"Sometimes I just go berserk," Billy Jack 1973

[DanCa]

First I want to give a shout out to the people at camp casey sunday.
I was listening to Randy Rhodes just now and a calleer was going into detail as to how the repukes were trying to rattle your guys chains. First kudos for ignoring them you did a much better job than I would have. And that brings me the gist of my post.
How do you handle it when the repugs insult you? I mean when they insult me on my religion or patriotism I get really close to snapping thier necks. So I was wondering how do you block that crap out without getting angry? If you got any advice please let me know.

[BlueJac]

1. Doobie Time

:toast:

[flamin lib]

2. Some of us can't. That's why we don't do protests in person. nt

[Gemini Cat]

3. Counting to ten, twenty, hell one billion!

Or go berserk.
I try (seriously try) to remain calm by looking at the bigger picture. The tide is turning and I have to keep reminding myself of that. I won't do anyone any good if I kick someone's silly ass and land in jail.
It's going to get rougher. They are not winning the battle and they know it. Like the scared trapped rats they are, they will pull out any and all dirty tricks to try to win. It won't work and they may actually know it.

[DanCa]

6. The last time i went to a protest where something happened was

"Do we care," and walking with a group of vets and the threw a red gatorade on us. I really wanted to pound on the creeps but the vets talked me out of it . I really dont know how people can control themselves when dealling with such idiots. Anyhow my hats off to anyone that can control thier anger dealling with these loons.

[Crunchy Frog]

14. Hand out enlistment forms.

I hear that's a great way to chase those sorts away. It's sort of like holy water to a vampire.:evilgrin:

[tavalon]

4. Yep, that's actually an easy one

I point (even if they're right in my face) and laugh. Then, I shake my head, still smiling and pointing and then I turn and walk away.

[ronnykmarshall]

5. Listen to this asshole on right now.

Bitching about Randi being "rude".

[DanCa]

8. Yeah and then he said something about her hanging about the mute button.

And than he hung up on her. The guy has no class.

[ronnykmarshall]

10. She has to have mute button ..

like the caller that called her the "c" word last week.

The Bush supporters are the ones that start shit.

[Spinzonner]

7. And the revised "Billy Paul" version

http://snltranscripts.jt.org/76/76hbillypaul.phtml

[DanCa]

11. That was priceless thank you.

I feel better.

[gratuitous]

9. Prepare yourself ahead of time

Review their tactics and their insults -- they're pretty standard, and these blockheads haven't had a new or original thought in more than 30 years. Mentally go over who you are and why you think the way you do. What are the intellectual, emotional, spiritual and psychic underpinnings of your belief system and your world view or cosmology? Settle some of these things in your own mind, and the mindless braying of a jackass is less likely to affect you.

You went into the demonstration or the public event thinking that you are right and the other side is wrong. So what if one of their number insults you? That person didn't suddenly become right just because he or she is trying to pick a fight with you. And since you can't control that person's boorish behavior, you're left with controlling only your response.

Which brings me back to the beginning. Learn the insults and the tactics of the repressive right, and determine ahead of time what your response is going to be. If someone insults your patriotism, have a couple of enlistment forms in hand -- it's like kryptonite to a chickenhawk. If they insult your faith, be ready with a sacred text. There are plenty to choose from, and even though they were written a long, long time ago, there's some timeless wisdom to be gleaned. You can stop a person cold just by citing a chapter and verse (e.g., Micah 6:8 or 1 John 4:20-21). The chances are very good that the person you're interacting with won't know what it says, which makes them look foolish and may give you the opening you want to respond with a little more intelligence and a little less emotion.

Practice makes perfect.

[Crunchy Frog]

12. I've had to train myself to develop a certain level of detachment.

I seriously went into a two year long MAJOR depression after the Iraq invasion and coming to realize just how serious things were in this country. I've had to pull back from allowing myself to have strong emotional reactions to things because it was literally destroying me. I just tune out most of the stuff in the media now. I hardly even watch TV, and I won't read RW columnists. I know it's just going to piss me off and that I'm not going to learn anything new, so why torment yourself with it?

As for Repugs insulting you, well, I don't really know any Repugs and don't hang around them, but as a general rule, I think it's best to stay away from people who behave that way no matter what their political persuasion is. Just tell them that they're entitled to their opinions, but that you don't have dealings with people who are rude and insulting to you. Then just STAY AWAY from them. If they insist on harrassing you, tell them you will press criminal charges. There's no reason for anybody to have to put up with that sort of thing. It has nothing to do with politics, just common human decency.

I don't know if that's any help, but it's what I think.

As far as Billy Jack goes, I had a huuuge crush on him when I was 9.:loveya:

[DanCa]

15. Yeagh the advice was solid thank you.

Especially about the depression. I feel in a six week once after the election was stolen from us and we lost Christopher Reeve. Oh have you checked out Tom Laughlin's website. He's radically anti Bush.
www.billyjack.com

[Crunchy Frog]

17. Yeah, I've checked it out.

He likes Clark too, at least he did during the primaries (last time I looked there).

[SammyWinstonJack]

13. Just smile at them!

They can't handle that. Gets 'em every time! :-)

[dbonds]

16. Some people are born the warrior.

Some are artist, some teachers, some spiritual leaders, some healers, some intellectuals, and some (like Billy Jack) warriors. The warriors will alway have to work against the feeling to right wrongs by physical means.

[ismnotwasm]

18. I speak up.

This has nothing to do with the war, but the other day at work we we're just taking advantage of a quiet moment. We are nurses, professionals. Someone asked one nurse If she was a good dancer Her reply? "You bet, in fact, I always that I had a little black in me, I think that's where I got my curly hair" Her hair grows in tight ringlets common in certain non-black ethnicities. There was a approximately a minute of conversation about blacks and dancing--none of it intending to be insulting, but I couldn't frigging' believe what I was hearing. They we're clueless. I had to stop the conversation, in as friendly a fashion as possible. "All right you guys knock it off, my sister is SWEDISH and dances like a pro" I didn't lecture them on racism, but I wanted too, I was pissed. They should KNOW better, but I took a deep breathe and said what I thought would get my point across the best. They shut right up. Now I know this is a little different that what you are asking, but I agree with the posters that say educate yourself about your own opinions and be able to back them up with facts. Educate yourself about the opinions of others and do whatever it takes. But don't let them get away with it without a response.

[derby378]

19. Sometimes I couldn't ignore them

I probably gave Veterans for Peace headaches at times out at Camp Casey II, but for the most part I kept my mouth shut and stood vigil.

The one thing I did do, when I was manning the barricade and holding a big American flag with my free hand, was sing a little song:

Take it down from the mast, Cindy-haters
It's the flag we Americans claim
It can never belong to you traitors
For you've brought on it nothing but shame

Why not leave it to those who are willing
To stand with Gold Star Families for Peace
All we want is to stop all the killing
We demand that the occupation cease

That's about the bulk of my reponse to the RWers. Some folks on the line absolutely loved it, but the organizers had to remind us that "mum's the word."

There was one RW sign out ther in someone's pickup with a drawing of the World Trade Center towers. It said: We tried peace - we got 9/11.

That sign blew my mind. I didn't offer any retort, but in my mind, I was shouting: "Does this mean that you've simply grown tired of peace? Is this why we're inventing reasons to occupy Iraq and sacrifice our youth on the anvils of Baghdad and Fallujah?"