I spent Friday through Sunday in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was a very nice place and the people were very nice as well. I went there for a friends wedding. I didn't see near as many bumper stickers there as I see in Austin. Just one or two for each side. It wasn't until late into the reception on Saturday night, after everyone had a few, that it happened. A woman from north of Chicago, after finding out I was from Texas said, "Is it true that everyone from Texas supports George Bush?" I admit I thought someone had put her up to it. I even checked to see if Allen Funt was around. But I gave her my polite answer, "I've never voted for a Bush and I see no reason to start now". Turns our she does not care for the man and his administration.

We talked for a few minutes. She did not care for Kerry necessarily either and said she usually doesn't vote. I told her that she needs to vote, even if she doesn't vote for President there are all the other races down the ballot that she needs to vote for. Earlier she had told me that her husband is a Republican. And she dragged him into the conversation by mentioning the fact that I was from Texas and don't care for the current President. Over the course of the next 45 minutes to an hour I had a very civil conversation with her husband. We did not agree much but it was a nice discussion and I threw out quite a bit of my argument to him -- PNAC, Neocons, Iraq as a base for further conquests, etc.. He at one point said he probably leans more Libertarian, which means there is some hope for him. He was very rigid about the WoT and when backed into a corner in the argument resorted to saying we should just nuke 'em if nothing else works. He also wouldn't answer the question if the WoT was worth one of his children's lives. He chose to answer that by saying that he had told his son that if the US military comes calling you have to go. I will leave that to you if it is the same thing as being willing to sacrifice your child's life.

But later in the night I had a run in with an older man who must have left his pointy hat in his vehicle. He thinks Zel Miller is the greatest political speaker since Joe McCarthy. In his opinion he told us that, "the Democratic Party is made up of, and I'm not going to be politically correct anymore, Ni@#$rs, homosexuals, no Godders, women and stupid white boys". He then pointed to me and my friend and said, "Which one are you". At that point things began to fall apart for him and as he told us that the terrorists want John Kerry to win his wife came in and started asking me about where I was from and how I was enjoying my visit. I gathered that the wife had done this before and didn't want her husband ruining another social engagement of theirs.

In talking politics with all of these people I kept are very even tone and always listened to them fully before ripping their arguments to shreds, in a nice way. I tried to leave all of them with something to think about and the thought of don't trust me go and find out for yourself. A few times an attempt was made to dismiss me as a conspiracy theorist. All I told them was I'm not a conspiracy theorist I just have some questions I want answered. I asked them to answer them, and they couldn't. Maybe they will try and find the answers and start themselves on a journey. But that's just me along with being a conspiracy theorist I'm an optimist and an idealist.

- posted by Mom/Dad @ 11:35 AM