Unconscious shame over slavery/racism/misogyny and yet overwhelming defensive denial, in the aggressive Narcissistic/Authoritarian pattern? sort of like how the Islamist males know they're 3rd world losers, jokes really, but they cling onto their "manhood" and pride by terrorist intimidation and treating women and children like dirt, with an AK47 across their chest?
Or is it the ignorant, superstitious Fundamentalist Christian Protestant upbringing that keeps them from questioning authority (or reason?) And makes these losers think, that no matter how stupid they are, they're "God's chosen" and are the natural rulers of women, children, and "lesser races."
Or perhaps the redneck, rural quality of life here - a man's not a "man" unless he has an arsenal of weapons, drives a racecar (or at least attends Nascar and cage wrestling), etc., to cover up his impotence and lack of virility? (and like the Islamist, using guns and abusing the vulnerable to cover the embarrassing fact that he's a ignorant loser, right here in the rich 1st world)
Or is it just poverty and the bad schools that go with that (since local schools are funded by the local population), along with a national lack of appreciation for intelligence (in fact, there's an belligerant defensive hatred of logic or intelligence, because deep down the rednecks (and their ilk) know they're ignorant and they're envious of Obama and west/east coast eggheads - fucking ivy-leaguers who use big words and think they know better than the average truck driver or used car salesman?) Never mind that they do, but it's a blow to the ego to admit it.
Somebody help this left-leaning true-Blue resident of the hopeless "Deep South" -- can there be any real hope for the USA, as a whole, if this mess just keeps getting worse down here?