Monday, November 10, 2008

Chew On This

I'm not sure how to start this post. Do I start off light and then whammy you with the shitastic thing that hit my email this morning or do I go opposite?

I would devote an entire posting to what I found in my inbox this morning if I thought it deserved my time, but it doesn't. The email I received was not only a knock on our President-elect but it was also racist.

The thing that blows me away is who it came from. I consider this person to be a friend and while I knew "flaming Republican" was an accurate portrayal of them, as well as "NRA supporter", I had no clue that racist could be thrown in that mix and I hope it's just a matter of ignorance. Also? As much as I fight against the stereotype that those labels denote, they are glaringly accurate here.

Please let ignorance be the case. I just don't know how it could be though. Last I saw, this person wasn't actually living under a rock.

I didn't address the racial issue of it in my response. I think I was in shock and just wanted to ignore it. Mostly? I just wanted to think that if I didn't address it at all, it would be understood how beneath me I really felt it was. One of my other co-workers received the same email and was equally as unimpressed and as surprised as I was.

We thought maybe it was sent to us because he and I live in the Southern most points that could still be considered rural parts of our city. I don't know, mostly I just want to ask if the dry cleaner hangs the noose neatly on the hanger with the white hood or do they come back bagged separately?

The email was subjected: Breaking News. The body read: Federal agents have uncovered what they say may have been a plot to kidnap
Barack Obama..........

This picture was attached:



Are you fucking shitting me? My response was:

Thought you should know that we’re card carrying Liberal Democrats in our house.

Thought my tattoos tipped you off on that one.


But what I really wanted to say was, are you fucking shitting me? Are your family photos still in black and white? Did you have a mammy? And do you have a lawn jockey? Oh and you forgot the fried chicken and orange soda, asshole. You'll never catch one like that.

And mostly I just wanted to say, do you have no shame? Aren't you even embarrassed by your views? Because while I know it's still out there, haunting us, I just really thought most people kept it deep in the closet, with the rest of their family skeletons.

So while I was all prepped to talk about how my booger headed kid is cutting four teeth at once while coming off of his rashy, double-ear infection awesomeness and how I found out he only throws fits for his father and me, and not anyone else who takes care of him - what it ends up as is that I'm mortified that he has to cut those teeth in a world that still possesses this ugliness, finds it funny and doesn't even have the good sense to hide that shit. Yeah, cut your teeth on that junior, and don't trip on the flaming cross in the yard on your way to school.

Oh and look at that, I ended up devoting an entire post to it. That pisses me off too.

11 comments:

KaritaG said...

Yuck. There's been a lot of ugly shit lately via email/facebook etc. I get that people are pissed, but I'm also totally with you on the "seriously?" aspect of some of it.

Anonymous said...

It's disgusting that people are still biggots in this country. Fine to be a republican, I guess, but no need for racism. I would have been a total bitch when I wrote back to your friend. I just wouldn't care.

Anonymous said...

It's disgusting that people are still biggots in this country. Fine to be a republican, I guess, but no need for racism. I would have been a total bitch when I wrote back to your friend. I just wouldn't care.

J said...

I think people are dumb.

Zephyr said...

I love facebook, I really do. And one of my favorite things there has been to send and receive flair. Which I have to avoid looking at lately because the number of anti-obama flair items is pissing me off.

And I just can't remember this type of reaction to any other presidential election, even the one when the dumbass stole it from the rather stiff guy who really won it. Which tells me that there are a ton of really prejudiced people in this country.

But it also tells me that a ton of people in this country were able to get past their prejudice and vote Obama in. And I try to see that as a little bit of home in the sea of stupidity that I see out there right now.

And your teething son? Will someday look at his tattooed mom and see that racism isn't cool in spite of all of the other racist people out there.

And for the record, I think you were way too polite in your response to the email. I would have called the person on what a racist email that was, and expressed surprise that they would want to lower themselves to that level by sending it on.

MarĂ­a said...

Wow. I'm just...I don't even know what to say.

Maggie, Dammit said...

I'm learning a lot about people I thought I knew, too, ever since election night. It's ugly and it's sad and I don't know what to do with it at all.

Wenderina said...

You know, during this election I was continually surprised when I found people in my life I found to be otherwise normal, rational folks to be on the other side. It's ok to disagree, especially in politics, but to be so totally off-base in why - race, religion, false accusations - dirty pool, very dirty pool.

Sheri said...

Well, I guess I shouldn't be so pissed off and shocked that prop 8 passed in CA when shit like this is still going around. Wow... *shaking head in disgust*

Reverend Ghost said...

"Fine to be Republican"

That's almost more upsetting than the watermelon gag. I don't hang out with my neighbor anymore for a few reasons. The deal breaker was him telling me I can take my Obama sign down now that the election is over. Not fucking happening. And then he felt the need to comment on our President Elect's race. Oh, the kicker: his wife got me that sign and they still have one up in their yard. Jellyfish.

KJ said...

I don't even know what to say. Ditto what everyone else said. I definitely couldn't think the same way about a person who sent me that email afterwards. I'm glad I haven't seen/heard anything like this because I don't think I'd be able to withhold myself from telling the person just what an ignorant son of a bitch they are. Well done on your restraint - your response made your point, I think!