I’m a red state guy living in the bluest of blue states. I have often referred to this place as The People’s Republic of Hawaii. Because I am a son of the south who has lived just about half my life in Hawaii and half in the south, I have a unique perspective and a very eclectic collection of friends.
I count among my friends (both Facebook & in real life) conservatives, agnostics, liberals, pentecostals, lesbians, libertarians, undocumented aliens. artists, musicians, NRA instructors, catholics, academics, mormons, homeless people, addicted people, psychologists, thespians, psychotics, preachers, politicians, saints and sinners. It makes life interesting, and helps prevent confirmation bias.
Confirmation bias is when you only read, watch, listen to and associate with those sources that support your agenda and reinforce your preconceived views, never pushing back, never challenging you to rethink or reconsider.
Recent events in Hawaii have illustrated the danger of confirmation bias and life in a blue state bubble. People who hold liberal social and political views, get their news from MSNBC, the Huffington Post and the Daily Show couldn’t possibly have any close personal friends or family members who are deeply committed, church-going evangelical Christians, conservative Republicans, or, frankly, any southerners. I say that because I have seen how conservatives have been falsely characterized in recent weekly tabloid opinion pieces. Instead of seeing democracy in action, those in the blue state, confirmation bias bubble saw angry mobs. Ignoring the most vile, vicious, profane actions of people they support, they characterized the families, elderly aunties and passionate opposition as a bunch of ignorant, dangerous rubes.
There were no reports of any of the pro SB1 legislators needing security escorts to their vehicles at night due to threats from the very vocal anti-SB1 crowd, but the small group of anti-SB1 legislators were verbally threatened and frightened by the vitriol directed at them. That, of course, doesn’t fit the blue state bubble narrative that the pro-SSM side is the peaceful, loving, kind, and gentle side, and those nasty Christians are the haters.
Those tabloid articles also conveniently ignored the story of Representative Jo Jordan, the Waianae Coast lesbian legislator who voted against SB1 and in a very emotional speech told the real story: she received love and acceptance from those she expected to hate her, and hatred from those she thought accepted her. She has purged her Facebook page of the recent posts, but I read as many as I could stomach; they were evil, hateful and angry.
Hate to burst your blue state bubble, but that’s the truth about which group showed their true colors.