I feel like everything would be fractionally better, if we all just stopped making assumptions that people can just pick up and leave however/whenever they choose, and they're not doing it out of stubbornness. People stay for their reasons, whether it's to fight, or because they can't go.

Yup. Some of us *like it here* and want to fight for better in our gerrymandered-to-crimson states. We'd rather change garbage policy for ourselves and our communities than flee a place we call home.