Quote Originally Posted by thekarens View Post

Besides, if no with different thoughts/opinions lived here there would never be any change.
Quote Originally Posted by OakLeaf View Post
Yeah, I guess stereotyping places just kind of rubs me the wrong way. There *are* good and bad things about everywhere, and especially to characterize a state as "red" or "blue" is mainly just a question of which party was in power when that state was gerrymandered beyond all recognition, and the populace is usually very closely split on a variety of issues in at-large elections, and very often a majority of the population disagrees with the goals of the party in power.
Love both these statements.

I have a Latina niece in Houston who is very liberal, as is the Texas family she just married into. Her first job after college at Rice was canvassing door to door for an environmental non-profit in Houston. She has some of the funniest stories ever about doing that work. She used her charm and humor to do that job in a conservative, oil-based city, and she and her hipster crowd are a big and delightful part of Houston culture. Just thinking about living in Houston makes me sweat (heat/humidity wuss) but I'm sure glad they're all there and part of it.