Nicki's Blog - Archived Entry

SO I find myself in northern Idaho, working for the summer with "troubled teens" at a wildnerness boarding school. Ah, the things we will do for adventure and a paycheck. . . But as I type late at night after work, harried and rushing to coordinate a cross-country trip for 20+ people from a state away from home, I am realizing at an even more real level why the current administration must be dethroned. I kind of knew what northern Idaho was like, land of militia and anarchy, but here for four days I am experiencing a land motivated by different ideals than those of my comrades in Seattle. Every truck has a pro-Bush sticker. Most folks I meet make a comment freely about how pleasing it is that there aren't so many diverse people to "confuse things out here." The mental health practices out here are not regulated to current ethical standards of care, and people feel good about their "independence." I had to argue about whether eye color was a legitimate predictor of criminality yesterday, with poorly veiled ethnic discrimination heating the air between us. And most certainly there is no respect for the freedom of an individual to choose their life partner or the control over his or her body. Lots of loggers, lots of NRA stickers. I guess they don't support the invasion of their privacy out here, but otherwise they are pretty excited to carve Ronnie's face into a mountain. I am in a scary place. A friend pointed out to me that MORE of America is like here than like Seattle where I spend my life. That scared the crap out of me.
So tonight I emailed my friends and colleagues and started asking them to donate money so I could register more voters in swing states. I feel like an ass asking for money, but sitting here and experiencing this, I can't think of a better way to do something. I am terrified.