I had to leave the annual Meeting of our HOA and my husband is

[saracat]

the president. I came in a bit late after tending to a minor crisis at our Kerry HQ. I had a very small women for Kerry Edwards, Rosie the Riveter, pin on my shoulder. I stopped at the check in table and I was told by a bitchy repug, who used to work with me on the Election Board that I wasn't "allowed to wear that pin" .I refused to remove it. At first I thought she was joking. I made a comment about it being so small you couldn't read it anyway. She then produced a huge Bush shirt with anti Kerry statements on the front and said, "then I should wear this! So I said" Go ahead .But the pin is much smaller!" She then proceeded to grumble as I walked off. Next a "Christian" (self described)neighbor I have always been on friendly terms with approached me and took my hand and wanted to know what I had been up to.I replied I was working on the Campaign."what Campaign', She asked. The Kerry Campaign I said hesitantly. She dropped my hand and Moved completely away from me as if I had the plague! She spat out "how could you. That is disgusting! That terrible man!"! Then she began to talk about the rotten Dems who smashed in the windshields of all the wonderful ASU students at the Presidential Debate who had B/C stickers. She said that no Kerry stickers had any damage. BTW , none of this is true.There has been much damage to Kerry vehicles. I replied that this was just the reason that I would leave if Bush is reselected. She cackled like a maniac, and said you and all your actor friends, why don't you get out and just go? I said I wouldn't have to, because we were going to win. She smiled maliciously and said ,"we'll see about that. Kerry is a godless man. We will not allow him to win".

I honestly hate these people. I want to move out of this neighborhood
after Kerry wins. Bush supporters are either stupid or evil and I don't even want to waste a moment being civil to them. I hope to never see another Bush Republican! On the other hand there is a wonderful Republican woman down at HQ who is working her heart out to help Kerry win, even though her husband is furious with her! She was President of the Republican Women's Club!

[Itchinjim]

1. Fuck 'em

n/t

[Randi_Listener]

3. Ditto.

Let 'em eat shit.

[RevCheesehead]

2. Take heart, saracat - WE LOVE YOU!

Think of their reaction as a sign of their desparation. This thing is rushing to a LANDSLIDE, and thanks to your work, you have been a big part of it!

I had to laugh at the woman who told you to remove your pin, then exposed her hypocrisy to you! As to that "Christian," remember that Jesus said "Not everyone who calls 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven. They will call upon me, and I will say 'I never knew you...go away from me, you evil-doers!" (Matt. 7:21, 23)

Just think how good you'll feel on Nov. 3!


Oh, yeah, and here: :hug:

[chicagojoe]

4. The lesson here---

Never live anywhere that has a HOA. I learned this from experience.
That situation made my life miserable.

[demwing]

18. HOA?

Home oWNERS aSSOCIATION?

[AP]

5. Kill them with kindness.

It would fuck with her entire mentality that Kerry supporters are rude.

[saracat]

10. I can ignore them but I can't be "nice". I will no longer let them insult

me and get away with it. That behavior is why we are where we are. I won't behave like Dashle or Gore. But I won't be deliberately rude either.

[AP]

20. That Rolling Stone article says that all these people are looking for...

...is something to fight. They need enemies real or perceived.

By fighting them, you're giving them more life. You want them to suffocate? Then be nice. Make them feel stupid for fighting you.

A friend of mine described a conversation with extreme right wingers she had over dinner. My friend is super nice. The ERWs said that gay marriage was wrong because you don't procreate. My friend pointed out very politely that she and her husband were both on their second marriages and they were not going to have children together and they were very much in love. She described a series of statements like that by the ERWs and her series of extremely polite responses. At the end of it, I hope the ERWs felt that maybe their assumptions about liberals were wrong.

[lady raven]

25. I agree

As hard as it is sometimes, the more hateful these people are to me and to the world in general, the harder I try to be a kind, forgiving, helpful nice person to them. Maybe in a way hoping that some of that will rub off, but also because I realize that in situations like this, I am representing my party AND my candidate.

They sound like some really classless people, by the way. With the exception of my next door neighbor, ALL my neighbors are Republicans and they are all very nice people. I live in the "belly of the beast" (the most conservative town in Oklahoma), but at least I live in a good NEIGHBORHOOD. They are about the only thing keeping me from hating Republicans altoghether.

[Tsiyu]

6. saracat, you are a brave soul

and much more diplomatic than i would have been.:evilgrin: That first witch would have gotten a mouthful about free speech.

What is WRONG with * supporters? They are like cult members, and they start doing the Linda Blair thing if you even dare say Kerry? Oh, honey, I would hate that neighborhood!

[saracat]

16. What is awful is that with my husband being president, it is

supposed that I can be civil to these people. I can no longer do it. That is why I left the meeting.I will not pretend. I have already not rejoined a Womens Club in the neighborhood that I was president of and quit a Gourmet Couples Group that we have belonged to for ten years. I can't even look at these people any more. I sucked it up after 2000 and I was wrong. I knew it was wrong and people persuaded me to be "nice". I won't make that mistake again!

[Tsiyu]

21. I hear you

and remember, You won't be lonely cuz you always have DU! We can do a Gourmet Duers Forum! LOL! Have a good night, hon. I'm off to dreamland for a few hours. :boring:

[bluedeminredstate]

7. How very Christian of her

to decide who is good and who's "bad." She might want to brush up on Christ's teachings. And what a fine example of "changing the tone" as her dear leader promised to do by leading through example.
Obviously these girls (amd I mean that in the immature sense) have really bought into the administration with-us-or-against-us philosophy and applied it to every area of their lives. C'mon, wearing a pin at a neighborhood meeting is somehow threatening? What next? a dress code to make sure the women in the neighborhood dress like "ladies?"

:crazy:

[pacalo]

8. I completely understand how you feel -- I've been at that point for some

time. I had a parting of the ways with a second cousin of mine who is a preacher's wife. She sent me an e-mail asking that people organize to boycott a company because it was soliciting gays for employment. I wrote her back asking if that's what they're teaching in church these days. I asked her, what happened to "love thy neighbor", "judge not, lest ye be judged", & "let the person without sin cast the first stone"?

She wrote me the nastiest reply. I won't boor you with her entire diatribe, but here's part of it:

"The liberal media that shapes your values is hostile to moral absolutes and absolute truth in general. You want to know my honest opinion...and I guess I can give it to you since you share yours frequently with my mom, your friends, family members, and others...if you would spend more time reading your bible instead of liberal internet sites, tv shows, and newspapers, you would get rid of all of the hate in your heart and see what really matters.

I am voting the way Jesus told me to vote, not because of anything else....the only internet site we read is ivotevalues.com because it is not for any candidate...just the issues."

I really don't care if I ever hear from her again. I'm totally turned off by their hateful, twisted views.

[SemperEadem]

23. moral values my butt

I just moved back to my hometown in eastern MO... I'm hanging out with my brother and sister in law until I find a place of my own... I found out that he's a rabid, misguided rethug (jee, I'm not surprised, knowing him)and unbalanced fundamental-case 'packaged' christian... he's got b/c yard signs, but they're in the garage and not on the lawn... today, he was talking about the election and how he wasn't voting Democrat---because, in his view, they're for "homosexual marriage, blah blah blah.." (Doesn't mind the fact that rethugs lie like drawing breath, but that's a christian for ya)

Later on in the day, I was helping my sis-in-law to clean out the fish tank and I saw he actually had pics of * and his dumb-ass wife up on the wall in the basement.. I asked her "you aren't really going to vote for *, are you?" She said she didn't know, that my brother put up the pictures to piss off her clients (she does nails). What a christian he is, eh? She went on to say that Kerry is for homosexual marriage and to her, it's a sin and it's an abomination to God, blah blah blah, but she didn't feel comfortable with either candidate and didn't know what she's going to do.

I find this all extremely incredulous, considering that she told me earlier today that she caught him last night viewing porn on the computer and he lied in her face about what he was doing. She's got her panties in a twist over gay people she will never know having their relationship legally recognized and her so-called christian husband is in the basement jacking off to porn. Does anyone else see the disconnect in this situation besides me? I was like "I need to move on NOW!!!"

[pacalo]

28. You have my sympathy, semper...

I hope you'll be able to find a place soon. It's one thing to be subjected by their hypocrisy online, but having to live under the same roof must be unbearable.

Too bad they don't see themselves, right? Please try to hold your tongue until you can move out -- it's going to be hard, I know, but try to keep yourself busy so that you can avoid being around him as much as possible.

I wish you the best. :)

[specimenfred1984]

9. Thank You Saracat

I live in VA and know exactly how you feel. Check this out though, the guy across the street, an old man who yells at passing cars, put up his Chimp/Chumley signs a few weeks ago.

As of yesterday, 3 of 4 houses across the street from him have Kerry/Edwards signs up now.

In Virginia no less!

Thanks for sharing your story, I can't stand the bigots either. Just don't waste your time with them anymore, let them live in their brainwashed states of denial.

[bobbieinok]

11. what is HOA?????

[saracat]

12. Home Owners Association

[ReadTomPaine]

13. Neighbors turning against neighbors. Like Yugoslavia.

Welcome to the slippery slope, everyone. How can anyone think Bush's politics are good for anything at all?

RTP

[cheshire]

14. Remember to smile and laugh it drives your enemy crazy.

[Rjnerd]

15. Smile, laugh, and say to your self:

It is better to hold your tounge and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

As an urban cyclist, I get shouted at with some frequency. My response is always smile, wave like its a friend saying hello, rather than someone bellowing getttoffnnaaffuuugggnnrrrroaaddd, and put extra mental emphasis on the second part of the quote.

[SemperEadem]

17. sounds like the insane asylum is missing a few nutcases

have they had their meds adjusted lately? When she said that line about 'not allowing Kerry to win', I would have said: That sounds like a terrorist threat to me.. I should call the FBI and give them your name and address... you know--the Patriot Act? Being a christian and all, I know you wouldn't lie to them about not saying that...but then lie detectors are pretty accurate and I'll be willing to take one.

such cretins

[girl gone mad]

19. You're courageous.

thanks for sticking up for our guy.

You should remind that lady that God says he and he alone is the judge of what's in a man's heart.

I live in rural Texas, but even here people aren't that crazed. In fact, in my neighborhood there are a few signs for local Republican candidates, but not one single Bush/Cheney sign, and not one bumper sticker on any of the cars when I go on my nightly walk.

[Virginian]

24. Wear what you want.

It is freedom of expression, just like a yard sign.
Just don't wear it when you go to vote.

[Robeson]

22. Maybe I can shed some insight, maybe I can't...

...but, I was a property manager for a large management company for 12 years. I was an AMS - Association Management Specialist. We were one of the largest property management companies in our region, and we specialized in HOA's and PUD's.

As a rule, but not always, the higher up the price of homes in an HOA, then the more Republican they got. At that point, it was starting to get into stepford wife territory.

I know what you mean, and it gets increasingly hard to have to deal with that type of stuff, with a smile on your face.

Is there an urban area where you live? An area that may be a little "hipper"? I lived in an HOA myself, in the "burbs", and couldn't take it myself anymore. My wife and I moved into a rehabbing urban area in our city, where homes are being remodeled and redone. The house to the right of us is a African American family. The house to the left of us is owned by a Lesbian. An interracial couple lives across the street. A gay couple lives two doors down. And there is not a Bush bumper sticker to be seen. We have never been happier, and finally feel like we're living among kindred spirits. If you have that option, do the same, and get out of the HOA scene, and out of the Stepford wives communities. You'll never be happier, and your mental health, will never be better. And the great thing? You want have to deal with a bunch of Repugs anymore.

[NAO]

26. Some Insight Into the Mind of Bush Supporters

These articles may help you understand what we are up against. The first two are very short and concise, the third is an in-depth analysis. I have not found anything that helps me understand the Bushies as well as these papers.

WHY DO BUSH SUPPORTERS DENY THE OBVIOUS?
http://www.awakeninthedream.com/bushsupporters.html

THE BUSH CULT
http://www.awakeninthedream.com/bushcult.html

THE MADNESS OF GEORGE W. BUSH: A REFLECTION OF OUR COLLECTIVE PSYCHOSIS (long version)
http://www.awakeninthedream.com/georgew.html

[Hog lover]

27. They just make me HATE so-called "Christianity"

They are as bad as the Taliban.