Politics, history and my family vacation in Williamsburg, Va.

How may of you have been to Colonial Williamsburg? Probably a ton. It is right up the 64 from where I live in Norfolk and a perfect place for a quick get away. The Commie (my SO) and I could not take a bunch of time off so we went there this week. We did the whole Busch Gardens thing and got a "Capital Citizen" pass and went touring the colonial area. The whole thing appeared very peaceful and well, rather conservative. By that I mean reserved, family oriented. But here is what else I noticed.

FIRST, at some point all of the re-enactments took "stabs" at our current political condition. One about when Benedict Arnold seized Williamsburg as a British General referred to Congress dining on elegant meals while our troops dined on rice and vinegar. Another about the expectations for religion in the country after the Revolution referred to the fact that one reason for our efforts was to NOT have a state religion… Like Anglicanism in England…. Or to have no religion at all. Most families seemed to be enjoying it. Some people got visibly angry…. People with like "pray hard" t-shirts and shit.

SECOND, and this touches that last point… This Christian Right shit has gone too far! Do you think that Jesus would have gotten rude, huffed and left in the middle of a nice, well thought out presentation? I think not! THEN…. There was the Ghost Walk….. Okay. WHY IN THE FUCK ARE YOU GONNA MAKE RESERVATIONS TO GO ON A GHOST WALK IF YOU DISAPPROVE?!?!? (Sorry,… did I yell?) At one point other patrons asked this one couple to leave the ghost walk later that night because they had something to say about what God had to say about the whole situation. One parent of two Goth looking teens said, "Look asshole you're scaring my kids not the ghost stories." That got a laugh.

At any rate I got the impression that people are coming around and the neo-cons try to rattle their sabers to stop it but their victories are getting fewer and further between.

Sounds like you normal people handled them just fine. :thumbsup:

I haven't been in years but I'd like to take my half-British kids there to give them some perspective on Colonial America.

Just curious, what did the fundies say/do when the other patrons asked them to leave the ghost walk? Did they leave quietly or did they kick up a self-righteous fuss and tell you all you were going to hell?

Also, what exactly did God have to say about the whole situation? I ask because my stepmother is an extreme fundie and she gets extremely upset whenever the subject of ghosts comes up. She thinks you can't believe in God and ghosts.

Edited to add: I notice you live in Virginia. Are you familiar with the story of Captain Jack Jouett? He rode the 40-something miles from Louisa to Monticello over the course of one night to warn Thomas Jefferson that "the British were coming" (specifically Banastre Tarleton and his men), allowing Jefferson to get himself to safety and avoid capture. Jack Jouett's my ancestor.

....then why do they worship the HOLY GHOST???

My stepmother starts breathing fire whenever I ask that.

especially our guide.... some poor little William and Mary freshman probably.

But then they left.... the gay couple tried to give them $22 but they wouldn't take it.

Their opinion was to say that there may be ghosts is to say that something MIGHT happen other than heaven or hell

I hope the fundies were run over by your ancestor's ghost! (on edit)

That couple probably only went on the ghost walk in the first place so they could tell the rest of you on the walk that you're destined to burn if you believe in ghosts (BTW, every time a fundie talks to me about hell, I always ask how you can burn in everlasting torment if you no longer have a body - stops 'em dead in their tracks while they try to figure out a response).

Something besides heaven or hell - that's right, fundies don't go for the concept of purgatory or unfinished business then, do they? It's like everything else in their limited imaginations, everything's got to be black or white, with no shades of gray in between. They're good, everyone else is bad. It must get tiring going through life needing to feel so morally superior to your fellow man, don't you think? It has to wear them out, spending all that time lecturing other people and working flat-out to earn brownie points with their deity.

I've told my stepmother that she needs to stop presuming to know the mind of God. Fundies hate it when you tell them that.

away from the welcome (information center) toward the colonial village. Did you get to the village that way or did you ride a bus? I can't really remember how it went but I believe that as you walk toward the village there are markers every so often with events from our history. If I recall correctly they are things that show how backward we were (many of the events that show struggle in our history). Then on the way back from the village on the other side of the bridge there were events and snippets about people who have made a difference in our history (for the better If I recall correctly). These were embedded in the concrete bridge so you would have looked down to read them. I wish that I had taken pictures of each one, I thought it was well done. Reminded me that America is a work in progress and part of the progress is purging idiots who want to take us back to the other side of the bridge.

Is there any other kind, these days?


Those people don't give up, do they? Even on vacation.

I'm glad they left in a huff. They're probably on the phone right now trying to get the poor little guide fired and running your tag numbers through the Rapture Database, but hey, at least they were as miserable as they are making us - for a few minutes.


One parent of two Goth looking teens said, "Look asshole you're scaring my kids not the ghost stories." That got a laugh.

That made my day :)