Does new Fundie neighbor deserve baked goodies?

[omshanti]

So... would be interested to see what people think on this one.

some new people moved in to our pretty liberal corner of suburbia. They arrived 3 days earlier than planned, and inconsiderately caused our lovely old neighbors to have to rush and move to their new house with little notice. The new neighbors parked their trucks and cars in such a manner that they almost blocked our driveway.
Now, I am a pretty easygoing person, but these people are already pissing me off with their lack of courtesy. To make things worse, the man has a HUGE SUV with a bumper sticker that says "Annoy the Media: Re-elect Bush".

My dilemma is this: whenever new people move into the neighborhood, I usually go and greet them with some home-baked goods and welcome them to the neighborhood. Am I a bad person for not wanting to waste my time and money on home-baked goods for the fundie neighbors? Or, in the true compassionate spirit, should I do it anyway?

[Maat]

1. Bring a few cookies over, smile, and ask them to move their...

* cars!

[omshanti]

2. You're a better person than me!

I'm having a really hard time with this one...

:-)

[LiberalVoice]

3. Well there are two sides to this.

1. If you ignore your new asshole neighbor then later on try and approach him about politics he will dismiss you.

2. If you give him some nice treats you may be able to get into his head later on down the line.

Either way put an anti-bush sticker over that stupid ass one of his in the middle of the night. lol :P

I gues sI'm just bored. I don't know what you should do. I suppose if I were in the same situation I would treat him like crap cuz' he's likely to do the same when he finds out your a Dem.

[omshanti]

6. Both good points.

Maybe I'll just smile and be polite, and say welcome, but not waste time baking.

(and put my "RE-DEFEAT BUSH 2004" sticker on his car)

[LiberalVoice]

10. Yeah I was gonna say do that...

Just start putting Anti_bush stickers EVERYWHERE.

I've actually been thinking about putting a stucker on the ass of my pants cuz I don't have a car. Just to piss off some conservatives. I love seeing them get angry.

[gpandas]

34. funny typo n/t

[belle]

46. Even if you can't change their minds, at least maybe you could

get them to move their cars...

[name not needed]

4. ex lax cookies

Its only fair.

[omshanti]

5. HAH! now that's something I hadn't thought of!

:-)

[belle]

47. Hash brownies would be much more neighborly...

[LynneSin]

7. I GOT IT AND HERE'S THE RECIPE!!!!

From the Family Circle's 2004 Cookie Bake-off: Theresa Heinz-Kerry's Pumpkin Spice Cookie

http://www.familycircle.com/marketing/04_cookie_cookoff/index.html

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup canned pumpkin puree (from 15-ounce can; do not use pumpkin pie filling)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup raisins

Heat oven to 375°. With electric mixer, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg, pumpkin and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and allspice. Stir into pumpkin mixture. Stir in chopped walnuts and raisins. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a well-greased cookie sheet and bake at 375° for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden on edges. Makes about 5 dozen.

---

Bake these cookies and take them to your neighbor. Let them know these are Theresa Heinz Kerry's recipe and then when you get home plop a big ass Kerry for Prez sign on your front lawn!!!

[omshanti]

8. Brilliant! Thanks!

The upside being that I'll get to keep a bunch of cookies for myself.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

33. Be sure to break out the recipe's origin just AFTER they taste them

and comment approvingly of them.

[FizzFuzz]

25. I was expecting the ex-lax recipe!!!

well gee you did say "I GOT IT" right after the ex-lax suggestion.

[NMDemDist2]

39. yup, that one gets my vote :-)

[jobycom]

9. Welcome them, bring them cookies, be a nice person to them

Make sure your Kerry sticker is prominently displayed, though.

You won't win any arguments or friends by being mean. Who knows what will happen if you're nice.

[DBoon]

11. Be a nice person - treat them - here is a recipe to try

http://www.geocities.com/medicalmarijuana2003/potbrownies.htm

Be sure to provide them with the phone number for the local pizza delivery service. They will need it after having these brownies.

[tekriter]

28. After you give them the brownies, call the cops...

:evilgrin:

[Red State Rebel]

32. A Good Pot Brownie Story....

Years back I worked with a guy who made the mistake of eating some brownies his son had made. Needless to say, they were pot brownies and when he started feeling the effects, he freaked out, thought he was having a heart attack and went to the emergency room.

I never did hear what happened to the son after that incident....

[amazona]

12. no way...avoid inconsiderate people

Been there, done that. You have nothing to gain by being friendly to inconsiderate users. They will eat your cookies and park in your space anyway. If they block access to my home, I call the professionals (the police) to ticket/tow them. Otherwise, I ignore them. Spending your life energy and cookie baking on users only leads to entanglements and worse trouble in the end. Users use and don't give back -- they are already "forgiven" so don't have to treat people right.

Avoidance is the wise policy in this situation.

[NJCher]

13. I wouldn't bother with them

You'd have to work long and hard to persuade anyone that stupid and inconsiderate.


Cher

[bearfan454]

14. Give em hell.

Don't go greet him.

[BlueCollar]

15. Don't do anything for them

Do you think they'd notice your act of kindness?

I doubt it.

Bake a batch of cookies, drop them off at a local community center instead...?

[bushwakker]

16. pot brownies

they need to expand their horizon

[Sentath]

17. Be kind to your enemies

it burns them up like nothing else.

{rlg}

[omshanti]

18. Ok, here's what I'm thinking.

If I see them out, I will smile and welcome them to the neighborhood. I will bake a batch of pumpkin spice cookies (Thanks, Lynnesin!) and share them with some starving students, who are certainly deserving of the cookies.

That way, I've been nice to the neighbors like my mama would want me to be, but I haven't wasted any time or energy (or money) baking cookies for inconsiderate Bushbot people.

I'll post an update on how this goes - thanks everyone!

[lpbk2713]

19. I'd keep a little distance for a while if I were you.

If they have no problem with openly proclaiming that they want to annoy someone you could be next. Wait till after November when Smirky is fired and see if they aren't a little more humble.

Ed: corrected typo.

[supernova]

20. Yes, everybody deserves the benefit of the doubt

perhaps they're just clueless, rather than intentionally thoughtless.

Since you live next door, it can't hurt to try.

I like the Teresa Heinz' cookies idea! :D I may have to make those myself.

[pagerbear]

21. Treat them just as if they were any other neighbor

If they spout neocon politics at you at the first meeting, kindly agree to disagree and leave them.

The point is, they shouldn't have the power to decide how nice you are!

[PittPoliSci]

22. bring them cookies

But do it in a Kerry for President, or DU t-shirt.

That way, you're being nice, but you're stating right now where you stand, if they choose to argue, take the higher ground and be like "well, i'd never! i came bearing gifts, and you just give me grief!"

[jayavarman]

23. I would bring them some cookies.

Especially if that's what you usually do.

Maybe they're nice good people & will be good neighbors.

Maybe they will suck.

You will never know until you spend some time with them.

[Taverner]

24. Yes - Fundies CAN be converts

Truth is an amazing weapon.

[ScreamingMeemie]

26. If it's something you normally do, then do it.

I try to live by the rule of not letting my personal beliefs (i.e. religion, politics) wreck the opportunity to make good friends and neighbors. That is just a small facet of life for most people. Take the time to get to know them. You may make fast friends. Good luck!

Laura

[SOteric]

31. I agree with Mrs. Grumpy.

But sadly, I'm petty enough that I wouldn't chose my finest, most time-consuming recipes.

[MikeG]

27. I'll bet they took complete advantage of your old neighbors.

It sounds like they ran roughshod over them.

Sound like real assholes.

If you give them cookies, they will insult you.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

29. I live in a very conservative area

so I already have enough conservative friends. Don't need any more.

I am not trying to sound mean, but given the bumper sticker, no, I wouldn't do it. I have enough of those people to deal with, like I said.

[Angelus]

30. Give them the same hello they gave you.

It's only fair, isn't it? :)

[gpandas]

35. fuck him and his stupid fucking motorhome n/t

[GinaMaria]

36. recommend

exlax brownies to remove the constipated look from their faces. Just a joke. You don't owe anyone home baked goods or anything else for moving into your neighborhood. It's always your choice.

[CrownPrinceBandar]

37. Take them cookies.........

frosted with "Defeat Bush" or "Vote Dem 2004" on them. Killing two birds with one delicious stone!

[m-jean03]

38. Lack of courtesy AND repug sticker??

I wouldn't give them the time of day, personally.

[Yupster]

40. Be nice to them

If they're moving into a liberal neighborhood, they're in for a culture shock.

Treat them nice as you would treat another person moving into your neighborhood from a different culture.

They may really appreciate the effort.

Whatever allowances you'll be making getting used to them, they will probably make three times the allowances getting used to everyone else.

[SW FL Dem]

41. My fundie neighbor brought me cookies when we moved in

She know my hubby is Jewish and that we don't go to church. We have a very friendly relationship, I help her and she helps me. Who knows? You do have to live next to the guy. It can't hurt to at least try to make it a a civil relationship. Life is much more pleasant when you aren't fueding with your neighbors.

[Bridget Burke]

42. Does Bush supporter equal "Fundie"?

You've given no evidence that their religious beliefs put them in that group you find so repellent.

Make some cookies & try to be polite. There's no need to alienate them from the beginning. If they turn out to be hopeless, you can choose to have little to do with them.

As far as the cute suggestions re: laxatives & pot--consider that they will be living next door to you, whether you like it or not. Do you want to start a war?

[otohara]

43. Nope, I Would Not Waste My Time or Money

not one second, not one penny -

You already know have nothing in common with these folks, and chances are you're not going to be friends with them either.

[Az]

44. I live next to a Catholic Preist

We bake pies during seasonal events. Each of our neighbors gets one. Including the Preist.

From the point of view of an atheist (complete with Darwin Fish on his car) the only way to make a difference is to make a connection. If there is no contact with people who think differently then there is no opportunity to change. If they are allowed to form their own opinions uninformed by actual contact as to who and what atheists (or whatever you are) they will fill in the blanks with the worst possible attributes.

The thing about religion is it is both a manipulater and dependent on society. Left to its own it will massage the society to fit its form. If there are other societal influences it will try to overwhelm them. If it cannot it runs the risk of having their ideas influence its members.

You should make an effort to get to know the fundies. They are people too. And as they get to know you they will find out that there is life outside their confined beliefs.

[omshanti]

45. Gosh - thanks everyone!

Now I'm more divided than ever! :-)
I really appreciate all the responses though. As of now, I've been avoiding the neighbors, but I'm thinking I'll go over with cookies anyway. That way, I've done what i know to be right, and if they are rude to me I'll have the satisfaction of knowing that it's not me, it's them!
Thanks again for all the responses, they are much appreciated (even the ex-lax suggestions; the naughty part of me did chuckle over that)
:-)

[tnlefty]

49. Wanna borrow my Friends Don't Let Friends Vote Republican t-shirt to

deliver those pumpkin spice cookies? }(

[belle]

51. Sounds like a good plan.

[SoCalDem]

48. Do it.. You'll feel better, and who knows?

They might turn out to be good neighbors after all..:)

[Bertha Venation]

50. I guess I'm behind the curve.

My first thought on seeing your subject was, "well, of course." Then I read your post and I still thought, "of course!"

My view: Don't let someone's being an asshole keep you from being yourself.

But reading some of these replies, I see I'm going to have to bone up on my neighborliness. Does anyone have a "Proper Liberal Behavior in the 21st Century" pamphlet I can borrow for a while?

[omshanti]

52. sometimes it's hard to do the right thing...

you know in your heart, what the right thing is, but it's mighty hard to do it some days!
Thanks for the encouragement tho
:-)

[Bertha Venation]

53. Absolutely.

Good luck.

[GreenPartyVoter]

54. Of course the answer is

Yes.

I have plenty of conservative neighbors nearby, and happily swap garden plants with one of them quite frequently. No need to shun someone because of his/her religious or political leanings. :)

Would Jesus love a liberal? You bet!
http://www.geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/liberalchristians.htm

[omshanti]

55. It's not the political leanings as much as the inconsiderateness

I have friends representing all parts of the political spectrum; it was the in-your-face bumper sticker on an SUV parked blocking my driveway that did it.

Oh well, they haven't done it since so maybe they deserve the benefit of the doubt.
:-)

[Burma Jones]

56. Give them the Cookies with a couple of F911 Tickets

And then dare them to face the truth.

[Beaverhausen]

57. Be the change you want to see in the world

They are your neighbors- you have to live near them. I say do it if it is something you always do anyway.

And you never know...maybe not all family members feel the same way!

[Ediacara]

58. Cut 'em some slack and bring them cookies

I agree, it was inconsiderate of them to arrive early, but it could be a miscommunication.

I also agree, it's inconsiderate of them to park like idiots, BUT when people move in to a new place it's generally a nightmare for neighbors and move-ees alike, so parking their vehicles willy-nilly isn't unexpected.

You are going to have to live next to these people for a number of years, so I would start the relationship off on the right foot.

1) Bake Heinz-Kerry's pumpkin cookie recipe
2) Introduce yourself
3) Kindly ask them to be more considerate when parking

Who knows, you could change their minds on Bush and end up being the best of friends!