Some good news and some bad news

[proud2BlibKansan]

I am in upper Michigan on vacation. My son and I are big fans of Nimrod Nation on Sundance so we stopped in Watersmeet, where the show is filmed, to look around. Went into the grocery store to get some t-shirts. When I went to pay for them, the guy who waited on me looked up and nodded at the DU t-shirt I was wearing. He said "Don't you think it's time we came above ground?" I laughed and said it's looking better all the time. Then he asked if I thought Obama would win the election. I said it's looking good, especially with McCain making so many mistakes. Then the guy looked side to side and lowered his voice and in barely a whisper said "Well I am just afraid people won't vote for him because . . . you know." I said no, what? He whispered "Because he's black".

I said I thought that would be a terrible reason for choosing a candidate. The guy said he agreed, but he really thinks some people are just that hateful. Then he asked where I was from and why I was in Watersmeet. I told him we were from Kansas and were big fans of the TV show and just had to come check out the town while we were in the area. He was excited about that and said that since we have the t-shirts, we can now consider ourselves Nimrods. And he asked if there were a lot of Democrats in Kansas. I said not really, it's pretty much a red state hell, but Kansas City, where we live, is more progressive than the rest of Kansas. The guy said "Well I really feel alone here. I wish more people like you lived up here near me." I said "You would think the people voting for these Republicans would have figured out by now how evil they are." And the guy high fived me and took a piece of paper and wrote down 'democraticunderground.com' and said he might have to check out the website.

Then I went back out to the car where my son had been waiting for me. He said a couple had pulled in right next to us and the lady had come around to the back of my car and said "Oh look at all these bumper stickers!" So the man walked around to the back of my car and said "Oh, look, 'Vote for Buckwheat'.

So the good news is you make friends when you wear a DU t-shirt. The bad news is there are still stupid and hateful people in the good ole USA.

:hi: :patriot:

[flvegan]

1. Not going to eliminate racism very soon, sadly.

Why? Because there will continue to be stupid people.

[WCGreen]

2. You should have said don't talk that racists shit around my son...

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. Well the people were gone by the time I got to the car

and my son is 29 years old.

But I did think briefly about putting a BUSH'S THIRD TERM: McCAIN bumper sticker on their truck. I have several in my glove box :)

[seemslikeadream]

3. Just today a woman I work with told me she was visiting friends

and the woman said she would have voted for Hillary but will not vote for Obama and that the best thing that could happed would be for some one to shoot him, A DEMOCRAT said that! My co worker said she strongly told her off and will not speak with her again

[kestrel91316]

7. People like that seriously need some old-time SHUNNING.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. My neighbor is a Hillary supporter who is voting for McCain

No, I don't get it.

[ThatsMyBarack]

42. That's sad.

Stupid is as stupid does.

[Selatius]

4. In some communities, unfortunately, skin color is still an issue. Then again, I live in Mississippi.

I don't know what other parts of the country are like as far as race issues go. Mississippi is a lot better than it was 40 years ago, but to be frank, some parts of this state are stuck in the past.

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. I would imagine rural areas are worse

I live in a city and have been around black people most of my life. So I have a level of familiarity, and no reason to be afraid of them. But here in the UP, where I haven't seen one black face, I can see where there may be a certain level of fear.

I hope that doesn't sound racist but I don't know how else to say it.

[Selatius]

15. Yeah, I get afraid of being in certain rural parts of Mississippi myself, since I'm not white.

I just try to avoid those areas, which is doubly true if I have black friends with me or a mix of black and white friends, since they frown terribly on racial co-mingling and that kind of thing. Those Freedom Riders had some serious fortitude back in the 1960s. Since I'm an asian, the advantage for me is that I can usually avoid the historic racism blacks have had to endure around here, but I can't avoid the xenophobia due to the notion that "foreigners" are coming to take all the jobs, and for that part, there's growing racism against hispanic people.

[EFerrari]

6. More good news: Darwin was right!

:)

[FiveGoodMen]

9. If you mean the fittest (smartest) will survive, I think you're wrong.

Whoever out-reproduces everyone else generally takes over.

Which group do you think is winning that race?

[EFerrari]

13. Hasn't Bush been scoring the lowest approval rating

since God made approval ratings?

[FiveGoodMen]

17. And yet, who's in charge and getting everything he wants?

[EFerrari]

19. I can't argue with that but the trend is away from the wingnuts.

Didn't I read a post around here lately that said Republicans up for re-election were going to avoid their own party's convention?

[FiveGoodMen]

20. I sure hope you're right.

It's just that every family member and every personal acquaintance of mine is every bit as stupid as they ever were.

Waiting breathlessly to see the trend you're talking about...(but definitely hoping you're right)!

[EFerrari]

21. Well, for one thing, our new Demcratic registrations are giving migraines

to election boards all over the country. The Republicans had no such turn out to deal with. I put up the election reform news once a week and for months during the primary, there was story after story about how new Demcratic registrations were causing angst all over the place. And those voters knew Obama was black and everything. lol

(I think we're gonna be all right. :) )

[World Citizen]

10. this should NOT be news

Racism is STILL rampant in this country. People who have never voted in their life will be coming out to keep "one of those kind" from becoming president. Six months ago I gave Obama NO chance to win because of this simple fact. Today, because of how well he displays his charisma and intelligence, and how well he connects with people, I give him a 50-50 chance. I am amazed by how underestimated the race factor seems to be considered.

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. That came through loudly and clearly to me today

:)

[Demeter]

14. The Bad News Is Michigan Has Its Red-Necked North and West

The good news is, it's outnumbered by the south and east.

[EFerrari]

22. MI has a Republican SOS and I predict will be a site of attempted fraud this fall. n/t

[Demeter]

30. I Am a Poll Worker in Michigan

Any fraud would have to be at the point where the precinct results are added together. Since there is a paper trail: ballots, tabulator results per precinct, etc, only a damn fool or a fairly large conspiracy could pull it off.

I am not worried about Michigan. There are lots of safeguards built in. And if our local election coordinator's training classes are anything of an indicator, the system is bracing to prove it's above board and legal at all points.

Unlike some places, Michigan does have a certain ethos that still lingers in these mazes of BushWorld.

[EFerrari]

31. Did you work the primary? They had a "programming" error

in 20 counties and livvy and I have been trying to get some information. When I called, the election office first said they hand counted those venues and then told me later, they "reprogrammed".

[Demeter]

33. Yes, I Worked the Primary

[Ezlivin]

16. There are no racists in foxholes

Just sign those folks up and they'll soon see the error of their way.

It won't be the first time a racist entered the service, served and then became a non-racist civilian.

[stillcool]

18. Lots of racism coming out of the closet..

especially here on DU during the primaries. Puts things in perspective for me, as far as why there is no "we" the people.

[EFerrari]

23. But don't you think it's the few, the loud and the obnoxious?

I've worked with the public and in public schools and in general with large groups of people. People are in general decent and fair. Or, that's how they seem to me. And the few that aren't make a lot of noise and mess but in reality, they are a small minority.

[stillcool]

28. I'm sure you're right..

the attention goes to those who are the most rabid. It's just so depressing.

[EFerrari]

29. Well, maybe we just have to be louder, more musical and more welcoming.

lol

:)

[alstephenson]

24. Really??? You think there was racism here on DU?

I hope you aren't confusing support for Hillary with racism. Actually I really don't know one way or the other, I blocked out GD-Primaries for the final two months of the primaries. I just couldn't take it anymore! I know there is some sexism on DU, I guess I didn't realize there was also racism. Yeah, sometimes I think it's "we the sexist, racist people". Amazing in this day and age.

[stillcool]

26. absolutely...

and early on in the primary. It was my first look at how ugly this society really is. I'd been deluding myself for years that things had changed since the 60's.

[paulk]

39. a lot of Obama supporters on DU

defined support for Hillary as racism.

[alstephenson]

43. I'm not going to disagree with you there, paulk.

It was really quite painful.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

45. When people call Obama a "monkey"

...yeah, I'm pretty sure that's racism.

[LWolf]

25. That actually sounds pretty typical

of the semi-rural area I live and work in.

Semi-rural, because the last 5 years has seen suburbian cancer spreading.

I almost never see a bumper sticker, or a yard sign, for any side around here. There's plenty of talk, though. If I use my classroom as a thermometer, this rural area is republican, but there are very few bush fans and many more democrats than you'd think possible. Although, many of those democrats will say the same thing as the guy in the store when it comes to a black man winning an election. Listening in to my students' conversations last year, and there were a LOT of primary conversations, some of them supported Obama, and others supported Clinton because they didn't think a black man could win. And some, of course, because they liked her, and some supported McCain.

My sons, 28 and 30, would have gotten out of the car and (verbally) confronted the "buckwheat" remark. They get wiser, and less impulsive, as they get older, but I don't see them letting that one slide.

[proud2BlibKansan]

27. We are traveling with our dog

And my son said he was afraid if he got out of the car to challenge the guy, our dog would have gone nuts and maybe even jumped out of the window. The windows were open and I had the keys. So he reached back and grabbed her leash and focused on her rather than confronting the racist.

He also said he was laughing so hard he thinks the guy heard him. :rofl:

[LWolf]

40. I think that

my grown sons are the biggest blessing in my life.

My dog would probably have been out the window before anyone got out of the car. She considers it her sacred duty to bark all intruders away from the family and the family territory, which, in this case, would be the car. ;)

[EFerrari]

32. My sons are a few years older than yours The younger one would have

confronted the idiot and the older one would have prevented police contact. No way either would have let it slide.

[LWolf]

41. In my case,

the older would have verbally confronted the racism, while the younger played body guard.

Then my older son would probably have written a scathing song about the racist and sung it at his gigs for the next couple of months.

;)

[TexasObserver]

34. retort to the guy: "That's PRESIDENT BUCKWHEAT to you!!"

[proud2BlibKansan]

35. LOL I will remember that

[B Calm]

36. Years ago I use to go fishing in Watersmeet! Thousand Island Chain

of Lakes. Very beautiful area in the UP!

[proud2BlibKansan]

37. Yes it really is beautiful here

[B Calm]

38. Sitting here thinking about it, and it was called the Cisko Chain of Lakes

We stayed in a cabin on Thousand Island lake. The last year I was up there was in 1979. Great Muskie fishing!

[proud2BlibKansan]

44. Yes the natives are telling us

yellow and brown muskies. :)