So I was bumper sticker shopping today...
I bought a new mini-van about a week ago and lest I be confused for a soccer mom, I decided I would definitely need some great bumper stickers to distinguish myself from the crowd of mini-vans out there on the roads. I've been looking for stickers to make a statement about me and my interests or beliefs, but I was purposely avoiding anything blatantly rude or offensive. My goal is to say "hey check out my smart statement," not to get honked at or flicked off as some angry disagree-er speeds past me.
Some contenders have been the standard peace sign, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." "Think. It's patriotic." "Got hope?"(Obama) and of course, "OBAMA '08"
Generally, I'm not a fan of bumper stickers on my car. I love reading them and finding really cool ones, but usually when it comes to actually putting one on my own car I decline, not wanting to label myself this or that, and of course not wanting to offend anyone. I've bought a lot of really cool, really funny bumper stickers, too. They ended up taped up on my wall by my desk. Most were not appropriate for kids and now they must be floating around in a box somewhere in my house. Anything referencing pot, sex, or an expletive will probably be in retirement until my kids are old enough to get the joke. As much as I believe pot should be legalized, I just can't bring myself to be the mom picking up at pre-school that has "Smoking Pot is NORML" attached to my bumper. But, believe me, you will never see me with a D.A.R.E. sticker either!
So, I'm shopping for bumper stickers and I'm looking for one with the slogan "straight, but not narrow" to show my support for the GLBT community and I'm looking at cafepress.com, they had some great stickers, and some of the most mean spirited, rude stickers I've ever seen! Stickers suggesting Barack Obama should be water boarded or that the Obama's are stupid, scary, racists, terrorists, or hateful people. Seriously, some of the "slogans" were making my stomach turn. I don't think cafepress.com is completely responsible for these sick attempts at political humor cleverly disguised as hate, apparently on their site anyone can create and sell their wares; t-shirts, caps, bumper stickers. Anyone could've written this crap. In fairness, I would've been equally disgusted if the remarks had been made about the McCain's. I hate the gutter that has become modern political discourse. I've said from the beginning of this cycle that I thought if any two candidates could raise above the accepted level of negativity, it's Obama and McCain. (Although I might have been wrong about that in hindsight.)
But the remarks aren't made about McCain, in fact, about the "meanest" statement about McCain I could find was to call him "McSame" as in same as Bush. Wow. That's so low. (Can you hear the sarcasm in my typing?) So one is insulted with being same as Bush, which I guess could be considered being called a retard, while the other is called a terrorist and a bigot, deserving of torture? Nice.
See, this is why despite my conservative ideals in some areas, I can never fully get behind the Republicans. Please don't confuse what I am about to say as painting with a broad brush, but most of what I've observed them saying and doing is MEAN! Not all Republicans. Maybe not even most Republicans. But enough that mean is a word I think of when I hear "elephant." Would "compassionate conservative" have been a necessary distinction had others not shared my thought on this? Alas, you see my point. And don't even get me started on Fox News....
So, while looking for just the right statements to make with my bumper, I feel I should look once again for what I had back in high school, one of the few bumper stickers I've ever actually stuck to my car....
MEAN PEOPLE SUCK
However, I won't do that. I will stick to my own values of positivity, hoping for change, keeping faith in my fellow American's, whether I think them mean or ignorant or not. Why do what the "other," what the "disagree-er" does? My goal is, after all, a positive, non-threatening, non-offensive statement, not an incitement for road rage or pissy honks. (Writer's note - I said it that way just because I wanted to use the phrase "pissy honks" LOL) Mean people do suck but by being mean back, I'd suck, too. And I'd be compromising my values.
When we went to see Obama in St. Paul last month, my friend Scott and I were approached by a woman handing out fliers for a protest scheduled to take place during the RNC coming up in St. Paul later this year. For a moment, I forgot my values and a little mean spirit came out of me "ya wanna go? Might be fun..." I said to Scott. He replied he'd rather give his attention to what he's for, not to what he's against. I thought to myself "he's right." And I haven't forgotten that as the campaigns are moving forward. I am for Obama, not necessarily against McCain. I am a bipartisan, progressive, Democrat-leaning independent thinking person that strongly dislikes labels (it almost hurt typing all those) but in a society bent on classifying ourselves into groups, there you have it. Now if only I could find that sentiment on a bumper sticker.....
*I originally posted this on mySpace and I became so angry about what I was reading on some of those nasty bumper stickers - comparing Obama to Hitler, for example or one that said "Obama Free Zone: Mention his name and I will drop you where you stand" - just made me so mad and left me wondering, "ok, Ms. Stick to Your Values, now what are you going to do?" And my answer - launching my "Nickels4Nasties" fundraising goal. Which can be found on my profile. Please join with me in this effort. Let's stop getting mad and let our money talk, while the BS walks.
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