Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right

In August of 2012, a large sinkhole opened up on Mike Schaff’s property. The party responsible for creating the sinkhole was Texas Brine, a company that drilled for salt to sell to chlorine manufacturers. (Chlorine, although it has many uses, is a key part of the fracking process.) Texas Brine disregarded its own engineers and state regulations (and had the tacit approval of a state official appointed to oversee drilling safety in the region) and drilled under a local bayou, creating a massive sinkhole that not only swallowed up the earth but released large amounts of oil and gas into the bayou. Many residents were displaced and had nowhere to go. The government response was slow and disinterested, and the governor himself did not visit the Bayou Corne sinkhole for seven months.

The author pays another visit to Mike Schaff, who had been ordered to evacuate but chose to stay, to discuss the incident. The levels of methane in the air are unhealthy, and Mike’s wife is no longer living in the house. She commutes to her job and seeks Mike on weekends. Many other residents are in similar positions, and Mike mourns the loss of community. The town had been close-knit, and he feels a distinct sense of loss and loneliness. In the wake of the accident, no one wanted to take responsibility. Texas Brine initially tried to blame earthquakes, and when it was pointed out that the region is not known for earthquakes, the conversation devolved, and all parties involved began pointing fingers. Ultimately, both Texas Brine and the state were to blame. Louisiana had a “culture in which the state agency is expected to protect industry” (109), and the government had turned a blind eye to the known dangers of drilling in Bayou Corne. One of the consequences of the sinkhole was the contamination of bayou waters, and instead of working to mitigate the environmental damage, the state put out a series of instructional guides for how to trim the fat from fish, decreasing the amount of mercury that the edible portions contained. It was, they figured, the best solution available to them: If the state was unable to make polluting companies clean up their messes and area residents in many cases had to fish for their meals, the state had few other options. The author is sure that this experience will have altered Mike’s views about government, but she finds that he is still in favor of smaller government and fewer governmental regulations. She is shocked, but upon further discussion, Mike reveals that his objections to government financial waste drive his belief in small government. Even after being severely impacted by the lack of governmental regulation that he, in theory, advocates for, his views remain unchanged.

The author meets Madonna Massey for coffee at the Starbucks in Lake Charles. The two continue their conversation about Rush Limbaugh, and Madonna invites the author to a church service. The author spends more time reflecting on the role of religion and the church in small, rural communities, and additionally spends more time with churchgoers, observing their activities. Churches meet needs beyond the spiritual, she realizes. They provide charity to those in need, help their parishioners, and even set up exercise facilities in places where people would not otherwise have access to fitness equipment. They are the beating heart of each small community’s social world. Still, the author notes some issues with the idea of the church as a social safety net. The area churches are fairly segregated, and the Black churches are poorer. If the government did not provide social or welfare services, and churches filled that gap, the author wonders if communities of color would have access to fewer resources.

In talking with Madonna, the author learns more about the role of conservative media in Louisiana communities. Most people, Madonna included, get their news primarily from Fox. They see Fox’s various newscasters as family members and trust them implicitly to provide a perspective (that reflects their own beliefs) that is largely absent from liberal news sources. The author notes the sensationalist nature of Fox News and wonders if it doesn’t manufacture outrage about issues like immigration and public safety, but the people she meets in small communities disagree with that characterization. Fox News, she reflects, does as much to shape public opinion and perceptions of key issues as the church. Church and media are the two most important institutions in communities characterized by conservative beliefs and devout religiosity.