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photo by Sheri Dixon

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Dear Man in the White Truck,

You know who you are.

You in your ginormous new white pick-up truck with the name and phone number of your cement company proudly displayed on both sides and the back bumper so everyone can see it and call you with their business.

I'd like you to know that if you were the last cement company on the planet I wouldn't call you.

I'd like you to know that you offended not only myself and my husband, but also our 10 year old son.

I'd like you to know that your choice of political bumper sticker (placed on the back window of the truck so no one can miss reading it) is not clever, nor is it brilliant, but merely tasteless and ignorant.

Of course even if you read this (I'm assuming you can read, but I'm sure you go no farther into the interwebs than the Xuberalles website, where your bumper sticker was purchased, and other websites like it) you wouldn't care what I think.

You wouldn't care what I think because people like you (WHOA- it's great that I can pigeonhole you as a complete asshole just on the strength of your bumper sticker- I'll have to agree that sort of black/white thinking is a whole lot easier than having a lick of sense) *ahem* people like you also only like your women either at the stove or in the sack and with their mouths duct-taped shut for convenience and your amusement.

You wouldn't care what my husband thinks because he doesn't drink, or chew, or cuss, and he has a fancy 4 year college degree.

And you sure as hell wouldn't care what my 10 year old thinks because he's just a kid, and all they're good for is fetching beer from the fridge.

I just want you to know that your bumper sticker, which reads

DON'T RE-NIG IN 2012

shows very clearly how well thought out your political savvy is- namely that you will vote for anyone as long as they're white. And male. Unless she's hot. But probably only white and male.

See, the 2012 Republican candidate hasn't even been chosen yet, but all you care about is that a black man is president and THAT CAN'T STAND.

You are every ignorant, hayseed, inbred stereotype people have about Texans all rolled up together and rolling along in your white pickup truck with your business name and phone number proudly displayed right next to your hateful racist opinions- as casually and heartfelt as though it were a little Jesus-fish stuck up there to reel in those who think like you, who believe like you, because there is safety and comfort in numbers.

I remember before the 2008 election, I was getting gas at the station down the hill from our house where the regular ol' boys gather every morning for coffee, and I overheard this-

"Well, I don't think this country is ready yet for a black president".

(quiet agreement from the others)

"But that John McCain's a CRAZY old bastard".

(absolute agreement from the others)

And I thought we had a chance. When the election was over I was sure of it, that the country would rally around a man who'd been elected by majority vote, just like democracy is supposed to work, and like we've done in the past.

Two years later, I'm not so sure anymore since that's clearly NOT what happened.

What happened is tea parties who are bought and paid for by the very government-buying corporations they say they're fighting against, and who will crush them each and every tiny one if they regain power.

What happened is a House and Senate so frantic to keep their jobs that they will lie, cheat and fan the flames of fear in order to keep or re-cover their seats.

What happened is a whole lot of screaming about fascism and communism and marxism and socialism and they're all used kind of interchangeably even though they're really not interchangeable. (really).

What happened is a country so worn down from two wars and a floundering economy (that was all brought to them by the Republican government of the last 8 years) that they're all too eager to blame anyone not like themselves for their troubles, the Mexican immigrants, the Muslim terrorists, that Nig... in the White House.

And the "losing" side of 2008 is ready. They're fanning the flames of fear and division and they're ready and willing to accept our apology for treating them so badly and they will happily re-take the power and promise that even though they didn't do it before, they'll make everything better NOW.

Of course, we'll have to be punished for our little indescretion, so hang on to yer asses, America, if the tide turns thataway.

I've been in abusive relationships. I promise you that's how they work.

So, sorry to say Mr. Man in the White Truck, I WILL be voting exactly as I did in 2008 when I pull the lever in 2012, and I thank you for reinforcing my resolve to do the right thing with your oh-so-obvious display of what the hell is wrong.

9 comments:

  1. I know you made a lot of valid points in your post. However, I'm stil trying to wrap my mind around the fact that 1) the bumper sticker was ever made in the first place 2) someone would actually buy and display said sticker 3) that said person that proudly displayed said sticker did so on a vehicle advertising a business
    While I do not agree with all that Obama has done, I also have not agreed with any president and their decisions for a long time, now.
    To be so IGNORANT as to assume that political decisions were made due to one's skin color - I simply do not have the words to even begin to go into that!

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  2. Oh, honey, I'm so sorry! That kinda shit makes my blood boil.

    THere are a lot of mean-spirited people out there, people who enjoy the Might Makes Right movie going on in their heads, the same people who, not too long ago, were stoning women with warts (and property!) and working hard to ensure that no one got anywhere without their approval.

    Yikes.

    Pearl

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  3. I wonder how many people realize that the word is "renege" and is not pronounced with "nig" as the second syllable. Well, I guess it is pronounced that way regionally, but still. Gawd.

    Racist or not, I can tell you that in all our secret republican meetings we are all secretly glad that McCain lost. We all know damn well that the smarter guy is on the job.

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  4. That was freakin' fantastic! I could not agree more..if I saw something like that I would throw up..It's disgusting, I don't care what your politcal views are it just sick.
    I saw on the news tonight of a group who is protesting at soldiers funerals, you've probably seen that too. I lump all these ignorant creeps into the same boat...
    don't get me started!
    Thanks for stopping by...take care.

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  5. Thanks, ya'll. Just one of those things that makes me sore afraid for mankind in general...

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  6. I think you are a talented writer with well written blogs - I have read a few so far after following a link from my cousin's blog. I know that you dont really care what I think - that is obvious from your view that all conservative leaning people are just like this guy in the white truck. That only us conservative types are capable of being racist and sterotypical (despite the entire blog dripping of exactly that which you so hate). I think that is sad to see an otherwise intelligent person swallowing all the BS as to actually think there was a Republican government until Obama was elected. I would challenge you to reveiw which party actually had control of Congress since 2006 (when alot - not all - of the current problems started).I would also like you to try to remember all the leftist hatred - the remarks, comments, bumberstickers - about Bush #2. I think that Bush #2 will be considered in the top 3 for worse presidents ever so dont start thinking I'm a Bush supporter. My stance goes much deeper - I actually dont care who is the President since Congress controls the country and the America people have no say in who is President.

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  7. Good to meet you, Mike :)

    Actually, some of my best friends (and family members) are conservatives, and they are NOT racist pigs. I understand that the two are not mutually inclusive.

    I just can't remember any time when the hue and cry to evict a president started on ELECTION DAY- most times it took at least a full term to really hear grumbling, and as disgusted/embarrassed I may have been with GW (now I voted for the man first go round- I'll say it- I vote the candidate not the party), I never entertained even for a second nor would've endorsed the thought of armed violent rebellion.

    Try as I might, I can't think of a single bumper sticker that referred to GW with the same venom that the word Nig... evokes. Sorry.

    Actually, it's not the President OR Congress who controls the country. My daughter spent 6 (?) years working as a Senior Congressional Assistant and I learned that Congressmen get changed out every 2 years but the STAFF- the permanent Hill Dwellers- just shift around.

    Those invisible workaholics are who do the research, write the laws, do the legwork, meet with the lobbyists and tell...errr...advise the congressmen how to vote.

    Thanks for your kind words regarding my writing, if not my intelligence LOL.

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  8. Please do not mistake my words - I believe you are intelligent - takes intelligence to write as well as you do.

    I agree that any use of that N word is disgusting and when used to describe the President of the United States there are no words to describe the level of Un-Americanism (my own word there lol). While I do not like Mr. Obama's politics I do respect the office he holds and I do think he is a very intelligent person. I would never disrepect either (Obama or White House) at that level nor would I condone a sticker (or anything else) like the one on the truck.

    I think I misread your OP. I apologize for my tone - after re-reading (which I should have done prior to my first comment) I realize you are only referring to the type of person that would place that type of sticker or use that type of language and not conservatives in general. I have to agree whole heartily with your assessment of those people.

    While I probably wont agree with your political stance I think I will continue to read your blogs - maybe I will learn something. Perhaps if enough of us from opposing sides of the aisle (I consider myself a right leaning moderate) we could figure how how to get control of the Government back where it belongs - in the hands of the people. I look forward to intelligent debates with you - unless you would rather I just read and keep my opinions to myself?

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  9. Comment away, Mike-

    Never anything wrong with well-thought-out and courteous disagreement. We all learn something new everyday, or at least we should in order to keep growing/living .

    Who knows? It may even turn out that I'm wrong about something someday- I thought I was wrong once, but it turned out I was mistaken...

    And at the end of the day, I AM Queen of the Universe-

    If anything you say really pisses me off, I'll just smile sweetly and delete it :)

    Have a great weekend!

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