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.