Dig Deeper Texas

A month ago Brave Citizen gave me a No McBush sticker and my 12 year old put it into one of the side windows of my car. I figured what the heck and got another and so I have one on each side of my car right now. I went through the McDonalds drive thru yesterday and when I got to the first window to pay there was a young guy who really quickly asked “So, you don’t like McCain or Bush?” while pointing to the sticker. While I am still trying to figure out what he has just said because it isn’t every day the McDonald’s cashier is asking you about politics he adds “two months after I graduate I am going to Iraq.” Now, I am not a dumb person but at this point I am still trying to understand what this kid is trying to say to me and I said “I’m sorry” to which he really got angry and replied with well, I am not sorry, nothing is better than this country. This of course fell into me explaining that I was saying I was confused by his statement not that I am sorry he is going to Iraq. Now that I think about it I am sorry he is going to Iraq, I am sorry anyone is over there and I am sorry we are sending more troops. I wish that the protests we took part in before and after we went to Iraq would have had any impact on the decision and that all our kids would come back but that isn’t what I meant at the time. I was truly confused that the kid that looked 12 taking my money was angry at me because of a sticker that says no McBush. He answered with “it doesn’t matter, people like you should just move to another country because you don’t deserve this one.” At that point I was laughing a bit while I told him I was not sure what my voting for Obama had to do with him going to Iraq but that maybe he was listening to too much right wing propaganda if he believed that somehow my choice of candidate made me love this country any less than him and to be safe in Iraq. Now, I must have really had him flustered at this point because he said he would NOT be safe in Iraq (yes, he really emphasized the not) and I could just go to hell. At that point he had given me back my credit card so I just smiled at him and moved to the next window. His face was bright red and awfully angry when I moved forward and the kids in the backseat were giggling because mommy had made someone that mad. I am incredibly happy that I have politically savvy kids and they weren’t frightened by the exchange at all. I feel sort of bad because I ruined the kid’s day but politics aren’t black and white and he truly must be drinking the koolaid if he thinks voting against McCain is anti-American but what can you do. Hopefully if it happens again I will have better comebacks but I did get in the words right-wing propaganda so all and all I wasn’t terribly upset by my choice of responses.

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