Escaping Republicanism

The Democrat (AKA in Utah, as a socialist, gay loving, country hating, flag burning . . .) in me did relatively well at biting my tongue. When my sister's father-in-law came up to me and asked how awful it was living in Massachusetts with all those DEMOCRATS. I only said that I liked it. When he talked about Ted Kennedy et al. I didn't say anything. When he slammed Obama I only said I really liked him.

When two different people brought up Rev. Wright I did tell them my opinion of the situation. I poked the fire by mentioning to J's Grandma that McCain left his wife, who waited for him while he was in prison camp and married his rich girlfriend, because that's the kind of Democrat I am.

When one of my brother-in-laws asked my why I was a Democrat I was happy to explain. When someone asked me what I thought about Michelle Obama's statement that for the first time as an adult she was proud of her country. I was happy to give my interpretation of that statement.

If it wasn't a mis-statement as she has said, I look at it with the understanding that African American have a different starting point in regards to pride in our country. If my great-great-great whatever grandparents were slaves, or if my mother or father couldn't go to the same school or drink at the same drinking fountain as someone who was a different color I can understand having a different feeling about justice in America and its failure to live up to our ideals. That would color my opinion of America. Unfortunately, there is still a significant amount of prejudice in America, I'm hopeful that Obama may have some idea how to change that.

I did slip up in the grocery store, though. Newsweek had an article about what Bush has done right. I counted the pages and mentioned I was surprised they could find four pages of things he did right. Quite frankly I couldn't think of any. But then I thought he was a coward when he didn't fly home immediately to Washington after 9/11! And nothing Bush has done since then has impressed me.

If it's my calling to educate Republicans person by person, I am willing to do so -- even if I take a pounding by my relatives.