At the time I wrote, I considered California's travel ban to be arrogant, self-righteous, and gratuitous. But that was before the Harvey Weinstein scandal and the Napa-Sonoma wildfires. Now I consider the travel ban to be pathetic.
People who live in flyover country have grown accustomed to being reprimanded by the California entertainment elites--all those beautiful people who are so cool and sensitive. We've endured public scoldings from the California legislature, which passed a law that bars state-funded travel to eight of California's sister states.
And now we find that Hollywood, the capital of coolness, has been enabling a sexual predator and accused rapist for decades. Everyone in the movie business knew Harvey Weinstein was preying on vulnerable women. His own company knew; in fact Harvey's employment contract contained a clause obligating Weinstein to reimburse his employer for future sexual abuse lawsuits (he had already settled with eight accusers) and to pay escalating penalties for future sexual assault complaints.
And then came the Napa-Sonoma wildfires, which have killed at least 40 people and scorched 350 square miles of the California wine country. Firefighters are pouring in from all over the United States to help fight these fires--including firefighters from North Carolina, which is under California's travel ban.
Do you think the California legislature will bar North Carolina fire crews from tackling the blaze in the Napa Valley? No, of course not. California's politicians want all the help the state can get to put out the deadliest wildfire in California history--even help from insensitive North Carolinians.
Do you think Hollywood will ask the folks in
flyover country to boycott all the movies associated with
Harvey Weinstein? No. The movie industry depends on the rubes to buy
movie tickets and $10 popcorn. Puh-leeze buy a ticket to see all the
movies Harvey Weinstein and his cronies vomited into American
culture.
Do you think any of Hollywood's supercilious, pompous
asses will apologize to middle America for all the judgmental
lectures they delivered while they covered up the Weinstein scandal?
No, I don't think so.
But it is not my purpose to scold
Hollywood or California politicians now that the Golden State's
hypocrisy has been exposed. I don't wish to descend to the level of
Alex Baldwin.
No, I wish to evoke the spirit of Woody
Guthrie, the great folk singer and Dust Bowl refugee who
migrated to California during the Great Depression, back in the
days when California state troopers turned Okies away at the
state border.
"This land is your land,"
Guthrie sang. "this land is my land.
So this is my message to California:
We, the people of flyover country, grieve for you as you battle the Napa-Sonoma wildfires, and fire crews from all over America will come to help. We'll even continue watching the retched movies that Hollywood grinds out ever year.
But here's the thing: This land is not just your land. It's our land. It was a land made for all of us. So let's all be a little more tolerant toward one another.
From the California to the New York island
From the Redwood Forest
To the Gulf Stream watersThis land was made for you and me.
So this is my message to California:
We, the people of flyover country, grieve for you as you battle the Napa-Sonoma wildfires, and fire crews from all over America will come to help. We'll even continue watching the retched movies that Hollywood grinds out ever year.
But here's the thing: This land is not just your land. It's our land. It was a land made for all of us. So let's all be a little more tolerant toward one another.
