The language they used to describe agreement with Kobach’s education proposals often emphasized individual protection and gain in much the same way as gun supporters in Missouri justified carrying their firearms in public spaces. Individual gain, they believed, was under attack: “It feels like the world is against the conservatives and all they’re trying to do is give you more money in your paycheck.” Responses frequently flowed, unprompted, from the wastefulness of public schools to the drains on the system posed by immigrants.
