Stack’s of shipping containers greater Newark, NJ

Busting south on I-95 there is an immediate feeling of liberation as we migrate far from the densely populated tri-state area. Where stockpiles of shipping containers lined the highways of the industrial north, endless contiguous pastures of open soil blaze the agricultural south. The roads open up as we burst through our Northeastern bubble, and we are reminded of the rest of the country. Just south of DC, we fall directly behind a pickup truck with a Virginia license plate “Gr8 USA”. A bumper sticker of an American flag accompanies his license plate, displaying his patriotism – something we can all align with.

But, as one gazes down to the paragraph long stickers the patriotism takes a less than bipartisan turn.

The stickers read:

“Everything I ever wanted to know about ISLAM, I learned on 9/11”

And:

“’America’ The pilgrims landed on it, Our founding fathers started it, Our ancestors built it, and now liberal socialist politicians are destroying it”

Need I say more?

Soon, the rolling hills of Virginia, dotted with cows, horses and churches, distract us from our highway encounter. The vision of a Jeffersonian pastoral America has never been so clear. The beauty and history is spectacular.

A Pastoral America