Typhoid Mary & Jackson Hole

I'll bet that title has you wondering what Typhoid Mary and Jackson Hole, Wyoming have in common. No, not Dick Cheney (although he does live there). In 1963 I was in Jackson Hole. It was little more than an intersection with a lot of elk antlers used to create an arch over that intersection. Nestled at the foot of the Grand Tetons, never was there a more beautiful place anywhere on God's green Earth.

And that is exactly what destroyed it. I revisited Jackson Hole in 2005. It is almost a metropolis, with fast food places on every corner, motels and tourist traps. Unless you get out of town, you cannot even see the Grand Tetons anymore. It seems that a lot of people fell in love with Jackson Hole - so they moved there. And in doing so, they destroyed that which had made it so attractive. The same thing happened to the hamlet of Banff, Alberta, nestled amid the Canadian Rockies.

Now back to Typhoid Mary. Mary was a "carrier". Wherever she went, she spread typhoid unknowingly. As typhoid spread, she would move on to get away from it, and in doing so she brought it with her. Just like all those people who left the smog-ridden cities to move to Jackson Hole. They, too, brought their disease with them.

Now it is a lot easier to understand what has happened to the beautiful, simple life that was found in New Hampshire and Vermont through the 70's. Because those states were conservative and believed in small government, the states were very attractive to those from Massachusetts and New York, where life was hectic, restricted by government, heavily taxed and just plain lousy because of their liberal, progressive ideals. They looked at the great life in New Hampshire and Vermont and decided they wanted that, and so moved into those great, conservative states. And they immediately set out to destroy that which attracted them, because when they moved to New Hampshire and Vermont they brought their progressive "typhoid" ideals with them. And now New Hampshire is flailing for the first time in its history, and Vermont has become the most progressive (socialist) state in the nation. Yes, progressivism is the old word for socialism, made new again by the likes of far-left liberals.

The quality of life in New Hampshire and Vermont has suffered terribly over the last 30-40 years as the "Boston" and "Albany" crowds moved into the quaint countryside. And, like Jackson Hole, the beauty is gone.

This post is a warning to all the conservative states in "middle" America - your future is in jeopardy. The progressives spread their poison until even they can no longer tolerate the mess they have made, and so move on. But they do not move to other progressive areas - that is what they are running from. Instead, they will be looking you over, and when they can no longer tolerate their own polluted pond, they will swim on over to yours, and bring their typhoid with them.

Your only hope: when folks move to your area, let them know they will not be made welcome if they bring their poison with them. Let them know the REASON your state is so nice is because you are NOT progressive; not liberal and you intend to keep it that way. And if they intend to spread their poison, shun them just as you would quarantine Typhoid Mary if she came to your town. If you do not, rest assured your quality of life will suffer greatly.

The difference between a progressive and a conservative: A conservative, upon seeing a beautiful flower would take a moment to enjoy it, and leave it for others to enjoy. The progressive, upon seeing a beautiful flower will pick it and put it in a vase for his own pleasure, where it will soon die. And once dead, the progressive tosses it out, then picks another...

I am a conservative. I left Jackson Hole and Banff the way I found them - beautiful. Progressives did not.

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