This is the short version. He also said we should live uncomfortable lives and that we should pay more for health insurance. I'm not sure why rural Americans should pay more, but he thinks so. And if he thinks rural Americans, especially farmers aren't already living an uncomfortable life, perhaps he ought to spend a couple of weeks milking the ladies twice a day, 365 days a year. Or 366 days as the leap year comes around. ... Not to mention plowing, planting and harvesting all while playing the weather lottery. That is, if the equipment doesn't break down at the worst possible time.
Jackson supposedly teaches philosophy. I've got a theoretical scenario for him: Why doesn't he philosophize what it would be like if rural America didn't grow the food he eats every day. Maybe after a few days of not having food, he might appreciate rural America a little more, and not wish us misery.
Who am I kidding? This is Berkeley, California ... the home of liberal brainwashing and probably its capital.
Perhaps I'm being a little hard on Jackson. I've lived next to a dairy farm in Upstate NY for 41 years and counting, and I'm wondering what Jackson has in mind to make life more uncomfortable than it already is for my farming neighbors. The last time I saw my farm neighbors take a (real) vacation was ... oh yeah, never.
I have to compliment him on his unique choice of words The adverb unironically seems rather ironic in this instance. Nostalgia for some imagined pastoral way of life is another combination of words I hope I never hear again. First of all, nostalgia is not a crime or bad thing, and if we're talking about imagined pastoral things, all the paintings of heaven I've ever seen are ... imagined and pastoral, if I'm not mistaken. If heaven turns out to be like South Chicago or East LA (or the Berkeley campus), please put me on the down escalator. I'll take my chances.
When the tweet went viral, Jackson apologized (sort of) and deleted it. Maybe being held up to ridicule had something to do with that. But the damage was done, and again we get a glimpse of how higher education really thinks. Jackson, if you think rural America is going to forget this one, think again.
In case you need something else to think about, give this some thought:
The big cities need rural America the hell of a lot more than rural America needs the big cities. Ideally, we both need each other, but I'm quite sure that if push comes to shove, we'll last the hell of a lot longer without you than you will without us. I'm not thinking those amber waves of grain have much to do with 1/4-acre inner city vegetable gardens.
Oh, and thanks for assuming some of us are good people. Unironically, we think the same thing about some of you.
PS: About the shaming part... Shame on you for being such a cluck dimbulb.
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