My ol' buddy Matt used to have a phrase for people that were loony. He would say that "their cheese has slipped off their cracker." Well, folks, I think conservatives' cheese has slowly been slipping off their cracker after Barack Obama's victory last week. I have selected a few choice quotes from various emails and conversations over the course of the last week for your reading pleasure.
"Our country is now going to descend into communism."
This one was from my uncle. He is completely and utterly serious. He thinks that this is actually going to happen. He has also convinced his wife, my mom's younger sister, that this is true and she has been physically ill for the last week...unable to eat or sleep. She has also had a non stop headache. Both of them believe that Obama is going to destroy our country by installing a communist regime with himself as supreme leader.
"There go all of my guns. "
"I am going to buy as many guns as I can before HE is sworn in."
"I just bought ten guns and I am going to hide them so Barack Obama can't find them."
These were three emails I received on Wednesday morning after the election. While President Elect Obama has called to ban certain types of assault rifles, I have yet to see him express an interest in any bans on shotguns, rifles, hand guns, and many other weapons let alone going house to house and confiscating guns.
"He is going to hand the keys of the country to terrorists."
Beginning to sense a theme here? I had at least five emails with similar themes. Hmm...let's see....worst terrorist attack occurs on Bush's watch....bin Laden and Zawahari at large....Al Qaeda stronger than ever....Bush beholden to Saudi oil men which churns out terrorists like play doh...and they think Obama is going to be worse? Their paranoia knows no bounds.
"More babies are going to die."
Yes, that's right. Barack Obama kills babies. Really? Seriously think about fucking stupid that sounds. Talk about hyper overreaction and, in no way, anything close to reality as Obama has done more to bring down the abortion rate through his support of sex education programs.
"There goes all of my money."
As opposed to all of the money you have now as a result of the stellar management of the economy by the Bush Administration. Let me see if I can be clear on this one...THEY TOOK ALL OF YOUR MONEY YOU FUCKING MORON! WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO VOTE FOR THEM?!?
Perhaps the me of a few years ago would've gloated and enjoyed watching these people descend into madness. Instead, I find it to be extremely frustrating, and somewhat sickening, that they are so bloody brainwashed that they can't think clearly. Even sadder is that there is no reasoning with them. They don't want to calm down. They want to remain in a constant state of fear and pants soiling. They are beyond reasoning.
So, what do we do?
24 comments:
What do you do? Nothing. Only fight the battles you have a chance at winning.
Last in line and I are in complete agreement.
Still shocked at the physically ill aunt of yours. Wow.
On the other hand, Mark, a lot of conservatives have said a lot of fairly complimentary things about Obama, and have expressed genuine admiration for what this means for race relations in this country, and the standing of the United States in the world.
The people who are so bitter about Obama's election are the same ones who talked about him being a Muslim and a terrorist. They are the ones that Sarah Palin was talking about when referred to "real Americans," which I guess means conservative racist whites. Those people actually seem to be a small minority. Their power will diminish gradually over time, but I fear they will follow the same pattern as similar conservatives have in the past (Eric Rudolph, Tim McVeigh, and of course, Al Qaeda).
This election really showed that there isn't just one kind of conservative. There are a lot of people on the right who want what's best for this country but just disagree what the best way to achieve it might be. Those conservatives have been missing in action for so many years, and I'm glad they're back. I just wish they had spoken up four or seven years ago, when it could have made a difference and prevented a catastrophic war and the reelection of perhaps the most incompetent and corrupt administration ever.
Wow. I really hope that Kevin Baker reads your comment blk :)
I think the thing to do, when confronted by irrational arguments about the impending slide into communism, firearm confiscation or any of that nonsense is just to point and laugh at the idiot. Laugh uncontrollably. Laugh until the tears flow. Then politely excuse yourself and leave the area.
Or, express concern over his or her mental health, and sincerely hope that they find professional help.
I agree with blk in that there are probably a vast majority of those who call themselves conservative who are decent, thoughtful people with a basic disagreement on how to best handle our problems. To call the extreme right-wing nutjobs conservatives is to insult the real conservatives.
This country needs to shatter the duality of the right and left wings. We need to help the intelligent conservatives separate themselves from the crazies. Perhaps the best way to do this is to laugh at their antics, since to argue with them is to add a degree of legitimacy that they don't deserve.
This election really showed that there isn't just one kind of conservative.
Did Obama make the scales fall from your eyes there blk? How wonderful that you can actually see that now.
This country needs to shatter the duality of the right and left wings. We need to help the intelligent conservatives separate themselves from the crazies.
Truly, dan, perhaps the same could happen to the left as well. Surely you must tire of being associated with the moonbat crazies out there.
I remind you that eight years ago a man was elected President who promised to unite the country. Y'all notice how that turned out?
I couldn't agree more, juris. I try to dis-associate myself from the PITA crazies and the morons who attempt to sabotage the logging industry whenever possible. I realize that there is a political spectrum, not one camp vs. another. Like I stated earlier, I'm embarassed by James Carville, for instance.
I would point out however, that it has been the loudmouthed right-wing pundits, like fat-ass Rush, Billo the clown, Sean Hannity and seeming countless others who have been casting us sensible liberals as extremists.
I suspect most of us here, and in the country as a whole, fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, not on the ends. Yes, there are left-wing nuts as well as those on the right. But the right has been much more vocal and angry. We were villified on AM radio long before MSNBC and Air America came along.
I am reaching out to my conservative brothers and sisters. Please help us in bringing back an America that we can all be proud of. Let's work towards letting reason prevail, rather than continuing the atmosphere of fear, mistrust and division generated by the religiously intolerant and the flag-draped chickenhawks.
Just for the record, could you all name a few of the ‘good’ conservatives for a point of reference.
dan, the easiest thing to do is ignore people like Rush, et al - that's what I do. About the only time I hear about what they say is from liberal/left folk.
This is an amusing meme to me - the 'great' division in this country. We magnify our differences because they are often in reality rather small. That said, we are too big to ever be a truly homogeneous culture/country like say Sweden. There will always be yahoos on the left and on the right. Some will have a pulpit from which to shout their craziness. Just because they say something doesn't mean we have to react to it.
Dave, here is my short list
Richard Lugar, Chuck Hagel, George Will, PJ O'Rourke (one of my all time favorite writers), William F and son Christopher Buckley, Kathleen Parker, Bruce Bartlett (one of the top three most competent economists in the country), Colin Powell, Rudy Giulianni, Charles Krauthammer, Jim Ramstead (had to have a local guy), Bob Dole...
Those are just off the top of my head.
Glad you didn't include me in that list. I want to remain evil. Chicks dig the evil.
Crap. What a cock I am. Sorry last, my bad.
Last in Line is my favorite conservative.
"While President Elect Obama has called to ban certain types of assault rifles..."
You're cool with that?
What is it with the left that they need to have the power to tell others what they can and can't have?
Just another right wing nutcase's 2 cents.
"Just point and laugh" - must be the nuanced, reasoned discourse I hear you guys are so good at.
Wow.
What is it with the right that they need to tell women what they can and can't do with their own bodies?
Nuanced, reasoned discourse is for reasonable people. The fearful howler-monkeys of the right deserve laughter.
Well, that and pity.
The fearful howler-monkeys
Like those afraid of those evil assault rifles, eh?
I don't understand why each wing is only half-choice - what's the matter with being in favor or choice on a consistent basis?
"what's the matter with being in favor or choice on a consistent basis?"
What he said.
There are howling monkeys on both sides.
Yeah, and these days the howling monkeys on the left are bugging the shit out of me. I'm going to have a post on this soon but I had a real barn burner with a friend of mine this week who thinks the following
a. Yassar Arafat was a freedom fighter.
b. Barack Obama is wrong to continue any engagement in Afghanistan/Pakistan and is a dupe of George Bush (??!)
c. All nuclear power is bad no matter what and we should never ever talk about it. EVER!!!
Thankfully, her views represent such a small element of the left that they have no weight. In fact, most of that version of the left has left the Democratic Party and become part of the Green Party aka the most naive morons ever to walk the face of the earth in terms of foreign policy.
And yet that is what the right thinks everyone on the left is like. They probably think that because the majority of their base are howling monkeys so why wouldn't the left be like that too?
Ah, perfect elizabeth, just perfect - the other guys are such demons (and not just at the margin).
I'll just bet you support an assault weapons ban, don't you?
"Like those afraid of those evil assault rifles, eh?"
Honestly, gun-control has only been an issue of the right, driven by the NRA. It hasn't really been a topic of public discourse for awhile now. There are greater issues at hand.
Since the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment indeed ensures the right of citizens to bear arms, even when their municipality bans them, it has pretty much been a non-issue. I have heard NO discussion about gun control from anyone but... right wingers with irrational fears of having their weapons confiscated.
Ironically, no one even blinked an eye when a Republican administration, in this century, confiscated the legally owned firearms from law-abiding American citizens. It happened. In New Orleans, after Katrina.
It would seem to me that the gun fear is strictly the property of the right.
Like the abortion issue, isn't the real question, how are we going to reduce the number of deaths caused by guns in America, as well as reducing the need for abortions? I think we all agree that we should be trying to bring down both statistics to as close to zero as possible. Eliminate the need for both guns and abortions. I believe it can be done once we stop trying to either defend or take away civil liberties, and educate people.
"I'll just bet you support an assault weapons ban, don't you?"
That strikes me as one of those loaded (forgive me) questions designed to intimidate someone into silence. Only some half-crazed pacifist/hippy/communist/anti-American/atheist/sub-human traitor would support an assault rifle ban. Is that about right? Somehow there's fundamentally something wrong with someone who thinks that maybe there isn't really a place in our world for that kind of privately owned firepower?
Why would anyone NEED an assault rifle? If it's to use against our government in an armed uprising, that's either mutiny or treason, maybe both. If it's for shooting up a schoolyard, well we all should know how wrong that is. If it's for hunting, or home defense, I'm not sure that's the best choice for the task. If it's for sport or target shooting, that's fine. I don't know enough about the subject to form an opinion. If it's for a false sense of security or virility, that's just sad.
Should there be a limit to the firepower an individual American can legally own? Should a line be drawn somewhere? Armor-piercing rounds? Grenade launchers? Light anti-tank weapons? Vulcan machine guns? TNT? Suitcase nukes? I think so. I think we can draw a line somewhere. You can have this, but not that. This is reasonable, but that is over the top.
Glad you liked the howler-monkeys line enough to quote it. Just remember, when it hits the mainstream media, that you read it here first, folks! But cherry-picking one phrase from a post is not really a response to that post.
Maybe I expect too much.
Honestly, gun-control has only been an issue of the right, driven by the NRA. It hasn't really been a topic of public discourse for awhile now.
Hey, I give the Dems not in the loony-left zones full credit for running away from a losing position. That said, there are still more then a few gun-fearing Congress-critters.
Ironically, no one even blinked an eye when a Republican administration, in this century, confiscated the legally owned firearms from law-abiding American citizens.
That would be the Republican mayoral administration of Ray Nagin? Or would that be the Republican state administration of [then] Gov. Blanco?
Or would it be THAT might just be one of the reasons why Louisana DOES have a Republican governor now?
As for who FIRST raised a stink about it - you got it - the NRA (and the 'right'). As for who denied that it happened - let's see that would be the two biggest Dem. politicians in that state, wouldn't it?
It would seem to me that the gun fear is strictly the property of the right.
Depends. There seem to be a lot of people left o' center that are scared of certain semi-auto rifles. I will be surprised and happy if there is no attempt to resurrect the AWB in the next two years.
Eliminate the need for both guns and abortions.
Eliminating either is suppression of people's right to choose. I don't think either is legitimate.
Why would anyone NEED an assault rifle?
First off, you can't even define it in any meaningful way. Second, why does anyone need a car that can go more than 75mph? You certainly can't legally run around at 100+mph - so why are there cars capable of that? My "need" is none of your business.
There are many things that you want that I might not personally approve of, or vice-versa. What gives me the right to dictate those choices to you?
I don't know enough about the subject to form an opinion.
Yet you immediately cast aspersion on the masculinity and/or mental stability of those who buy them. You should have just stopped with the admission and then perhaps educated yourself a bit. [As in, what defines an "assault rifle" other than mostly cosmetic things.]
Then again, I'm sure I expect too much.
I don't think either is legitimate.
That should read I don't think suppressing either is legitimate.
Juris, didn't the Vitter Amendment (which Obama was in favor of btw) grow out of what happened in NO? I thought it was federal troops that confiscated weapons.
I thought it was federal troops that confiscated weapons.
As far as I know it was only the NOPD. The NG would've been under state authority anyway and I don't think the Navy or CG were doing door-to-doors.
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