Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Bumper Stickers
I have three bumper stickers on my car.
One is stating that I’m an alumnus of Georgia State University. Nice sticker, it’s relatively understated, and certainly not controversial.
My two other stickers are Obama stickers. One says his name in Hebrew (hence I’m giving my underlying message that he’s OK for us Jews) and one just a plain ole Obama ’08 sticker. Again, I would think that neither of these could offend anyone.
But, I’ve come to the opinion that I am wrong about that. It is obvious that just by showing that I am a supporter of Barack Obama, some will find that amazingly offensive. I even have empirical evidence.
Now, as I’ve driven around with these bumper stickers I’ve had people give me a thumbs down sign. That’s perfectly fine; it’s just someone showing a different viewpoint.
I’ve had a couple of people stick their tongues out at me. Not a big deal either, sure it’s childish but a little tantrum is really easy to handle. This is especially true given I’m a father and have watched kids tantrums for years.
Today was different. On my way to get my daily fix of iced caffeine disguised as a cappuccino, I was sitting at a red light. I looked in my rear-view mirror and there was a man, probably in his 50’s, giving me not one but two middle fingers. What was even more astounding was the rage in his eyes, his face contorted like I had just spit on his car. When the light turned green, I want on my way and he turned into his neighborhood.
I almost turned into the other entrance into his neighborhood to find him just to ask him why a couple of innocuous bumper stickers would make him so angry. Luckily, my need for caffeine was stronger than my desire for an answer to my question, and I continued onto the QuickTrip.
But this incident does bring up a real concern I have had for sometime, long before we got to this election. Why are those who live in the right-wing of politics so moved to raging anger (at least from my vantage point) against those who believe opposite from them? Just because I am a liberal (and am unapologetic about it), I’ve been called un-patriotic, un-American, a communist, a fascist and gay (my wife would like to deny the last point).
I would put all these under the “sticks and stones” edict of life, but the names in question are very, very pointed toward trying to make me less inclined to speak my beliefs. Isn’t that, by definition, un-American? Our country was founded on each person’s right to speak their mind on what they believe is right, as long as it does not infringe on others.
Hence, I again ask all to stop the angry personal rhetoric. It does not serve our country at all. It does not move us closer to being a society working to fix the problems we are facing or to make us more willing to listen to each other.
Of course, maybe we want to be so angry at each other that we don’t have to listen to what each other have to say. Maybe we should just continue to shout at each other with no hope of being anything but right in our own minds.
Now that’s a sad prospect.
One is stating that I’m an alumnus of Georgia State University. Nice sticker, it’s relatively understated, and certainly not controversial.
My two other stickers are Obama stickers. One says his name in Hebrew (hence I’m giving my underlying message that he’s OK for us Jews) and one just a plain ole Obama ’08 sticker. Again, I would think that neither of these could offend anyone.
But, I’ve come to the opinion that I am wrong about that. It is obvious that just by showing that I am a supporter of Barack Obama, some will find that amazingly offensive. I even have empirical evidence.
Now, as I’ve driven around with these bumper stickers I’ve had people give me a thumbs down sign. That’s perfectly fine; it’s just someone showing a different viewpoint.
I’ve had a couple of people stick their tongues out at me. Not a big deal either, sure it’s childish but a little tantrum is really easy to handle. This is especially true given I’m a father and have watched kids tantrums for years.
Today was different. On my way to get my daily fix of iced caffeine disguised as a cappuccino, I was sitting at a red light. I looked in my rear-view mirror and there was a man, probably in his 50’s, giving me not one but two middle fingers. What was even more astounding was the rage in his eyes, his face contorted like I had just spit on his car. When the light turned green, I want on my way and he turned into his neighborhood.
I almost turned into the other entrance into his neighborhood to find him just to ask him why a couple of innocuous bumper stickers would make him so angry. Luckily, my need for caffeine was stronger than my desire for an answer to my question, and I continued onto the QuickTrip.
But this incident does bring up a real concern I have had for sometime, long before we got to this election. Why are those who live in the right-wing of politics so moved to raging anger (at least from my vantage point) against those who believe opposite from them? Just because I am a liberal (and am unapologetic about it), I’ve been called un-patriotic, un-American, a communist, a fascist and gay (my wife would like to deny the last point).
I would put all these under the “sticks and stones” edict of life, but the names in question are very, very pointed toward trying to make me less inclined to speak my beliefs. Isn’t that, by definition, un-American? Our country was founded on each person’s right to speak their mind on what they believe is right, as long as it does not infringe on others.
Hence, I again ask all to stop the angry personal rhetoric. It does not serve our country at all. It does not move us closer to being a society working to fix the problems we are facing or to make us more willing to listen to each other.
Of course, maybe we want to be so angry at each other that we don’t have to listen to what each other have to say. Maybe we should just continue to shout at each other with no hope of being anything but right in our own minds.
Now that’s a sad prospect.
# posted by Kevin @ 10:33 AM 
