An idiotic conversation overheard in a restaurant this morning.

[Danger Mouse]

So because of today's weather, school was closed and thus, I didn't have to work. I decided to head into town to get some groceries and a spot of breakfast. I live in a small hick town in the middle of nowhere, lots of rednecks, but also a fair number of rich country folk and city types as well...developers have been moving in, you see.
Anyway, I sat down to a gloriously unhealthy breakfast, and an older man sat down next to me (at the counter), and after a few minutes, another (middle-aged) man came in and the two started to talk.
The topic turned to putting cameras on street corners. I am paraphrasing this to the best of my ability. It's not nearly exact, but it's the basic idea of what they said.
OLDER HICK: Yeah, you know, it'd be a good idea to keep cameras on all the street corners.

MIDDLE-AGED HICK: It'd be easier to spot criminals that way.

OLDER HICK: And terrorists, too. But now you got the ACLU and them LIBERALS whinin' about takin' away our civil rights. Hell, take em away, as long as they stop em. I got nothing to hide, so why should I worry about it? It's well and good for them (liberals) to whine about civil rights till one of THEIR family members gets killed by terrorists.

MIDDLE-AGED HICK: Exactly.

At this point, I was fuming. I wanted to say something to this fool, but I knew it wasn't worth it. I was in a crowded diner where the audience was certain to be very hostile, and speaking out would've been stupid, and perhaps even dangerous.
I felt powerless and infuriated. We can talk all we want about the tide turning, but the reality I see around these parts is different. A lot of people have been awakened, but many, many people are still in the dark.
*sigh* Just thought I'd share that lovely little story with all of you, my dear friends.

[1gobluedem]

1. Should've reminded them that their taxes will pay for it

That might change their minds.

[Danger Mouse]

2. That would've been a very effective comeback...

especially with blue-collar types like these two.
But still...in a situation like this, it was best just not to say anything at all.

[1gobluedem]

3. You're probably right

Too bad there wasn't someone else that you could have had the conversation with; engineered so they'd hear every word. Maybe next time.

[Telly Savalas]

26. Taxes to pay for government programs? That's so Old Europe.

If you want cameras on every corner, you cut taxes for the wealthiest 0.1% of Americans and use deficit spending to pay for it.

[Wapsie B]

38. For some reason repugs don't see that as an expediture at all.

Neither do they break a sweat about the vast sums spent every year to house just one prisoner in the penal system in this country. But if they see a single mother using food stamps at the grocery store well that gets 'em real steamed. They drone on and on about spending on the welfare queens and the environmentalists, oblivious to the spenders on the right.

[BluePatriot]

39. Seconded

Just mention anything about taxes to get folks like that grumbling. Or, ask to go through their wallet. "Well, you said you didn't have anything to hide, right?"

Actually the wallet/purse example is very effective because it gets even the most sheeple-people thinking about privacy "Hey, I guess I don't have anything to hide, but I still don't want a stranger going through my damn stuff" and etc.

[Danger Mouse]

4. Shameless self-kick, in the hopes that a few people actually read this. nt

[Strawman]

5. Why not just have an airport naked machine in every turd patch?

Seems like a perfectly reasonable precaution to me, you ACLU liberal America hating commie bastid! :sarcasm:

[Danger Mouse]

6. The terrorists...they're everywhere...

with their beady little eyes, and their bushy tails and their...
wait, that's not terrorists.

[Rabrrrrrr]

7. Taxes would have been a great way to counter it -

"Who's gonna pay for it? You and me, man, that's who, and big daddy government isn't gonna spend its money wisely. Then we gotta hire guys to watch the cameras and give 'em gubmint pensions, not to mention that since it's the government, we're gonna need to hire a supervisor of some kind... and then lawyers, and PR people, and people to handle all the complaints that're gonna come in and someone to invent all the paperwork that's gonna run this little system; then everyone else - city, county, state, and the feds - is gonna want their piece of the pie of management and more paperwork... and kickbacks to the camera makers, and constant upgrading, and lawsuits over false identifications... and you just know that being a gubmint employee, the guys watchin' the cameras are gonna spend more time napping, reading, and going on vacation than actually watching... or else they'll privatize it, and that'll cost us even more and next thing you know Exxon owns Main Street and your house is gonna be on Haliburton property and if you want your road shovelled, you'll have to call AT&T. Nope, if it were up to me, I wouldn't trust the government to do it proper at all - better just to be vigilent. That's free."

[Danger Mouse]

9. I think that would've made their heads explode.

Too much, too quick...completely overwhelming! :)
Good response, though.

[Rabrrrrrr]

10. I think you did the right thing, though - best just to leave 'em be.

Safer for you, and even if they didn't beat you up, no sense wasting your time.

[Danger Mouse]

15. I wasn't worried about physical violence...in a restaurant with children present?

Just didn't want to attract undue attention or make waves...it's a small town, and I don't want to take any risks that might endanger myself or my family in the long run.
There's been spates of racist outbursts in the town (especially in the high school) lately, and the police and school administrators have turned a blind eye to it.
The authorities can't be trusted to protect you if you're not one of the good old boys...

[stuntcat]

17. yes, they aren't worth Your time

as worrying as this stuff is (from people who walk free and even are allowed to drive) it's best to try to laugh at it, I mean that's my strategy from now on anyway

[GoneOffShore]

11. Great little monolog there

And a good comeback to folks who don't know what their civil liberties actually are worth. It would make them think.

Only one question (and it's frivolous): Do you think you could say that all on one breath?

[Rabrrrrrr]

16. No, I could not - but if one breathes quickly enough,

and just keeps rolling it out, they won't have a chance to interrupt. Then, when done, just return back to one's meal and commence back to eatin'. :7

And if they try to ask any questions, just wave 'em off with a "nuh nu nuh nuh... until the government learns how to spend the money I already give 'em, I don't want 'em askin' for no more."

[lildreamer316]

32. ...and this is why I love you.

so very very true.

[stuntcat]

8. everyone killed by terrorists is a conservative?

hm! I learn something new every day!

[Danger Mouse]

12. Yup! If a terrorist kills one of your loved ones,

You immediately start to like Ann Coulter, listen to Rush and Hannity, and sing 'Proud to be an American' while masturbating furiously.
It goes without saying that you also hate every single Arab with a flaming passion and want big daddy government to protect you from the boogeyman while you hide under the bed and weep softly.

[LSK]

30. where did you read that?? certainly not in the OP

:wtf:

[hippywife]

34. From the OP:

It's well and good for them (liberals) to whine about civil rights till one of THEIR family members gets killed by terrorists.

It's kind of implied.

[stuntcat]

36. (thank you)

.

[graywarrior]

13. Borat kinda pointed out what you witnessed today.

It amazes me how much some people still think that way.

[Danger Mouse]

18. I want to see that so bad!

Going to rent as soon as it's available locally.

[graywarrior]

23. I hated it and loved it.

[Danger Mouse]

24. I think I understand what you mean by that.

And that is the reason I want to see it so badly.

[graywarrior]

25. It was so boring, yet I laughed harder than I have in years.

[frogcycle]

14. just remember the processionary caterpillars

they won't change. they'll follow each other in a circle til they die. just hope there arent't enough of them to ever again put one of theirs in a position, anywhere, higher than dogcatcher

[Danger Mouse]

19. They have children who get rotated into the cycle as they pass on.

And their children have children.
It never ends, really.

[Rabrrrrrr]

21. Jesus said, "You'll always have the stupidly ignorant who don't have the sense to use the brains

God gave 'em, with you."

[S n o w b a l l]

20. Sometimes you just gotta roll your eyes

Moving from LA after 15 yrs back to my hometown, a small red state city, I've had to force myself to stay upbeat when encountering the illiterate hicks around here. It's not easy and I've been depressed more than not.

The other day at work, I happened to walk outside when some redneck movers were in the parking lot discussing the bumper stickers on my car. One couldn't understand the crossed out W, Prevent Truth Decay sticker. The other was explaining it to him. Then I heard the "heh, heh, huh huh..we'll have to remove those when we leave". Ignorant assholes. But, I didn't say a word. It wouldn't have been worth it. Some people you just have to blow off and realize what hopeless, souless beings they are.

It's easy to get depressed when you're surrounded by idiots. My coping mechanism is to isolate myself at home from the nightmare out there. I wish I had a better way.

Just wanted you to know, you're not alone in your frustrations and anger.

:hug:

[Danger Mouse]

22. One of my oldest friends is a complete RW loony

Right down to admiring Ann Coulter and thinking Fox News is 'fair and balanced'...he infuriates me, but he's my friend, what can I say? I just avoid discussions of politics with him.
In any case, he enlisted in the military...I commend him for putting his money where his mouth is. He's the only RW-type I've ever known to actually have the balls to get off their chickenhawk ass and find a recruiter.
He supported the war, and then said he'd help fight it.
I disagree with everything he's ever said, but I respect him IMMENSELY for that.

Thank you for sharing, Engi.
:hug:
So, when are we getting hitched? ;)

[S n o w b a l l]

28. What are you doing next Sat?

And I have the Borat movie we could watch too. :)



:D :crazy:

[madinmaryland]

27. Sounds like upstate New York.

Maybe a few miles from Poughkeepsie?

BTW, my SO is from there. You don't have to get to far out of the City to hear that kind of talk.

:hi:

[Kat45]

29. Funny how the folks who live in the middle of nowhere are the ones most worried about terrorists

The middle of nowhere is the last place terrorists are going to strike. Folks in NYC, where the terrorists did strike, probably aren't nearly as paranoid as these hicks.

[S n o w b a l l]

31. No kidding...

We have a popcorn store in Amish country on the terrorist list here in Indiana.

:eyes:

[Omphaloskepsis]

35. If they were smart they would attack a little town....

That is if they want to scare the shit out of a bunch of people. Fuck, I worry about getting killed by a cop more than getting killed by a terrorist.

[kariatari]

33. Wow! Are you in NW Iowa...that's the kind of shit I hear daily here! Gotta love it!

[EstimatedProphet]

37. Well, people like that don't vote anyway - it involves reading

[skygazer]

40. You should have agreed with them

And elaborated -

"Yeah, cameras on every street corner, definitely. But you know, they're clever, them terrarists - we oughta have cameras inside businesses too. Oh, and office buildings. Hell, them fellas that hijacked them planes, they was living in an apartment complex - what d'ya say we put cameras in all the apartment buildings, too? And I don't mean just in the hallways - put 'em right up in the apartments. Even if we didn't get no terrarists, the damn welfare cheats and crack dealers wouldn't stand a chance.

But some of them terrarists probly got money coming in from godless Librul sympathizers so they might even own houses - we better get some cameras in all the houses, too. Hell, I don't care - I got nothin' to hide. They could put a camera in every room of my house, for all I care. How about you boys?"

[realisticphish]

41. "If you have nothing to hide"

"drop your pants. Go ahead. What, are you a couple of liberal pussies?"

:evilgrin: