2008 Woodie Awards
Author Brian Mann discusses the power of the rural population
Mary Konecnik / Staff Writer
Issue date: 2/19/07 Section: Features
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Even though February Break had started for most of Clarkson on Friday, February 9th, many students and faculty attended Brian Mann's discussion about his book titled Welcome to the Homeland: A Journey to the Rural Heart of America's Conservative Revolution. Mann is originally from Alaska and now resides in Saranac Lake, New York. He works as a reporter for North Country Public Radio, mainly covering political and cultural issues in rural America.
This semester the students of Professor Robinson's American Politics class (POL 220) were reading Mann's book, Welcome to the Homeland. The book follows Mann on his journeys with his brother, Allen. Brian, a democrat, and Allen, a republican, have a difficult time discussing issues such as abortion, same sex marriage, and other dividing subjects. Brian Mann asks us, how can an alienated nation of strangers discuss these topics if two brothers cannot?
Mann's talk illustrated the differences between rural and urban America and the influences it has on our present day government. He tells us to look at the United States of America as rural and urban, not as red states and blue states. Some students questioned why our government is hard-wired to take in account for the rural population. The fact is that our Constitution was written by a group of farmers who thought America would forever be a bunch of farmers. This is why institutions, such as the Senate and House of Representatives, and the electoral college were created. America now has an urban and suburban population that accounts for eighty percent of Americans, yet rural inhabitants remain in office.
People finally realized the power that the rural population has in the 2000 presidential election. "Mega churches" were then blown up in the media, making people think that rural, white Americans were out to take over our government. The largest growing religious groups in America are actually atheists, followed by non-Judo-Christians. This trend in America mirrors the shifting movement over in Europe. The Christian population is declining, as is the rural population. Mann, a practicing Methodist, says that the issue is now tradition vs. tolerance. The true test is going to be the 2008 presidential elections.
Mann is currently working on his next book idea: conflicts dealing with big populations of young men in our society, such as the Middle East and cities throughout the world.
This semester the students of Professor Robinson's American Politics class (POL 220) were reading Mann's book, Welcome to the Homeland. The book follows Mann on his journeys with his brother, Allen. Brian, a democrat, and Allen, a republican, have a difficult time discussing issues such as abortion, same sex marriage, and other dividing subjects. Brian Mann asks us, how can an alienated nation of strangers discuss these topics if two brothers cannot?
Mann's talk illustrated the differences between rural and urban America and the influences it has on our present day government. He tells us to look at the United States of America as rural and urban, not as red states and blue states. Some students questioned why our government is hard-wired to take in account for the rural population. The fact is that our Constitution was written by a group of farmers who thought America would forever be a bunch of farmers. This is why institutions, such as the Senate and House of Representatives, and the electoral college were created. America now has an urban and suburban population that accounts for eighty percent of Americans, yet rural inhabitants remain in office.
People finally realized the power that the rural population has in the 2000 presidential election. "Mega churches" were then blown up in the media, making people think that rural, white Americans were out to take over our government. The largest growing religious groups in America are actually atheists, followed by non-Judo-Christians. This trend in America mirrors the shifting movement over in Europe. The Christian population is declining, as is the rural population. Mann, a practicing Methodist, says that the issue is now tradition vs. tolerance. The true test is going to be the 2008 presidential elections.
Mann is currently working on his next book idea: conflicts dealing with big populations of young men in our society, such as the Middle East and cities throughout the world.
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