http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7165285Oh my.
The
Die alte Sau primitive, the dysmenopausal Kansas school teacher:
proud2BlibKansan (1000+ posts) Sat Dec-05-09 11:32 PM
NOMINATED FOR TOP PRIMITIVE OF 2009
Original message
My interesting encounter with an elderly wingnut
Went to a legislative forum today hosted by my state senator and 2 state reps. I got into a pleasant conversation with an elderly gentleman sitting next to me. We were talking about school funding and I mentioned I am a teacher. Turns out I am teaching in the neighborhood where he grew up. We had a pleasant conversation, for about 10 minutes, which was mainly him asking me questions about the neighborhood where I teach. I said he should come visit the school he went to, that the kids love to hear the history of the community from someone who grew up there. He said he was afraid to drive into that neighborhood. I assured him it was actually a safe pocket in the city, especially during the day.
Then he said "You know what else scares me? LIBERALS! I notice there seem to be a lot of them here today at this forum."
So I said "Well, I am a liberal. In fact, I am about as far left as you can get. And I'm proud to tell you that."
He gave me the dirtiest look, waved his hand in my face and walked away!
Saying that one is "about as far left as you can get" is the same thing as saying one is about as ugly as one can get.
gratuitous (1000+ posts) Sat Dec-05-09 11:36 PM
Response to Original message
1. So, do you have a big horn growing out of your forehead?
What makes you so scary, Kansan? And why wasn't it apparent to the elderly gent from the get-go? Or are you one of them sneaky libs who hides his identity by living in a conservative state?
proud2BlibKansan (1000+ posts) Sat Dec-05-09 11:40 PM
NOMINATED FOR TOP PRIMITIVE OF 2009
Response to Reply #1
2. That's interesting. The area where I live is not that conservative.
We do have a fairly active teabagger group but this district voted for Obama and we have a Democratic congressman. And two of the elected officials hosting the forum were Democrats.
Just a crazy old man I guess.
valerief (1000+ posts) Sat Dec-05-09 11:42 PM
Response to Original message
3. And you, wearing your red cape and carrying your trident, yet he couldn't tell?
Jamastiene (1000+ posts) Sat Dec-05-09 11:43 PM
Response to Original message
4. That reminds me of the time someone was bad mouthing gay people and I informed them of my orientation. Their jaw dropped. Eventually, they changed their attitude about it based on knowing me. I was able to dispel a lot of myths for them. Those kind of conversations stand out in my mind. Too bad it can't happen on a larger scale and faster. The world might be a different place.
Hydra (1000+ posts) Sat Dec-05-09 11:46 PM
Response to Reply #4
5. What you're doing is the only thing that works
Humanizing the other side, as it were. As you say, slow, tedious and often doesn't work...but worth it for the "Wow!" moment.
katkat (789 posts) Sun Dec-06-09 06:51 AM
Response to Reply #5
15. Wow moment
Or as we vegetarians say, waiting for the moment when a person realizes he's eating someone's leg.
The
Die alte Sau treats us with a little mini-bouncy:
proud2BlibKansan (1000+ posts) Sat Dec-05-09 11:50 PM
NOMINATED FOR TOP PRIMITIVE OF 2009
Response to Reply #4
6. Good for you
Whenever people say something negative about gay people, I ask them this: What would you do if your son told you he was gay?
A lady I know just the other day told me she believed in the bible and it says homosexuality is wrong. So I asked her what she would say if her son was gay. She gave me a blank look and said "Well now you have given me something to think about. I never thought about that before."
Yeah, yeah.
liberal_at_heart (306 posts) Sun Dec-06-09 12:06 AM
Response to Reply #6
9. I saw the sadest episode of the Supernanny
The wife who had been abandoned by her father when she was a teenager was not allowed to try to heal and reabuild her relationship with her father because her husband refused to allow her gay father to be in their lives. By the end of the show the husband allowed her to call her father on the phone and talk to him for the first time in years. There is so much wrong with this situation I don't even know where to begin.
katkat (789 posts) Sun Dec-06-09 07:08 AM
Response to Reply #9
16. start with her husband "allowed" her
Roon (1000+ posts) Sun Dec-06-09 09:29 AM
Response to Reply #4
21. That is how me and my ex worked...we would get to know them become their friend,then drop the G-Bomb on them.99.9% of the time they would remain your friend.
liberal_at_heart (306 posts) Sun Dec-06-09 12:00 AM
Response to Original message
8. Getting to know one another on a face to face basis is the only way to dispell prejudices
Getting to know each other is the only way to dispell the prejudices and stereotypes we have of each other. It's sad that he got up and left just because you told him you were a liberal.
havocmom (1000+ posts) Sun Dec-06-09 12:32 AM
Response to Reply #8
11. Don't bet on it. Lots of people who sang my praises for years now treat me like shit
Seems I outed myself with my response to several inquiries about attending a local tea party They suddenly dislike me, when I was their go-to girl for many problems, and they were damned grateful for my help.
Assholes.
havocmom (1000+ posts) Sun Dec-06-09 12:30 AM
Response to Original message
10. Have had some of those 'liberals scare me' encounters too
When I tell them I am a liberal, more than a couple have disputed my assertion with things like: You can't be liberal! I LIKE you!
They are so ****ing brainwashed that they can't even decide they like someone and deal with the reality that the person they like is liberal. They don't have a clue what 'liberal' is, they just have their knee jerk reactions to the clap trap Rush and Beck scream.
xfundy (847 posts) Sun Dec-06-09 04:01 AM
Response to Reply #10
13. Maybe there should be a coming-out day for us, the evil librul menace.
proud2BlibKansan (1000+ posts) Sun Dec-06-09 08:50 AM
NOMINATED FOR TOP PRIMITIVE OF 2009
Response to Reply #13
19. We should have a parade!
havocmom (1000+ posts) Sun Dec-06-09 02:33 PM
Response to Reply #19
23. In my town, it would be a REALLY short parade
5 of us, tops
PDJane (1000+ posts) Sun Dec-06-09 01:00 AM
Response to Original message
12. I've not had one of those encournters in years........
Must be the Rachel Maddow hairdo and the Navajo jewellry......or something. It's likely a good thing.
Enthusiast (1000+ posts) Sun Dec-06-09 07:21 AM
Response to Original message
17. His understanding of "liberal" begins and ends with Rush Limbaugh's. No wonder he held you in such contempt.
We have allowed RW talk radio to define liberal. And liberals now suck, apparently, to most Americans. Just consider the things you have heard attributed to liberals by Ann Colter, Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. We should all hate the liberals of the RW's imagination.
B Calm (1000+ posts) Sun Dec-06-09 07:32 AM
Response to Original message
18. One of my co-workers has an assault rifle tattooed on his arm. This weird asshole and a couple others haven't spoke to me since the election. Displaying their ignorance so proudly and all I can do is just laugh at them.
StarfarerBill (663 posts) Sun Dec-06-09 08:51 AM
Response to Original message
20. Nothing makes fear grow like ignorance, and conservative nutbags have both in abundance.
Hmmm. franksolich detects a mole here, and not a very good one.
The above mole's got to try harder.
And then we get treated to a second nice little mini-bouncy, this one from a primitive who probably thinks too highly of herself:
morningglory (1000+ posts) Sun Dec-06-09 11:54 AM
Response to Original message
22. A medical doctor who barks and bellows and snaps and is ALWAYS right...
came into my office this week to talk, since I am the only person in the department who is educated and cultured, and appreciates the finer things he and his wife are able travel extensively to enjoy. I have an Obama '08 bumper sticker on my pickup truck which I park across from his office window so he sees it any time he looks out.
A black look came across his face and he said "Obama is the worse thing that has ever happened to this country." I started saying (talking over him) "He is the best president since FDR." while he was bellowing at the very same time "He is the worst president since FDR!" He screamed "Do you realize FDR had General Patton attack with weapons the WWI vets who were simply camped waiting for their pay?!" Screamed it.
I just said with kindness that a Democrat would never do that. He stalked out, saying something about agreeing to disagree, while I turned to my pc and googled "WWI vets attacked", cut and pasted the whole article about Republican Pres Hoover sending in a general--not Patton--to shoot WWI vets who were encamped to petition for the bonus they had been promised. It would have been up on his screen by the time he got back to his office. Haven't heard from the good doctor since.
