One of the things that I think many don't understand about why these conditions are allowed to stand in the South -- though people might guess it -- is that those numbers and facts are absolutely meaningless to white Southern Republicans. Let me explain, as somebody who grew up around upper middle-class and downright rich white southern Republicans, and who still lives in the South.

Last in education? Last in healthcare? Last in infrastructure? White southern Republicans hear, "the Blacks, the Blacks, the Blacks." Their states are welfare states that get more back than they contribute? Same translation. It doesn't matter that lots of those same statistics apply to predominantly white, rural counties and communities. (That's where the child marriage is.) They hear these things and they think, "the Blacks."

By the way, this is also why they ignore Democratic governors pointing out that the crime rate in Louisiana or Mississippi is higher than it is in Chicago, Los Angeles, DC or Baltimore. Because they think, "Well, if Memphis wasn't in Tennessee's statistics, or New Orleans in Louisiana's, our crime rate wouldn't be high either." In other words, same translation. (Remarkable how they're able to understand that all major cities are blue when it serves them to.)

And the racist narratives are so embedded -- and have been so well watered and tended over the past 30 years, ever since Rush Limbaugh started molesting the airwaves -- that they completely shut down to the idea that their own policies are the primary contributors to crime and poverty experienced in both poor Black and white communities. They simply believe -- at least with Black folks -- that that is how "they" are. This is the heart of the welfare queen narrative, and why the first thing they will tell you about "those people" is that they're sucking off welfare, that "they" don't WANT to work, "they" this, "those people" that.

And nothing you say can change their minds.

"Actually so many of those single parents are working three jobs just to make ends meet," you say.

No, they assure you, like they have firsthand knowledge. (Add to this that so many of them watch local news like they're actually learning something from it, with its "if it bleeds it leads" editorial direction, and they think their beliefs are being confirmed every night on the 6 o'clock news before they watch Wheel Of Fortune.)

And here's the kicker: all that other shit? The power grid failures, the floods, the hurricanes, the states' failing infrastructure? These people will be the first to excuse that because IF ONLY the state wasn't spending all THEIR HARD-EARNED TAX DOLLARS on "those people," then maybe they'd have money for nice things like infrastructure!

Did I mention how they believe illegal immigrants are also receiving THEIR HARD-EARNED TAX DOLLARS?

It's quite a fucking scam.