Peace, Love and Liberalism - UPDATED with video!
Today I entertained myself by taking up an invitation to help hand out John McCain fliers on the West Side of Manhattan. It was either doing that or doing laundry and handing out fliers sounded much more fun. And it was.
I got to the meeting spot and found that rather than handing out fliers, there's a bunch of McCain/Palin supporters who were marching along Columbus Avenue from 86th to 79th and back again. They are there with two or three large American flags and McCain signs. It was quite a turnout - 60 or 70 supporters.
Now the march itself was interesting. I had forgotten that on Columbus Avenue on certain weekends is a street fair made up of the different shops and merchants who come special for the occasion.
We're walking along and people are booing. Yes, actually booing. People gave thumbs down and more than a few actually gave us the middle finger. I was impressed and loved every minute of it. I hooted back and gave thumbs back up to them. The best stuff was when people came over to yell at us with the same emotion that most people should save in case we had tortured and killed their cat.
I will say that there were a few along the way that cheered us on. One of them came over to tell us that we were "brave". There were others who clapped and gave us the thumbs up.
Since McCain is only down by 5 percentage points in New York, it seems to me that there are a lot of supporters out there who are afraid to own up to being a conservative/Republican in this city. I can't say that I blame them -- in a "tolerant" city such as this I could see their perspective. However, the more people who own up to their ideology and show themselves to be unafraid of being heckled - even by wearing a McCain sticker on the way to the subway I was booed - it makes it easier for those more afraid to stand up and be counted.
What was funny to me is the use of attacks that are completely baseless. "Idiots" was one. "You should be ashamed of yourself" was another. "Idiots" was funny because I was walking alongside a medical doctor, a head in her field. I, myself, have a few degrees. We're no idiots. You may disagree with our ideas, but we're not idiots.
The lady who came up to me in an emotionally charged way who told me "I should be ashamed of myself" I asked her to stick to ideas and not tell me what I should feel. I asked another wonderful, tolerant person who misused his middle finger where his tolerance was. He had no sense of humor, neither did the other lady who I asked the same question.
I had a wonderful afternoon. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. For the liberals out there I must ask the same question, "where is the tolerance?" I was not feeling the love. Liberals on the whole (unless someone can prove me wrong, which I don't see it possible) are the most intolerant people out there. Rather than stick to ideas and good solid logic they would rather throw words out like "scary" and "evil" instead of proposing where the other party is wrong and discussing it. But then again, maybe they are incapable of that.
Today was certainly an educational day. I was on the train on my way home when a young fellow sitting there pointed to my McCain sticker and crossed his fingers. I smiled at him and nodded. Liberals have made this city a very unfriendly place for those who have a different point of view. And they call conservatives "scary"?
For video of my adventure click HERE. Let the "love and tolerance" of the open-minded New Yorkers wash over you.
Comments
Being for McCain isn't that bad. Just think what would have happened in you were advocating for a Boston sports team!
Posted by: harriet Drissman | September 21, 2008 9:57 PM
What savages
Posted by: ak | September 25, 2008 9:17 PM
You're suggestion is that people should be supportive of something, even if they know it is wrong. Excuse me? Are you familiar with this poem:
First they came for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one
left to speak up for me.
We ARE speaking up. Congratulations, you filmed it. Brilliant.
Posted by: anony | September 27, 2008 8:37 PM
So now you're comparing McCain people to Nazis?
This is America sir, a country with free speech no matter if you agree with it or like it. I have the right to walk in support of McCain on the West Side - and you have the right to boo and make your point. My comment here is that liberals supposedly pride themselves in their tolerance of views other than their own. Nonsense. You've proven my point with a poem which refers to the Nazis. Good job.
Posted by: Shira | September 28, 2008 1:48 PM