I had several interesting conversations

[SharonRB]

Two were hopeful, one was unsurprising and one was upsetting.

1. Two little girls in my neighborhood had a lemonade and cookie stand to raise money for hurricane relief. I had no small bills when I drove by the first time, but went out of my way to stop on my way home. I didn't want anything, but gave them three dollars (I had already sent in a donation to the Red Cross to be matched by my company). Their father was standing by and we got into a conversation about the hurricane, etc. Even after our conversation, I have no idea what hs politics were. I got the impression he's pretty uninvolved. I told him several things he was very, very suprised about: He had no idea Bush had cut funds for the levees (which wasn't that surprising). He wondered where the National Guard was and where the reserves were. When I told him they were in Iraq, he was shocked. I felt like I had done my job in educating someone as to what is really going on in this country and maybe gave him some reason to start paying attention.

2. As you all know (my fellow KOEBers, that is, especially Botany), I went to the Michigan game yesterday. We always talk to the ushers in our section and I know one of them voted for Bush. I struck up a conversation with him about the hurricane and how can this happen here, etc. I asked him how happy he was about his vote now, and he truly realizes he was wrong. He had been counting on * to get more done in Iraq and things obviously aren't turning out the way he had expected. So, another * voter seeing the light -- too little, too late, but at least this is a blue state and his vote really didn't matter that much.

3. Also at the game, we always talk to one of the cops who hangs out in our section, also a * voter. He, on the other hand, is standing firm. He was blaming the local authorities more than Bush. Some people will never learn.

4. The upsetting conversation: We stopped at my parents' place on our way home from Ann Arbor yesterday. They just got back from a Baltic cruise and I hadn't seen them yet. I had really hoped my father was finally starting to see the light (I've talked before about the fact that they voted for *, mostly because of Israel, even though they have typically voted Democratic), but no such luck. My father also seemed to be blaming the local authorities to some degree and didn't seem to have a problem with *'s response. We actually raised our voices a few times -- I feel so frustrated when I talk to him. He makes me feel like the idiot and that I'm believing bullshit, when I know he's the one who watches Faux and believes them. Thank goodness they couldn't get Faux on their cruise -- only the international CNN broadcasts. Then my husband told me to tell them about the Franklin Cover-up, which I just read, and now I'm sure they think I'm wearing a tinfoil hat and am totally losing my mind for believing everything I read.

Well, sorry so long, but it was an interesting day in terms of the various conversations I had, and I wanted to share.

[Berry Cool]

1. Interesting stories, Sharon.

1. Sounds like you did Lemonade Dad a favor. He needed to know more about WHY all this happened--that it wasn't just some unpredictable Act of God. He needed to see that government action (inaction) has consequences.

2. Usher Guy also needed to think about his 2004 vote. Even if it didn't make a big difference in how things turned out. Someday in the future, it might.

3. You're not going to make headway with some people. They can find a way to rationalize anything, sadly enough.

4. Sometimes, painfully, "some people" will be someone you're actually close to/care about. That's when it's hardest. You want to stop them so badly from drinking that Kool-Aid and they keep on doing it. All you can do is hope that someday something finally does happen to make them see the light...and that whatever it is doesn't cause them too much pain or loss.

Thanks for sharing.

[RevCheesehead]

2. I agree - especially with the last statement.

My brother's wife drank the Kool-Aid long ago - and she's a Rush-bot. We've had some very heated arguments last fall. I've come to realize that if they're ever going to change, it won't be because of anything I say to them - they'll need to hear/see that from someone else.

And Sharon - GREAT work! :yourock:

[SharonRB]

3. Thanks, Rev

I just wish I could get my father to see the light. Of course with Faux his news channel of choice, how could he ever know what the real truth is?