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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsPhew ...
I just got home from spending 6 hours in South Eastern Arizona (between Sierra Vista and Benson) ... I accompanied Mrs 1StrongBlackMan to meet with a fire district board with whom she has a contract (that is a completely different story with it's own interesting points).
As the meeting went into executive section, all non board members (all 6 of us) had to leave the room.
Well ... 1StrongBlackMan, being his 1StrongBlackMan self got into a discussion with the 5 community members; two of them were candidates for board memberships, one was one of their wives, one was introduced as the "rush lumbaugh of (the area) and the fifth was the republican party county chairperson.
I spent 6 hours talking politics and racism with a group that proudly proclaimed that they were the "most conservative of Arizona conservatives."
The highlight of the day was when I got all but two to acknowledge that the modern gop was more interested in regaining power than governing in a manner that is in the best interest of America. I got them to acknowledge that in the reagan era, Democrats worked with republicans to govern the nation; in the GWHB era, Democrats worked with the gop to govern the nation; in the Clinton era, Democrats worked with the gop to nation the nation; in the gwb era, Democrats worked with the gop to govern this nation ... but starting 2008, even before President Obama took office, the gop has engaged in temper tandrum politics that is anything but about governing. They acknowledged that the gop was just the party of No.
I was amazed that 4 of the 5 acknowledged it was happening and agreed that this was no way to run a nation ... one just denied it; but one that acknowledged it indicated that "we just can't go along with his socialist palns." My response to this two was: "Yes they are ... check the voting record ... count how many house members voted against thing that they proposed 3 years earlier" and "Okay ... you disagree with the policy direction; but doesn't Democracy suggest that we vote and if we lose we wait tell we win before we try to run things ... I mean, that what we Democrats have done."
The other high point was my getting 3 of the group to agree with my response to the statement: "racism is here; but it is not the most pressing threat to america ... Islam is." I responded, first, radical Islam is to Islam, what the KKK is to Christianity. So to call Islam a threat, one would also have to call Christianity a threat. Secondly, Racism in America is far more a threat to me than Islam will ever be."
As I prepared to leave, the county chairperson and I agreed that while we largely agreed with the problems that our nation faced, we probably would never agree on the solution; but, the next time I was in that part of the world ... we could share a beer.
I was heartened that I was able to get a couple of nods in agreement.
pinboy3niner
(53,339 posts)I think you'd do a great job!
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)I put a call in to the Pima County Democratic Party offices yesterday.
Mrs. 1StrongBlackMan heard me tell them that I prefer to work in the "hard areas where I'm not preaching to the choir." She is not happy.
efhmc
(14,725 posts)pinboy3niner
(53,339 posts)Even though I'm sure she knows you're not likely to piss off people with your reasonable approach--and you seem level-headed enough to know when to disengage to avoid confrontation when things look to be headed that way. She'd likely be concerned for you no matter what, in any circumstances.
Being in a deep red area of CA, I envy you. The party won't put much in the way of resources or effort into my district--just enough to ensure that the GOP has to expend some effort to support Buck McKeon and not divert their resources elsewhere.
In '04 I drove from CA to OH to volunteer full-time in the Kerry campaign for the last 2 months. When I returned home after the election, with Kerry placards all over my car, a woman at a McDonald's looked at my car and said, "So you're the other Democrat in the Valley." That's how red our area is.
I can't afford to do a long trip that again right now, so I'll probably just do phone-banking to battleground states and maybe some organized bus trips to NV or AZ.
If I should end up heading your way at some point, I'll definitely give you a heads-up. It would be great to meet you!
patrice
(47,992 posts)TreasonousBastard
(43,049 posts)PossumSqueezins
(184 posts)and then they all ran home and turned on Fox Snooze to recover from the opposing ideas rattling around their empty brainpans.
I couldn't have done what you did. I have no tolerance for idiots.
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)All but the county chairperson denied watching fox"news" or listening to rush ... I responded by laughing and asking "I wonder how we can have direct quotes from fox and rush, when no one listens to them?" And followed up with, "I wonder how fox and rush get such high ratings when no one admits to listening to them?"
The county chair said, with a gottcha smile, "Well, you must listen to them to know that we are quoting them!"
I responded "I do. I listen to both fox and rush. While I disagree with most of what I hear, how else can I claim to be informed on the issues if I only listen to stuff that confirms my own bias?"
lovemydog
(11,833 posts)I think it's really good to talk with people with whom we disagree. At the very least it helps us to humanize each other. Life isn't all politics. Sometimes it's just about finding some common ground so we don't demonize other people.
pinboy3niner
(53,339 posts)A lot of my friends are VN vets. We're gonna stay tight, no matter our political differences. We discuss politics, but when we get to an impasse we drop it. We love each other too much to let that come between us.
As a liberal agitator, I'm happy to drop in a point now and then that will make them think. When they were all up in arms over the "Ground Zero Mosque" and demanding that something be done about it, I said government should not be dictating to religion and teling people where they could put their churches or temples or mosques--and on that point all my friends ageed with me.
One wingnut vet friend got so tired of me snopesing all the viral crap he forwarded (with me doing a "reply all" with the factcheck) that he threatened to send me all his incoming emails before he forwarded them so I could factcheck them before he sent them out.
It's all good. Sometimes we need to confront, other times discretion is the better part of valor.
You're absolutely right.
lovemydog
(11,833 posts)the very kind reply.
Gregorian
(23,867 posts)And, if everyone did what you're doing...
I had a dream the other night that I PM'd you to thank you for what you do. Haha.
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)the subject matter of dreams? I'm getting all misty ...
goclark
(30,404 posts)I see so many words of praise in this thread for you!
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)just 1StrongBlackMan.