Snapping at work

I just mailed two packages for the aunt of a soldier in Iraq. It's part of my job. When I brought her the receipts, I wondered aloud if she could ask her nephew what they thought of Election 2004, whether they'd gotten a chance to vote, what the consensus in their area was, etc.

A sales manager who was talking to the new administrative assistant piped up with a smile, "Say Erica, do you think if more of the military vote were counted, your guy would have lost bigger."

My answer, "No, frankly, I don't."

Still with a smile that was looking more like a gloat to me by this time, "Have you met our new assistant? She spent 9 months in Iraq. Why don't you ask her what she thought."

After alittle hemming and hawing from me, as I felt put on the spot, I did ask her what she thought of the atmosphere where she was. She said that most of the people she worked with there thought that if Kerry got in, they were going to die.

I mentioned, mostly from what I've read here, that there were entire squads of soldiers voting Kerry, saying "Get us out of here."

The girl answered with a diplomatic "I'm sure there was support for both candidates in different areas."

Sales Manager, still with the gloating "Isn't this all a big election game and I won" smile on his face, shoots in with "Did you read that on moveon.org?"

Snap.

The most civil thing I could make come out of my mouth was "If you're going to be a snot about this, I don't want to talk to you anymore about it."

"Ass" is the word that wanted to come out, actually.

Not that I have a problem with being identified with moveon.org. But I'm quite sick of people assuming they know me, and where I get my news, from the person I voted for. I assume the average Bush supporter's opinion of organizations like Moveon was that they were ultra liberal, ABB rather than pro-Kerry, and prone to distortions about their guy Bush. I don't know for sure really. I don't want to know.

I don't mind a serious discussion on the election. I've actually managed to have that with a Republican political junkie friend of mine. But if people think I'm going to sit still while they take pot shots at me for fun they have another thing coming.

If they can't take the time to find out if I was ABB or a Kerry supporter, to find out where I get my information, or that I just spent 4 months of my life and $200 that I didn't have on a guy I really, really thought was going to make a wonderful president, then I don't want to talk to them. It's that simple.

I don't think the Bushies understand that, as much as their news sources told them we were more against Bush than pro-Kerry, that some of us are truly heartbroken for the man and our country and are in no mood to talk, let alone stand as a gloat target.

--bathroom break--

One of the bystanders was in the ladies room just now (luckily she came in AFTER my crying jag) said SM was just funning with me. I felt alittle better when she also said that it was apparent that he was the one who overstepped his bounds and not me. Good to know, as I'm on a hair trigger right now, and I don't want to lose my job regardless. Not with Bozo in the White House, that's for sure.

The other bystanders teased him that he might have trouble getting his mail out of the building from now on. Yes, that's right, I am the mailroom goddess for my company. And the goddess is NOT amused.

Thanks for listening DU. I don't have alot of places I can go to vent.

I guess it is not surprising that a Bush voter would make mean-spirited comments.
Your reply seemed entirely appropriate.

pure willful ignorance.

he was a combat veteran, he was/is a hawk for chrissakes!

you are not insane. they are assholes.

and still be a tool. There are a lot of brainwashed folks in this country. All they know are makeover shows and that George Bush is a man of God. Don't let 'em get you down.