Reaction to the Obama sign in my car

[yasmina27]

I have a window sign in the back of our Prius, laying on the trunk cover. My husband was just at the store, and when he came out, a guy walked past him and said, "Fuck you, nigger lover!".

Now, we live in a mostly white (like 98%) suburb of Pittsburgh. A fairly nice area; not exactly a land of segregation (or so I thought). There's no way to know if he is a Hillary supporter or a Republican, but I suspect the latter since my area is heavily Repuke. Also, I believe Hillary supporters would show their displeasure in a more mature, intelligent manner.

We have a yard sign on prominent display in our front yard, on a very busy street. The thought has crossed my mind now at the wisdom of that. If racism is still so rampant, at least around here, could some wacko decide to do something to our house? Stealing the sign and egging are the mildest things I can think of. I don't want to think of other possible retaliations.

Regardless, the sign stays. Bring it on, you motherfuckers!!

[NoodleBoy]

1. if that's the first time that happened, then your area is probably mostly OK.

If there's only one ignorant redneck who's so abhorred at the thought of supporting a not-white candidate for President in your area to the point of revealing his stunning douchebaggery in public, I'd say you're doing pretty well.

[yasmina27]

5. Thx for the encouragement!

I've only had the signs since Friday though.

Time will tell.

[lisa58]

2. I had three Kerry signs vandelized in 2004...

...I agree that it is probably not a Hillary supporter and so it's probably just a difference of opinion - how it was expressed is very sad.

[yasmina27]

9. We had 3 Kerry signs stolen in '04

But we got revenge by putting up a big sign (like 6x8 ft.) that said "you can steal our signs but you can't steal our votes!"

[Rosemary2205]

36. snort

Love it. :)

[ekwhite]

14. In 2004, I put a Kerry sign on my front yard

and my next-door neighbor festooned his house with Bush paraphenalia, including a full-sized Bush figure on his chimney that could be seen from blocks away.

[ginnyinWI]

63. that's hilarious!

I wonder if he's burned that Bush figure yet?

We had Bush/Cheney signs in my subdivision two-to-one against Kerry/Edwards signs, and the vote turned out the same in my precinct. :(

[anigbrowl]

66. You should have put up another sign saying 'i'm with stupid'.

:evilgrin:

[ekwhite]

69. A life sized effigy of Bush still would have been appropriate.

:evilgrin:

[Psst_Im_Not_Here]

19. I remember those stories back then

I remember all of the rigging of signs with pepper oil, electric shocks, poison ivy oils, vaseline, etc. back then.I remember all of the ingeious ideas people on here were coming up with to keep their yardsigns. I imagine it's not going to be any different this go around, in certain areas.

[maximusveritas]

3. There are extremists everywhere

As shocking as it was, I wouldn't draw any broad generalizations about your community if you haven't experienced that kind of thing before.

[Texifornia]

4. Tell that guy...

That if he divorces his wife she will still be his sister.

[yasmina27]

10. LOL!

I love it!

[dchill]

33. Best chuckle I've had yet today!

And I got up early! :)

[movonne]

6. We will get even by putting a black man in the white house...the

sooner the better..

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

7. That doesn't surprise me at all.

Even the more Democratic areas of Allegheney county tend to be somewhat more socially conservative than their counterparts in, say, Philly or Cleveland. But there are idiots everywhere. Shit, I nearly got run down by a pickup truck for carrying an anti-Dubya sign to a march against the war back in 2002 or 2003 in San Francisco.

[FrenchieCat]

8. Next time someone says something even remotely close to that....

a response in kind, "and God bless you too" might provide more ammunition than anything else.

Sounds like a sick attitude that need to be buried along with the ugly past.

[bluestateguy]

11. We need some kind of a law to prevent racists from voting

I'm not sure how to do it, but I'm sure there must be a way.

[JayFredMuggs]

42. Deportation to Africa would be my choice.

Maybe sell them into slavery?

[Labors of Hercules]

57. Good Idea...

Air drop them into Nigeria with a sign around their neck that reads "I hate black people".

[TahitiNut]

12. I'm always happy to be seen as a "lover."

I came to that conclusion many, many years ago - even before being dissed as a "fighter" in Viet Nam - when that particular epithet was thrown at me for perhpas the hundredth time. Even if "accused" of being gay, I'll always prefer to be seen in terms of being LOVING rather than HATING.

:silly:

[yasmina27]

15. Ohhh, I like that

I think I'll adopt it as my new mantra.

[TahitiNut]

28. It works for me. After all, on the longest imaginable list of all the world's problems ...

... is there enough paper in that world to include "who someone loves"?? I don't think so. :shrug:

[izzybeans]

13. My brother is expecting the worst where he lives. He was once run off the road

by some assholes in a van yelling "Fuck you and your communist Move On!" or something to that effect.

[Faygo Kid]

45. Good for you.

I am a mid-50s white guy with an Obama sticker on my car. I expect to hear about it, but so far, just smiles and waves.

[izzybeans]

50. Nothing but that for me here in Chicago. My brother is in Southern Indiana.

[flowomo]

16. my son is a student at Pitt....

he came home for a visit with a bunch of friends over the weekend. We had some of those "O'Bama" St. Pat's Day stickers still around, so I stuck one on each of them. Nobody obejcted. Just thought I'd share that; not really related to OP except the Pittsburgh reference.

[crankychatter]

17. I had a cop ticket every car in front of my house for months

Kucinich sign on my lawn

I'm sorry you had to endure that Yasmina.

As long as no one is hurt, this is good to have a shared experience with the African American community.

I watched a Clerk at a Truck Stop refuse to give a driver a copy of his receipt... (we had fifty mile per hour winds and he lost it)... all the while, belittling and insulting the guy... because he was from India or Pakistan and had an accent.

I was ashamed... would've cost that driver several hundred dollars probably... maybe his weeks wages. He looked like he was going to cry.

I had to say something... of course. He got his receipt.

[Hepburn]

18. Sick....really sick.

I just do NOT understand discrimination, bigotry and racism.

I was at a party yesterday in Hollywood ~~ what a weird place and weird party. In fact, Mishu ~~ that really small guy who used to run the Alf costume ~~ was there. So...does this give everyone a clue on what this was like?

And...I was talking to the host who probably has an IQ of 170 and is a dittohead ~~ loves Rush. He hates both Hillary and Obama and dislikes McCain intensely. So, me and my big mouth ~~ of course there is a HUGE political discussion that hot pretty hot. But...at no time was it mentioned that Obama was black or that Hillary was female or that McCain was senile cuz of his age. We were all just having a VERY heated discussion of issues. No personal digs, no nasty comments ~~ all issues. And what a weird setting to do this.

[cascadiance]

20. I once had online thoughts about making an anti-Darryl Issa sticker here in North County, San Diego

about the time that he paid for and was running in the recall election against Gray Davis (before Arny stole his thunder and forced him tearfully to resign from the race).


I was thinking of making a similarly provocative sticker that said something like:

"DARYL ISSA, DON'T STEAL MY CAR!"

since as many note here, he was involved with many suspicious incidents with his brother who's a convicted car thief, before he created his own company (Viper) that makes car alarms and has made him rich enough to sponsor both things like this recall election, and the recent efforts to have a way of taking away the "winner take all" status of California's electoral college votes for the coming election.

Well, before I even created the sticker, my car was stolen right in front of my house right after the first set of San Diego fires...

So I thought again that perhaps making such a sticker wasn't such a good idea, or I might get hit again with such an incident.

[blue neen]

21. I too am in a heavily Republican district in Westmoreland County.

I don't have a bumper sticker on my car yet but have been wearing my Obama buttons. So far, no one has said anything, but I have received some glares.

In all honesty though, it has been more positive than negative, and I'm actually a little surprised by that considering the area where we are from.

All we can do is try to change one attitude at a time, and there have been many triumphs.

So sorry this happened to you. Keep your chin up! :toast:

[mahina]

24. Our most republican neighborhood in the state, where

everyone I know thought they lived in Bush Land, went solidly for Kerry last time. Change does come.

[progdog]

22. That guy isn't just stupid he's ballsy.

Was he just looking for a fight or what? I don't know what makes people think they can speak to others that way. Just get right in their face. This is the kind of hateful garbage we're trying to change. I like Frenchie's response.

[EFerrari]

23. Good for you guys.

:)

[TomBall Democrat]

25. I live in a small Texas town, and the KKK even held

a deal at the local community center. It was not well received by most locals - and got more publicity than attendance.

My bumper stickers have been covered up with Bush stickers in the past.

But I've had far more positive than negative feedback over the decade I've lived here.

As for that guy, so much stuff could have been going on. Maybe he was mad at someone else - and raging was the only way he knew to let it out.

People are complicated and often paradoxical creatures.

Don't be afraid. Be the change. More good than bad will come to you.

In the long run.

Sorry the guy talked to your hubby that way, though.

[Pisces]

26. My husband and I wear our Obama shirts in our Republican neighborhood

all of the time. We have gotten some dirty looks and one lady said " oh noooo" while shaking her head at me, but pretty mild responses. I think people are more curious as to why we are supporting Barack. Since we are both knowledable about his stances it surprises some and takes them off guard. Hopeully we have converted a few and given some food for thought.

[The Doctor.]

27. OMG!!! One rarely sees the "Americus Ignoramus" this far north until summer!

A picture of the specimen may be worth something.

In fact, I'm quite certain I would have taken a picture of the creature... all while exclaiming how fantastic it was to see the non-indigenous "Americus Ignoramus" here. I'm sure it would have become irate, but there are ways to turn that to one's advantage.

:evilgrin:

[BlooInBloo]

29. That's America for you. BTW - which suburb? Mt Lebanon? USC? Someplace more hick?

[yasmina27]

35. Definitely someplace more hick :)

Actually, it's funny because we both work in Bethel Park.

We live just across the border in Westmoreland County in North Huntingdon - near Irwin.

[BlooInBloo]

38. Oooh - ok. Was thinking down south 51 or something - uniontown/connellsville etc. Heh.

[JVS]

37. Out past McKeesport.

I don't know if that even makes it a pgh suburb anymore. More like a satellite city the way Greensburg is

[ericgtr]

30. That is just awful

Someone capable of saying something like that would probably attack if provoked so just walking off is the best thing. It does go to show how ingrained racism is in our country though. Could be just that the guy was a white supremacist too, you never know.

[yasmina27]

32. That's pretty much what my husband said

When he told me, I said that it was a good thing I wasn't there. He said that with people like that you're better off just walking away.

[ericgtr]

34. That guy is going to be awfully busy because Obama has gained a ton of support there too

Chances are he will eventually say it to the wrong person and will rightfully get his ass kicked.

[backscatter712]

31. People who use terms like "n****r-lover" should consider themselves lucky they're not assaulted.

Seriously. I don't consider such bigoted fucks to even be human. Act like that, and I consider caving in his fucking skull to be fair game.

[BlooInBloo]

39. Why would they be assaulted? Especially in appalachia? That's how the majority there thinks....

... Try goin to Peachin's sometime.

[4_Legs_Good]

40. I live in California, and this kinda thing just strikes me as astonishing

I'm not saying there's no racism here or anything, there's actually plenty of anti-Hispanic racism, but no where near this overt. That's just freaky.

David

[JayFredMuggs]

41. This disturbs me about America, As an Obama supporter, I'm old, but not stupid.

I know there are lots of people out there who will NEVER vote for Obama, and it is the ULTIMATE fear I have.

I will support whoever the Dem nominee is, I hope it is Obama, because I feel he has more to bring to the job than Hillary does, more wisdom, more courage, more truth, more judgment, more supporters, voters, money, delegates.

I just hope I am wrong about how many racists there are in America today, because I fear racism more than I fear the international terrorists' ability to destroy our best chance for a very wise candidate for President.

I'm just being honest about my fears. If Obama is the nominee, I will work hard for him, to make sure I have done my part.

[quantass]

43. Big Thank you for being on the side of Good

[L0oniX]

44. This is why inbreeding is illegal. n/t

:evilgrin:

[goldcanyonaz]

46. Just seeing that word breaks my heart. Thankfully, I've never been called that word in my life.

I don't understand why you would bring up that it could be a Hillary supporter, unless you just wanted to continue on the vitriol toward her on this board. Do you actually think that a person who would say such filth wouldn't say the same in regards to a woman running for President?

I do wonder if anyone did anything to your home if it would fall under the hate crime legislation. Might be a good idea to read up on it in your area.

Best wishes to you.

:hug:

[yasmina27]

48. Uh, if you read my post more carefully

You'll see that I said: Also, I believe Hillary supporters would show their displeasure in a more mature, intelligent manner.

I believe I was saying that I don't think it was a Hillary supporter. And yes, a person who said such filth certainly might say something derogatory about a woman running for POTUS.

But that's a pretty big leap of assumption, one which I won't continue to debate.

Thank you for the best wishes. I will indeed check into local hate crime legislation. My dd's father is a local cop, so I'm sure he can help us out.

[gal]

59. Do you automatically assume

that someone that is racist is automatically agnist women and vice versa?

[goldcanyonaz]

64. Yes, most intellectually challenged are. It's called ignorance.

Many won't vote for Obama because he's black, but just the same amount won't vote for Clinton because she's a woman.

[Yael]

47. The reports of racism out of western PA are astonishing me

I had posted the other day that I have extended family out that way who refer to AA as "blackies".

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

51. Rural western Pennsylvania is very problematic.

If you've read anything about Obama's "Appalachia Problem," understand that the demographics are very similar in some respects, but with a patina of pro-union Democrats and refugees from Pittsburgh. There may not be the entrenched generations-old poverty that typifies Appalachia, but the attitudes are somewhat similar. Just about any place you go in western PA outside of Pittsburgh you will find that the black population is confined almost exclusively to the decaying centers of old industrial towns, which are then surrounded by white outer neighborhoods and then the rural areas. It is a very racially segregated, insular society. I'm not at all surprised to see this kind of thing rearing its ugly head.

On the other hand, understand that most of the white population are not necessarily card-carrying members of the KKK or anything like that. It's bigotry born of segregation, ignorance, and stereotypes. Frequently you'll meet people in western PA who will swear up and down that "the niggers, the blacks, those people" are destroying society, but the black guy at their job that they simply know as "Joe" or whatever will be perfectly fine, not part of "the problem." Well, the more reasonable ones will, anyway. But understand that rural western PA is a place where folks like to fly the Confederate flag. Yes, in Pennsylvania. I know a lot of people there who absolutely revel in being uneducated, racist hicks.

[Yael]

52. Mind boggling.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

54. Hell, I grew up with this stuff.

I went to a rural high school where we had one black person, who transferred from the city school not ten miles away because the violence and abject decrepitness of the city school was scaring the crap out of his parents. The father of one of my best friends, who was a minister, was also a teacher at the city school, and constantly fumed about the total lack of attention given to education in town. For his senior year long research project, this friend did an analysis of the city's spending on crime and jails vs. education. His conclusion? Turn the modern, newfangled jail into a school, and turn the school into a jail, because that is what it most closely resembled.

Growing up, white or black, in that place was hell for most intelligent people.

[arundhatiroyfan]

60. Me too. Thank god I only have to deal with them occasionally.

[mkultra]

49. buy some pepper spray and spray them the minute they say it

Its threating and thus assault.

[anigbrowl]

67. Better yet... (for some people)

Pop a pro gun sticker on your bumper or near wherever you have the Obama sign. Doesn't have to be an NRA sticker or anything propaganda, something like 'proud member of _____ gun club' will do the trick. This assumes you're not anti-gun of course. I like range shooting as an occasional hobby. For some reason stickers like this also seem to discourage people from breaking into your car, despite the fact that you're not in it.

[TML]

53. Be careful

Some asshole might burn a cross on your front lawn to make their point.

[yasmina27]

55. I will, thank you

Hence the concern expressed in my OP. But I WON'T let them stop me from expressing my political opinions in a peaceful, reasonable manner, with car signs, bumper stickers, and yard signs. I WILL not be intimidated.

[TML]

56. Neither will I

The bigots in my 'hood already hate me for my skin color.

[AllentownJake]

58. Yep

I bowl at the American Legion on Sundays. My father was in Vietnam so I'm an SAL member. Someone there told me they were going to remove my bumper with their truck if I didn't remove my Hope sticker. I laughed at them and said you guys are really scared that he can pull it off aren't you. He cursed something about black democrat...I laughed again. The best way to respond to those assholes is just to laugh at them. Nothing makes them madder that you find their behavior comical and not a threat.

[Radical Activist]

61. Don't be intimidated.

Good for you keeping the sign up. Getting you to stay silent and not speak out is what they want. Don't give in.

[usregimechange]

62. I am putting one up in GOP stronghold SWMO and I agree, bring it on.

[Cha]

65. It's really sad to

encounter people with such low IQs no matter where you are. And, the world is, unfortunately, full of them..Why even in our Nation's white house, as we type, there's an idiot who's being billed as The Decider!

[MzShellG]

68. Way to go, yasmina27.

I've had an Obama '08 sticker on my car for months, since December. I had been seeing a lot more Obama car stickers lately, here in Columbia SC. Only recently have I seen a white person here with one. I was very impress being that this SC.