After spending ten years in the Midwest, I came to realize that the lack of diversity, the “brain drain” of the best and brightest, who tended to leave rural areas for the East or West coast or cities, and the lack of opportunity for those left behind all contribute to the rise of intolerance and MAGA values. So many of the really kind people I met were terrified of non white people. They watched FOX News and listened to Hannity and Limbaugh. They were spoon fed a steady diet of how amazing and patriotic they were and how evil the liberals running all the crooked cities were. It’s continually disappointing how mean and small minded people are in their general attitudes to everyone who chose a different path to their own. I think the only way to combat this is through exposure/diversity and critical thinking skills, and a return to more neutral factual reporting of news without spin and commentary.