"I got mine" Democrats

[Renew Deal]

I was reading the Portland Trader Joes story and it reminded me of an experience I had. I toured a school that needed renovations with a bunch of "voters." An older couple that was there was clearly very cynical about the building needing repairs even though there were clear physical and security issues. The wife was one of the meanest looking and acting people I have ever encountered. At some point she said "my kids went here 50 years ago and it was fine."

That was two years ago. Two weeks ago I was at a Democratic club meeting and the woman was sitting there. I was shocked and disgusted that she was one of "ours." How could she be so mean? How could she be a Democrat and not care about education now that her kids are out of school? I felt like outing her to the room, but I let it go. I just don't understand how people stop caring once they no longer have something to gain.

[RKP5637]

1. Sometimes R=D=I when it comes to $$$$$, and some are ruthless. I am always

amazed too!

[DonViejo]

2. "At some point she said 'my kids went here 50 years ago and it was fine.'"

I would have told her, "50 years ago you were fine, too." lol. My bad?

[Pretzel_Warrior]

3. pretty standard bias among all humans. it's something we have to actively overcome

which is why teachings on empathy toward another less privileged group is important.

[adirondacker]

5. "You can tell the number of teeth someone has by the amount of tatoos on their body"

This came out of a colleague's mouth last year in WA State. She has a MSci. and has been covered by the state's employment benefits for the last 15 years. There were other remarks directed at denigrating the poor that I heard on a weekly basis from the group (all claiming to be liberals) that I worked with. The lack of empathy was telling, and ironically, they were all trustfunders that headed straight to the government coffers after college for their paycheck. There is a significant contingency that doesn't have a clue, and never will because of both their feeling of self righteousness and the inability to grasp the difficulties and struggle that people below them have to go through in life. To teach them, would more than likely require to have them lose everything they own, including their close ties to the monied.

[liberal_at_heart]

4. K&R