7 E96:C 4FDE@>6C 32D6] qFD:?6DD 2?5 A@=:E:4D 2C6 2 >:D6C23=6 4@4<E2:=] x @?46 A=2465 “(6=4@>6[ #@? !2F=” @? >J D:8? @FED:56 @7 >J 5@H?E@H? DE@C6[ 2?5 E96 2>@F?E @7 :C6 x 42F89E H2D 6?@F89 E@ =62G6 2 A6C>2?6?E >2C< @? >J 4@?D4:6?46]k^Am
kAmqFE E96D6 52JD[ 3FD:?6DD @H?6CD =:G6 :? 2 DE2E6 @7 92EC:@E:4 6FA9@C:2[ E:65 @77[ H:E9 2 ?665=6 A6C>2?6?E=J =@5865 :? E96:C G6:?D] x A@?56C65 E96 C:5:4F=@FD?6DD @7 2 3=24< 5@==[ DH255=65 :? 3FC=2A H:E9 E96 2AA62C2?46 @7 2 9@>6=6DD A6CD@?[ D:EE:?8 :? 2 H:?5@H[ E28865 H:E9 2 ?@E6 “E96 C62= ~32>2]” RD>59]k^Am
kAms:DA6CD65 :? 36EH66? 7C2J65 p>6C:42? 7=28D H6C6 H92E x C676C E@ 2D “4@>3@ 7=28Di” 92=7 4@?7656C2E6[ 92=7 &?:@? y24<] pAA2C6?E=J[ p>6C:42 :D 3:\A@=2C] x 42? @?=J 2DDF>6 E96D6 AC:567F= A2C@5:6D H6C6 AFC492D65 2E E96 =@42= (2=>2CE[ H:E9 “|256 :? r9:?2” 7:C>=J AC:?E65 @? E96 324< @7 E96 A24<286]k^Am
kAm(2=>2CE[ @FC =2C86DE AC@G:56C @7 4@?DF>6C 8@@5D 2?5 86?6C2==J E96 @?=J C6E2:=6C H:E9:? b_ >:=6D[ H9@ :?4:56?E2==J 92D 564:565 ?@E E@ 9@?@C E96 D24C:7:46[ 3J ?@E 9@?@C:?8 %#xrp#t[ E96 962=E9 :?DFC2?46 @7 E96 &]$] >:=:E2CJ] %92?<7F==J[ E96 4@C?6C 5CF8 DE@C6 H@F=5 36 92AAJ E@ 96=A W:7 @?6 DE:== 6I:DEDX]k^Am
kAmx 925 E96 AC:G:=686 @7 E@FC:?8 E96 ?6H |:DD@FC: }2E:@?2= vF2C5 |6>@C:2= :? !6CCJG:==6[ |@][ H:E9 2? 6I24E C6A=:42 @7 E96 ':6E?2> (2C @7 #6>6>3C2?46] x 7@F?5 >J 525’D 7C:6?5 H9@ H2D <:==65 :? 24E:@? 2?5 D@=6>?=J C2? >J 7:?86CD 24C@DD 9:D 6E4965 ?2>6 FA@? E96 H2==] |J 525’D ?F>36C H2D ?6G6C 42==65] x H9@=6962CE65=J E92?< E96 {@C5 7@C E9:D 8C246] w6 H@F=5 ?@E 92G6 DFCG:G65]k^Am
kAm%92E 5@6D ?@E DE@A E96 C6G6C6?E 7C@> A2J:?8 9@>286 E@ E9@D6 H9@D6 ?F>36CD H6C6 42==65 2?5 >256 E96 8C62E6DE D24C:7:46[ :? 2 H2C E92E DE@=6 2? 6?E:C6 86?6C2E:@? 7C@> @FC ?2E:@?]k^Am
kAmx? E96 >:5DE @7 E9:D >@>6?E @7 9@>286[ x 4@?G6CD65 H:E9 E96 86?E=6>2? @G6CD66:?8 E96 >:=:E2CJ 6I9:3:ED :? E96 >FD6F> 2EE24965 E@ E96 >6>@C:2=] w6 3C@F89E FA E92E 96 H2D :? ~r$ H:E9 7@C>6C $64C6E2CJ @7 $E2E6[ y@9? z6CCJ] w6 >256 2 5:DA2C28:?8 C6>2C<] x 5:5 ?@E 3:E6[ 3FE x H2D D2556?65 E92E E9@D6 H9@ D6CG65 H@F=5 324<DE23 2 3C@E96C :? 2C>D[ H9@ 5:5 ?@E FD6 “3@?6 DAFCD” 2D C62D@?:?8 E@ ?@E AFE 9:D =:76 @? E96 =:?6 7@C 2?@E96C]k^Am
kAm}@ =6G6= @7 49:4<6? 2?5 5F>A=:?8D :D 8@:?8 E@ >2<6 E9:D H2G6 @7 H@6 A2=2E23=6] x =@G65 8@:?8 “9@>6” 27E6C EH@ J62CD @7 =:G:?8 :? 2 A2?56>:4 3F33=6[ 3FE 2D “C636==:@FD” 2D x 2>[ x 4@F=5 ?@E H2:E E@ 86E 324< E@ >J ?@?\D64F=2C[ *2?<66 9@==29’ :? E96 }@CE9 r@F?ECJ]k^Am
kAmt=:K236E9 #F65:86Ck^Am
kAmsF>>6Ck^Am

(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.