The idea of “small town values” has been thrown around a lot in this election year, in a way that makes those who profess to support these values appear bigoted, rather than enlightened.

In fact, in a hilarious Daily Show segment, none of the attendees of the Republican National Convention could answer the simple question: What are small town values?

The closest the show’s “news team” got to an answer was that fishing is a small town value, and gay marriage is not.

It might surprise people living in small town America to learn that the values they pride themselves on—the ones that they believe set them apart from big city dwellers—actually thrive in America’s big cities as well.

So what are these supposedly ‘small town’ values politicians apparently believes the rest of America is missing out on? And are big city people really missing out, or do they, in fact, share the same exact values?

Value #1: Actions Speak Louder than Money

According to Daily Kos blogger, Devilstower, “small town values mean judging people more on their actions, and less on their possessions”. This idea inherently states that people in big cities put more emphasis on material possessions, rather than actions, which first-draft.com blogger, Athenae, quickly points out is a lie, stating that people will always find a way to judge each other on possessions, whether those possessions include a Bentley or a John Deere.

But Devilstower also states that “sticking up for your small town can very quickly go from not wanting to be looked down on by urbanites, to believing that cities are populated by an admix of "elitist snobs" and ‘welfare queens.’” And that “cheering on those like yourself is nothing but the first step into bigotry…because the next stop from sticking up for yourself, is looking down on someone else.”

Value #2: Community Involvement

Perhaps small town values lie in what Devilstower states “small town life teaches most clearly -- that none of us can make it on our own, that we have to depend on our community for both acceptance and support, and that the best way to ensure that the community will be there for you is by being there for others.”

If this is the case, is it not the size of the community, but the proactivity of the people contained within a community that establishes this ideal? If anything, residents of larger cities have more choice in how they will build their communities, with more resources and a wealth of ideas and viewpoints to choose from.

Value #3: Simplicity

Perhaps fluther.com participant, Judi, said it best. When asked what small town values are, she stated, “I think it’s a desire to keep our culture innocent and simple. I think they want to return to the 50’s Ozzie and Harriet, Mayberry culture.” 

In this case, small-town values are a desire to remain a homogenous society, closed to change and progress. It’s a desire to live with what is familiar rather than to take on the challenge of navigating uncharted territory.

In this case, the small town values on which McCain and Palin have built their campaign are really just, as Devilstower sums it up:
“a chance to indulge in the ugliest aspects of small town culture…a heady opportunity to sneer at the achievements of those who have excelled…an open offer to…throw trash at those leftist extremists who actually think that everyone is just as American and just as patriotic as Jane and Jimmy Middleamerica. It's an exciting enticement to wallow in public hate flavored with the forbidden spice of racism.”

Value #4: Fishing

To take the answers of the Republican National Convention attendees seriously, let’s start with fishing. As most big cities are built around shipping hubs and waterways, fishing is as prevalent in a metropolis as in the countryside. Chicago’s Lake Michigan, for example, has brown trout, lake trout, and king salmon to entice experienced fishermen.

Value #5: Heterosexual Marriage

As for gay marriage, the entire states of California and Massachusetts have legalized marriage for gay couples. New Jersey, Vermont, and Connecticut allow civil unions that give same-sex couples the same rights as married couples. That means same-sex residents of Wallace, California (population 220) and Alford, Massachusetts (population 399) have the same right to marry as anyone in Los Angeles or Boston. It doesn’t mean, however, that same-sex couples applying for a marriage in the large cities will not meet opposition from protesters, just as residents of small towns will clearly meet protest from McCain supporters who live there.

Small town values are clearly indefinable. They are, it seems, simply a desire to return to a simpler, more prejudiced society that no longer exists—except in some small towns. They are an excuse to avoid change and to avoid embracing the dialogue that difference creates.

Perhaps politicians shouldn’t express a desire to bring small town values to big city America. In order to function effectively in an ever-changing world, small town America, it seems, needs big city values instead.