Liberal Journalist In Red State America - Website Recommended

[RamboLiberal]

http://storiesinamerica.org/

I heard Rose Aguilar this morning on Lynn Cullen WPTT 1360 AM Pittsburgh. Really fascinating insights, especially about the megachurches. A lot of what she said about them is frightening. But there is hope - they're not real thrilled about Bush - they voted for him but many can't drill down past he is a Christian. As their wallet is being hit with high gas prices and no health insurance, the "moral" issues are mattering less.

Journalist Rose Aguilar leaves the liberal bubble of San Francisco to bring you personal stories from people living in states that overwhelmingly voted for George W. Bush for President.


After four months of being on the road, I still find myself saying, "I can't believe there's a Wal-Mart here." As we drive through small towns, we immediately notice dilapidated downtown buildings and empty storefronts. Many downtowns are literally turning into ghost towns. Just when you think a town is too small for a Wal-Mart, it practically hits you in the face. I've found that Wal-Mart parking lots are great places to do interviews because they attract such diverse groups of people and are often the only option in town for affordable one-stop shopping. A lot of people making $6-7/hour have told me while they miss mom and pop shops, they wouldn't be able to afford the basics if it weren't for Wal-Mart. At first, I steered clear of the store itself. I'm now making it a point to go in to look for differences, but have yet to find any. The store in Oklahoma City sells the same exact items as the store in Alva, Oklahoma.

A few minutes after finding a parking spot in the Alva (poulation 5,288) Wal-Mart, we met Eli, a 24-year-old who served in Iraq for four months in 2003. Eli was stationed in Camp Doha in Kuwait before the war started and was 10 miles south of Baghdad after the bombing began. Eli was discharged after he blew out his knee while playing basketball. During our conversation, Eli said hello to several people coming and going, including a man he served with overseas.

Tell me about your experience in Iraq.

We had 40 days with no shower, five severe sand storms and a month without ammunition. Everybody else had tents. We didn't. Everybody else had air conditioners. We didn't. The only thing I had to eat for three days was crackers. We ran out of water for a full day. We went through a lot.

A month without ammunition?

Thirty-eight guys and the only thing we had was 210 rounds. And 210 rounds is supposed to be for one person.