Red state, blue state...

My partner and I got to explore a little of the midwest this past Thanksgiving, and it reminded me of domestic stereotypes: east coast, west coast, midwest and so on. Like Red State, Blue State, Rich State, Poor State, which argues that, politically, socio-economic status determines more than race. If you're interested in figuring out where you fall, here is a chart that can give you an idea. How important do you think class is? Some students and I were discussing race last week, and one said that race was passé now and that the new hot button issue would be same sex marriage. Do you agree?

I don't think of 'class' often, but it reminds me of a guy I was friends with in college. When I had decided to go to grad school to get a degree in education, I asked him if he thought we would still be friends if I were a teacher and he were a big-shot biotech gazillionaire. His response was that we could still be friends but that our new friends would be different-- because I would be at home playing Scrabble while he was falconeering in Mongolia. I remember thinking that I might be happier playing board games with loved ones rather than killing birds for sport near Siberia. I guess everyone has different priorities. And we were both from 'blue states,' too.