middle-class people in the U.S. who have traditional beliefs and values

[sunsunmoon]

Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary
Main Street [noncount] US — used to refer to middle-class people in the U.S. who have traditional beliefs and values
▪ What does Main Street think of this policy?

Traditional beliefs and values, such as...?

 

[BobK]

The importance of family values, Christianity, fair play, belief in 'the American Dream', quoting the bit about 'the right to bear arms' (while forgetting the bit about a well-ordered militia) - all that stuff. I'll stop digging. ;-)

b

 

[riquecohen]

Traditional beliefs and values, such as...?

I'm not satisfied with the outmoded Merriam-Webster definition in light of the pluralistic nature of US society.
I prefer to think of Main Street as referring to the "ordinary American," unencumbered by the rest of the right-wing blather about family values, etc. Nowadays, "family values" or "traditional beliefs and values" is often part of a bigoted message which implies that certain norms must be adhered to and those not adhering to them are somehow morally defective.

 

[TheParser]

Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary
Main Street [noncount] US — used to refer to middle-class people in the U.S. who have traditional beliefs and values
▪ What does Main Street think of this policy?

Traditional beliefs and values, such as...?

NOT A TEACHER


(1) As usual, you have asked a great question. I shall be very careful

in answering you -- to avoid having my post deleted or this thread moved

to another forum or closed.

(2) First, as you know, traditionally many American cities had a

principal street. In other words, a "main" street. (I think our British

friends call it the High Street; I believe that Spanish people use the

word "primera").

(3) I am an old man. When I was younger, middle-class values

referred to certain cultural values that Americans had developed. Their

ancestors had primarily come from Western Europe. Here are

some values that I was taught and still believe in:

(1) Being a good sport. When the other side wins, you congratulate

them on having been the "better man." Nowadays, as you know,

many people do not believe this: look at the violence practiced by

many fans at soccer games, etc. In my city recently, two baseball

fans beat the fan of another team so badly that he is still in the

hospital in a coma.

(2) A man's word is his bond. In the "old days," if you promised

something and shook hands, you were expected to keep your word.

Today in the United States, there are millions of lawyers and our

courts are completely crowded because so many companies and

individual citizens are, well, liars.

(3) Go the extra mile. When I go to a store and ask where something

is, the sales associate (the elegant word for "clerk') will often

just point and grunt: "Over there." In the "good old days"

(which, of course, were never that good), a clerk was expected to

personally escort you to the area. Going the extra mile = doing

a little more than is necessary.

(4) Here is something that middle class people were taught:

You pretend not to see what you have just seen. When someone

does something embarrassing, you pretend that it did not happen,

lest the other person be humiliated even more. In other words,

just good old plain manners. Nowadays, a lot of people will start

laughing at or ridiculing someone who has done something

embarrassing.

(4) Well, I think that you get the point. One more thing: when

I was younger, athletes and movie stars and even the bosses

of big companies did not receive the absurdly high salaries that

they earn today. That is why some Americans feel that we

have lost our way and dream of returning to "traditional

values."




Respectfully yours,


James

 

[SoothingDave]

"Main Street" is often used to represent small business as opposed to "Wall Street," the stock market, big business.

Traditional American values include thrift, self-reliance, charity, faith, respect for individual liberty and the notion that the government that governs best governs least.

"A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

"Well-regulated" in the 18th century was not referring to bureaucratic government oversight.

Regulated | Define Regulated at Dictionary.com

Refer to definition 2, and especially 3.

The voltage regulator that controls the charging of your car battery "regulates" the voltage coming from the alternator. It doesn't mean the government is in control.

As for "militia," see the US Code (our Federal law):

United States Code: Title 10,311. Militia: composition and classes | LII / Legal Information Institute