Okay DUers some of you think my wife is nuts but I think she needs some words of comfort.

[redirish28]

My wife is terrified as this upcoming election is nearing. Now she's not trying to cause any trouble or wishing for any trouble but she has seen the you tubes and the reports of what is happening at the McCain/Palin Rallies and she has heard some individuals talking about Obama in our community and she is really scared.

She and I never actually experienced the 50's and 60's events of equal rights and such things. She is aware of the events as am I. Well, she is concerned that as the election draws near and with some of the talk that has been heard by her and in the media she is wondering if she should be concerned about anything.

Is she really getting nervous for nothing or can anyone understand her concerns and can speak to them.

I think what really upset her was the comment she heard gentlemen mention in a conversation she had no choice in overhearing the Co-worker in question bellowed "That F___kin' C___CK sucking (Nword) has no F'in right to run for an office that NO ONE of his slimmy jacksh*t caliber has the right to try and reach. We will always be above THERE kind."

She is starting to seriously wonder if America has come far enough to be so forward thinking that Obama would be President.

And she saw the Palin remarks about "pro-American" and she was seriously wondering if Palin really meant "Pro-White".

No intent was meant to upset anyone on this board but i was hoping someone here could speak to my wife's fears and concerns or can tell to chill out that she is over -reacting.

[NNadir]

1. The only thing we have to fear is...

Screw those people. They're terrified of getting their asses handed to them. It's always the same with cowards.

[LynnTheDem]

The racist hate spewing from the rightwingnut fringe is never something

that should be shrugged off, but the vast majority of Americans are not rightwingnut fringe. Never have been. Never will be.

Be a good kind caring person, best you can as you can.

Kindness, tolerance, compassion will ALWAYS win out over hatred and bigotry.

Always.

But no one said it was going to be easy!

:hug:

[morillon]

9. Could not have said it better.

"Kindness, tolerance, compassion will ALWAYS win out over hatred and bigotry."

And in the short term, it may even seem otherwise, but ultimately, good wins.

[Historic NY]

2. I'm scared too...but I'm doing what I can to fight even if its low key..

it give one a sense of owning this election. I throw a few $ around & it makes me feel part of this time. Tell her not to give up her voice matters no matter what the other side says. I do little shit to annoy the obvious Repukes..it keeps them guessing.

[madmax]

3. Don't be scared - it's time

There will always be assholes.

[graywarrior]

4. Tell her to go volunteer for Obama even if it's only an hour a week

She'll be with people who think like her, feel the same way, but are empowering themselves by either phone banking or canvassing. It really makes a difference and she can see first hand how Obama's machine is fine tuned are ready to win.

[blogslut]

5. Have her go here

http://www.scouttufankjian.com/main.php

Then have her click on the menu item that reads "The Secret Service"

These guys are professionals and they don't screw around. Obama will be just fine.

[morillon]

11. Those were awesome pics! n/t

[stillcool]

6. I understand completely..

there is a deliberate attempt to whip us up into a frenzy, and people are responding. The thing I have to remind myself of, is that for every Palin nut at a rally, there are 100 of us at an Obama rally. The crying baby gets the milk, but in this case there is an orchestra of Republican crying babies. Every nasty bigot gets noticed, but not ordinary Americans. I think we have to be aware of what is being projected, what we are perceiving, and what is real. Not saying that this shit isn't real, but I have to believe it is not nearly as wide spread as it appears. The other thing is this...


But the nearer the dawn the darker the night,
And by going wrong all things come right;
Things have been mended that were worse,
And the worse, the nearer they are to mend.
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow,
Tales of a Wayside Inn--

[morillon]

8. That Longfellow quote is awesome. Thank you. n/t

[EFerrari]

7. Your wife is right, imho. Things are getting scary and even dangerous.

That's something we need to know, so we can deal with it.

Obama put in more security today in 11 PA offices.

His legal team is fighting back against the smear.

A lot of people, just civilians, pushed back against the ugly yesterday and emailed and called reporters. They got into the paper -- iirc, the WaPo.

A lot of us are calling around to our active friends and reminding each other to stay aware. That's all we can do.

So, she's not alone in her feeling. It is awful AND a lot of people are mobilizing.

We will be fine. I want you both to visualize Obama being sworn in and dancing at the Inaugural Balls, okay?

:hi:

[morillon]

10. Jayzus. Time for a new job.

Or an anonymous report to Human Resources. I'd bring a tape recorder to work (or use the one in my cell phone) and record that shit. There is no workplace in the entire country -- okay, maybe it would be okay in Palin Central -- where that would be even remotely acceptable. His ass should be fired.

[IsItJustMe]

12. Take your wife to an Obama Rally and let her see that there are masses of kindred spirits in this

struggle all working together for a better tomorrow.

[FLyellowdog]

13. Only respond if asked to share your opinion, and then carefully.

We can't change the base of the repugs...they think the way they think because of deep-seated bigotry, much of which is rooted in religion. Why? We can only guess. But the signs are irrefutable.

IMO, these people are no better (but often a lot worse) than the jihadists and terrorists they claim to fear. I believe we are involved in our own Holy War here in America but it is of the Right Wing's making.

They want a theocracy filled with exclusionary policies and white supremacy. This is NOT what we have fought two World Wars, a Korean Conflict, a Viet Nam War, and numerous Middle East crises to protect.

We are in the position to change what our country has shamefully become, and that's why it is so important that Barack Obama wins the election. It's not about the economy or the war or drilling offshore...for me it's more about standing up for civil rights and equal empowerment of all Americans.

We're on a precipice that can carry us back a hundred years if we let it. I want our country to be great, not all the same.

We will not be the America our forefathers envisioned if we allow the bigots and tyrants to win. Keep the faith. We can and will do it.

[Jennicut]

14. Fear is a paralyzer. We could all be killed by a meteorite crashing

into the earth (one is actually due to come awfully close in about 30 years or so) but I won't let that stop me from living my life. I bet fear does not stop Obama from doing anything. He has good security around him and thankfully there has not been a successful assassination attempt on a president's or candidate's life since Reagan in the early 80's. The radical fringe is racist, homophobic, anti woman and completely nuts. But they are the small 27% or so that still approve of Shrub. Small and outnumbered.

[expatriate]

15. I did live through the Civil Rights era,

I was among the kids bussed hither and yon to try to have equal racial numbers in the schools of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. There was quite a lot of violence in the schools then, with both black and white kids targeted. There was a lot of racial tension, and a lot of hatred. I remember "whites only" waiting rooms, restrooms, water fountains and schools, the official forms of segregation, and I have to say that I never even saw a black family eating in a restaurant until some time in the 1970's. The "unofficial" segregation was far more powerful than the segregation that could be changed in law. They were difficult times, for everyone but the bigots who gloried in such a terrible system.

But we got through it. All problems weren't solved, and they still aren't, and to a degree, probably never will be. You cannot force people to love one another, or even to tolerate one another, but I can tell you one thing - it gets better all the time. Back in 1964, the notion that a man like Barack Obama would hold elected office at all was incredibly radical. We've come a long way.

Your wife needs to bear it in mind that yes, there are very racist people in America, and in some areas, this may be the norm. But the majority of people simply want to live decently, have some kind of future for themselves and their families, and some hope that things in America will improve. I think at this point, with all the dire financial news and people really hurting in the pocketbook, you will see more and more of what we used to refer to as "colorblindness". If people feel that Barack Obama has the smarts and the impetus to get us out of this unholy mess, the sane ones will vote for him. I do believe they are probably in the majority.

As for the abusive language your wife was subjected to in the workplace - there are laws against this. As suggested in the thread, a recording, given anonymously to Human Resources, might be the go. She does not have to listen to language like that, from anyone, about anything.

Obama is a smart cookie. He's not going to be killed. There are a minority of loudmouths squalling for all the attention right now, and it seems like sane people are surrounded. He knows this, and is keeping his cool and going about business as usual. He's the best example your wife could have to follow.

[Neecy]

16. Here's my view ----

George Bush has been the most hated figure in the friggin' world for the last six, seven years....and he's just fine. Nothing has happened to him (thankfully - and I mean that. I'm totally non-violent).

Now, if the Secret Service can keep the most hated man in the world safe, they can keep every candidate in this campaign safe. They know what they're doing.

[BadDog40]

18. The difference is though

that the people that hated Bush are the intelligent rational people of the world, not the gun toting Joe the fucking Plumber Ted Nugent wannabe nuts.

I hope the SS does their job because it only takes one.

[redirish28]

17. Thank you all for your response. I will have her read all your responses