Man....I Need To Get This Out!

[DemUnleashed]

So I have a neighbor who's got a Trump/Pence sticker on the back of his car. Whenever I go the supermarket (about the only place I go to nowadays!), I look to see if he's still got the sticker on his car. He's a nice guy, nice family....I always enjoy talking to them at block parties. He's a normal-type Republican, not a deplorable but still, we've never talked politics. So I'm always hoping, when I drive by his house, to see that sticker one day removed from his car.....but it's still there!

So as I'm bringing in my groceries, he's walking his dog by me. We make chit chat and the conversation turns to COVID. And he says "it is what it is....just something we have to live with!"

Well, I'm fuming inside but didn't show it. I said nicely "Hey, I know you support Trump....I see the bumper sticker on your car. So I don't want to talk politics, but, no we shouldn't have to just shrug our shoulders and accept the way things are. This could have been mitigated"

He says "Do you know how many miles I drive every day for my job? Every day we all live life with facing risks"

I said "Of course we all have to live our lives but we mitigate our risks. Don't you wear a seat belt when you drive? Don't you try and drive around the speed limit? Don't you make sure you're not under the influence when you drive?? COVID could have been mitigated!"

He said "Well one day this will all be over and we'll have a huge block party"

I didn't think I should push it anymore so I just smiled and said "That'll be nice"

Inside, there were so many more things that I wanted to say to him! Not 'say' .....there were more things I wanted to YELL at him!! I am just furious with these people!

[dawg]

1. You handled that really well and you got your point across nicely.

It almost certainly won't change his vote, but maybe you planted a seed.

[rzemanfl]

2. Cool story. n/t

[zackymilly]

13. You left out, 'bro'. nt

[DemUnleashed]

3. Thank you

Thank you! I just can't take these people anymore!!

[Maraya1969]

4. It's not so easy for the people who have lost family to this virus. I applaud you for your

restraint.

[DemUnleashed]

5. Thank you

Thank you Maraya!

[Boogiemack]

6. You did good. Until COVID19 strikes home they will never believe it is as bad as it is.

For some of them, it may not be any different. Just look at the fool, Paul. He now believes that he is immune. Wait for it!

[DemUnleashed]

7. Yes

Yes...you're right...Boogiemack...Republicans only care about an issue when they're affected by it! I have never seen such selfish people!!

[William Seger]

8. Heads up their butts, watching Fox News through their navels

... and it's virtually impossible that anything you say will make a difference -- that's the real "is what it is" so don't waste emotional energy on it.

[BlueJac]

9. It's hard to keep your cool in those situations,

He was so, it is what it is casual! Crying shame.

[calimary]

10. It would be difficult for me to think ahead to said "block party."

What’s there to celebrate (unless of course Biden wins)?

And WHEN might this realistically be “all over”?

[Joinfortmill]

11. Anyone who still supports Trump has serious issues. "It is what it is".

[DemUnleashed]

12. Agree!

Agree! How do you get them out of their Fox News, Rush Limbaugh etc bubble?? To me, that is the million dollar question!

Yes, the "shrug your shoulders, casualness" of the way he surmised the situation...it is what it is....infuriated the hell out of me! Is that how you would've reacted if we had over 200,000 deaths while Obama was President??! No, you pricks...you guys were infuriated with Obama for having 2 Ebola deaths....you wanted him to resign over it!

And, you're right....how is this guy even thinking about the next block party??!

[I_UndergroundPanther]

38. Get them out of the bubble

With reinstating the fairness act raygun destroyed.

Then news can't be infotainment,they can't lie and they must have the other sides point of view too.it will definitely make right wing only stations have to let Democrats speak.

Pop the damn bubble with the fairness act. Biden needs to restore it.

[niyad]

14. Welcome to DU. You are far more restrained than I would have been. I have lost two friends to

The trumpvirus, and nearly lost a third. I have no patience.

[DemUnleashed]

15. Yes

Yes...joinfortmill...I whole heartedly agree...if you can still support trump after everything up to this point, I don't think I want to even have anything to do with you! And I kinda adhere to that. I do not initiate conversations anymore with my republican friends. If they want to call or text me, I'm nice and civil but I don't reach out to them anymore. I know they still support Trump so I have no use for them!

[DemUnleashed]

16. To niyad

No, actually, I have lost 2 friends to Trump. Our conversations went over the edge and we don't talk to each other anymore

I have a few other Republican friends who I don't initiate contact with anymore. If they contact me, I'm civil with them

[iluvtennis]

17. they've drank the orange kool-aid and nothing will convince them otherwise. nt

[xraymike79]

18. Trump Cultists

It's a cult of personality; facts and reason don't apply.

[StarryNite]

19. My next door neighbor just started flying a tRump flag on his flag pole.

The thing is under the American flag. I'm surprised it's not above it! These people have a son in the Navy. tRump thinks their son is a sucker and a loser and they still support him!!! WTF?!

[mommymarine2003]

20. Surrounded by Republicans. Help!

I live in a fairly affluent area right outside of Portland, Oregon. East Multnomah County seems to have more Republicans. This morning when we walked our dogs there was another Trump sign. The lady that lives in that home works for the Post Office. How can you be for Trump when he is out to destroy the Post Office? Talk about cut off your nose to spite your face.

A couple weeks ago, we had an HOA meeting in our cul-de-sac, so that we would all be socially distanced (not that everyone followed the rules). At the end of the meeting, one right-wing nutjob wanted to discuss her candidates. Several of us got up and left, as no politics should be discussed at the meetings. I walk with 2 other women every morning, or I used to. One woman in our walking group is an Evangelical and worships Trump. She wrote us an email that she could no longer walk with us because she did not want to be seen with people like us who do not think the way she does. We are an embarrassment for walking out of the meeting. How Christian of her. I used to love my neighborhood. Not so much anymore.

A couple weeks before that my super Evangelical new neighbor went on a rant about abortions when we had just been talking about my grandchildren visiting and how was he handling traveling around the country for his work. He said he has been getting asked "what's wrong with Portland" from many people, which somehow spiraled into abortion. He has since apologized for his behavior, but my husband and I will now maintain our space.

This is what hatred and division Trump has created. He cannot be gone soon enough.

[SWBTATTReg]

31. Amazing that it has descended into either "think the way they think, or die!" mentality. My way or

the highway.

These thugs say nothing at all at how great this Country is in allowing all manners of thought, and respect for different points of view, etc. and that they all scream and yell when others have different viewpoints.

Your evangelical neighbor is a vanishing breed, thank god. They ruined (IMHO) what it truly means to be religious, respect thy neighbors, and all of the other good things that good neighbors do for each other.

Evangelical numbers are decreasing on a day to day basis. You know why? Because of nuts like this. I hope that you told your new neighbor that you were happy that she isn't going to associate w/ you all...I would have sent her back an email and said 'thank god!', we don't want unchristian people in our meetings. That would have infuriated her, I would think.

The 'what's wrong w/ Portland' question? Man, when will people mind their own damn business and let the good people of Portland handle their issues, they seem to be doing a good job of it (handling it/the protests, in their own way, more power to them). Nothing loses my respect more faster than a bunch of busybodies interfering with their 'couch opinions', without being on the ground, being there in Portland, seeing things firsthand with their own eyes.

The America that was founded allowed all of those w/ different beliefs to exist under one roof and these thugs think that they can ride over us w/ their one sided beliefs, while ignoring and mocking others for their different beliefs.

[RicROC]

21. place a sign at the bottom of the flagpole...

Trump said my Navy son is a sucker and a loser.

[milestogo]

22. Da Nile aint just a river in Egypt.

Denial is a permanent state of mind for some people.

[usaf-vet]

23. Sorry but as far as I can see it's a waste of time to talk to always Trumpers. Your 10 mins.......

..... gets washed away nightly when he watches FOX news. I believe without Fox there would be hope for every 10 minutes spent with and always Trumper. But otherwise wasted time.

[DemUnleashed]

24. The Root Cause

I truly believe RW Media is to blame for the over consumption of Kool Aid in this country! If these people could only see how differently stuff gets reported by RW media, when it's a story about a Republican vs a Democrat! If they could see that, then maybe they'd realize how they're being bamboozled!

[DemUnleashed]

25. Same Page

I wrote my 'root cause' post before I read your message, usaf-vet. It looks like we're on the same page!

[Bobstandard]

26. "That party won't be for years..."

“And you and I might not be alive see it.”

[stopdiggin]

27. all you can do

Becoming confrontational here has no value (IMO). I think we've thoroughly established that minds are not being changed -- and certainly not through a casual grocery/driveway chat. You're neighbor was trying to be pleasant and not looking for a dust-up -- and you established that you had different feelings on the subject, and let it go at that. What would have been accomplished by allowing this to descend into ill feelings -- outside of higher blood pressure for both of you? Civility still has some value (despite what is sometimes advocated here on DU) -- and you did the right thing. Walk away -- and live to fight (disagree) another day.
----- -----

[AlexSFCA]

28. no such thing as non-deplorable trump supporter

at least not anymore

[DemUnleashed]

29. To stopdiggin

You're absolutely right but there was no way I wasn't going to say SOMETHING when he said 'it is what it is'

That would let him think that he's right and that we all feel that way

Thank you....I do appreciate that you think I handled it civilly because you're right...no point in losing it with him. He now at least knows where I stand....that gives me SOME satisfaction!

[DeeDeeNY]

30. We have 4% of work population but 21% of the COVID cases

It’s always interesting to throw out this fact to Trumpers and watch them stew about it without coming up with an answer.

[DemUnleashed]

32. To AlexSFCA

I think are still non-deplorable Trumpsters out there and I'm hoping there's still time to turn them around!

[DemUnleashed]

33. To DeeDeeNY

I wish I had had the courage to continue the conversation long enough to have gotten to that point

[DemUnleashed]

34. To mommymarine2003

I live on a street with 17 homes, 13 of which belong to republicans! I hate that there are so many of them right around me!!

[DemUnleashed]

35. To SWBTATTReg

Evangelicals have made it so that I grimace now whenever I hear the word 'Christian'

Like if I'm watching a talk show and someone says "they come from a good, Christian family" my immediate response is "ohh, they're the sick kind of Christian." If someone needs to tout how good they are by announcing they are a Christian, I now know exactly what kind of Christian they are....they're what I call the CHRINO kind....Christian In Name Only!

[Maxheader]

36. It is hard, I think..

To deal with the rational of a republican...And difficult between

neighbors of differing opinions...

[lunatica]

37. Think of it as planting a seed

If he’s a reasonable man it might sprout. If not then it wasn’t too much of a waste of time.

People like to think they come up with their own thinking about everything, but that is rarely true. Rarely, and especially with Trumpites.

[TeamPooka]

39. Tell him he's a racist who supports Nazis

[DemUnleashed]

40. Wish I could

Wish I could tell him he's a Nazi-living racist but don't have that kinda courage!

Yes, all I can do right now is plant seeds!

Though I was more forceful with 2 of my republican friends but then that's probably why we're not friends anymore!

[Wounded Bear]

41. It is hard to choke back the "Are you really that stupid?" sometimes...

[DemUnleashed]

42. Exactly!

Exactly, Wounded Bear!!

[OregonBlue]

43. You did good.