Thursday, January 24, 2013

"Rural"--or a proxy for it--in Obama's second inaugural speech

Rurality made a somewhat obscure appearance in the speech on Monday:
Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for, and cherished, and always safe from harm.
(quoted by Charles Blow here)

 I figure Detroit represents the city, and people of color. Appalachia represents the country, and underprivileged white folk. Newtown represents suburbia, though many in the wake of the December massacre there referred to it as a "small town." Thus Obama covered the rural-urban continuum in expressing his concern for all children.

Here is a link to my post about rurality's appearance, such as it was, in Obama's first inaugural address.

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