Diversity Around Here

People (I mean friends and family) often ask me about attitudes of the people I meet and talk to, and I answer as well às I can.  But increasingly I find that there is often an attitude that I have never heard before!   I'm reminded of the fact that, perhaps because of the freedom of speech, or because of the widely different places people have come from (and no, this isn't a cosmopolitan area, like NYC; it isn't a Blue Enclave at all), you do get an opinion that startles me.  It shows what a diverse place the US is.

And no, it isn't racial diversity I'm talking about.  Most of the people I talk to are white (sorry about that; I should try to widen my circle), it's just that even among whites, opinions are highly varied.

I can't give you statistics, but views on religion are varied.  Views on whether to go to the doctor when sick are varied.  Home schooling.  

War in Ukraine.  Migration across the border with Mexico.  Plastic.  The police.

I can't remember most of the other attitudes that surprised me.  Of course, when I used to teach, in a much larger community, the attitudes were even more widely diverse.  But in this little town, which is a moderate island in the vast Conservative farmland that is Rural Pennsylvania, attitudes are pretty diverse.

Don't get me wrong; I don't go around soliciting opinions.  I guess people are disarmed by my cute face (Not) or whatever.

People know I'm an ex-teacher, so negative opinions about the educational system are usually preceded by a sort of disclaimer.  "Nothing personal, but I have no use for Chemistry, or Algebra, or nothing."