Frustrated outburst on the bus

Riding the bus this morning, a woman burst out and said something like, "How can we let this happen? Four more years of poverty and war. It's not fair!"

She was greeted with silence. Her frustration and grief were palpable. She got off immediately afterward, and since it was my stop, I walked up to her and said, "I hear you, sister."

She vented the usual anguish we hear around DU, and she said, "I work with all these Republicans and bible-thumpers, and I don't know if I'll be able to deal with their smugness."

I tried to console her: "Take the long view. Demographics are in our favor; the South will eventually be split with heterogeneity. It was a good election to lose, given how badly things will degenerate in the next couple of years."

We introduced ourselves and shook hands. She seemed a little comforted. What strange times.

are a good and wise person.

We have to pull together to build up the critical mass for 2008.

but how pathetic that in the greatest country in the world, our only hope is in the inevitable degeneration of our nation for people to have their eyes opened.

that people wouldn't all agree with her?

The mood was quite somber.

Even in the summer, there wasn't as much political talk as she'd seen in earlier years, in her neighborhood. Her take was that people were going out of their way to avoid getting into arguments, because they sensed how volatile things could become. Natural for this to carry over into the post-election period.

My guess is that riding public transit in Seattle would be Bush's idea of a very bad day! If anybody within earshot was a rabid GOP supporter, s/he would likely not have been able to resist a gloating comment ... so your assessment is likely right on.

Good on you for reaching out to someone in need, Barrett 808.

Why would people who rely on public transportation to get around have a soft spot for bush? Maybe they feel like I do and they are dumbfounded, speechless. I don't know what I would have said in that moment neither. I think I would have just sat there too, wanting to say something, but not knowing what.

on the bus.

How marvelously kind of you. God love ya.

:loveya:

Gotta stay together to weather the next four years.

"the South will eventually be split with heterogeneity"

I think the South has been kind of a troll thoughout this election, lurking, making "nice" now and then, but then going for the jugular in the end, because they hate government and want to see it damaged by bad leadership.

Which will water down the good-ol'-boy vote. Hey, it sounded good at the time.

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She told me it was all she could do not to choke the ever lovin' shit out of some smug, gloating b*tch this morning on the train. Stupid woman doesn't even realize her vote went for nothing in this blue state.

I literally haven't left my pad yet. Don't want to see anybody.

Thats a great story.

Is it wrong for me to want * to screw this country up so bad...that we don't recover for a generation? Is that a bad thing?

That he makes abortion illegal. That he invades Iran and Syria. That he re-enacts the draft. That he bankrupts the treasury (even more). That he drops a nuke in the mid-east. That the world gets so pissed off...they impose sanctions on us.

Like one of those hardcore Catholics that just smack themselves with whips...because they feel that they are SO sinful.

Is the above wrong?

I don't really want to take that as my slogan, but it has a real seductiveness about it.

She took a half day off this afternoon. Said they were all going out on a victory lunch. She said today was the worst day of her life. We've been trying to find her a new job, but she's a IT person and those jobs are hard to come by these days.

... now find a moderate that voted for Bush and reach out to them.

That is the only way this is situation is going to change.

. . . for comforting her, especially when others chose to be silent.

We all need to look for opportunites to reach out to like-minded people. And continue to attempt to reason with those who are not.

:grouphug:

(I've been using the group hug icon A LOT today!)

Something that sonofabitch prezeldent is missing. I hope everyone will continue to reach out to those in pain.

And probably that of the majority of folks on the bus.

There were a couple of conservative ladies chatting happily before this occurred -- I had a bit of a run-in with them a few months ago...some of you may recall my post about that incident.

... and of course, we are devasted by yesterday's election. After work, I went to the CVS drug store and I bumped into one of my colleagues, with whom I had commiserated earlier today. So we are standing in this long line and she says to me, "Would you give up the Red Sox and the World Series if it meant that Kerry won?" (You know that is a loaded question!) I replied, "Hell yes!" At which point EVERYONE in front of us turned around and nodded approvingly.

Went to school there, definitely a good place to live.

:hug: