I think I live in Arlen, Texas. Only it's not funny, just sad.

[Bouncy Ball]

I went outside to call my daughter in and the guy on the other side of me was sitting in a lawn chair in his driveway, drinking beer. A lot, from the looks of it. He was staring angrily at the family across the street, out horsing around in their front yard.

I asked him what was going on and he started in. "I can't stand THEM," he hissed, pointing with the hand he was holding the beer in.

I was stunned. He was talking about a family who had invited him, his wife, us, everyone on the street, heck everyone they KNOW to every birthday party and celebration they ever had. He had eaten their food, drank their alcohol, wished them well, sat in their house, and he couldn't stand them?

He slurred "ya wanna know why?" He didn't wait for me to answer. "They come here, from MEXICO (he snarled that word), they set up shop, and look at 'em."

(Parenthetically: they came here from Mexico LEGALLY about fifteen years ago and used all they had and all their extended family had to open an auto body shop. It was so successful they bought an auto auction lot, too. They have done VERY well, to say the least. They are also the most generous, kind-hearted people I've ever met. They'd give you anything you asked for. They've shown up on my porch with warm homemade tamales in hand--she knows I'm crazy about them--just for no reason.)

He went on: "Look at ME! I was BORN HERE."

This is where I felt a bit uncomfortable. He was laid off twice in the last year. His wife is unemployed. Things have not been good for them in a number of years. But....he's a right winger, a bush person. I thought they believed in pulling themselves up by the bootstraps, work hard and anyone can make it, right?

I was in a daring mood, so I said just that, with a smile. Not sarcastic, just said it, as a question.

He just stared open-jawed at me for a few seconds. Said "whatever" and folded up his chair, sloshing beer everywhere in the process, and went in.

Can they not handle it when people use their arguments on THEM? Why should he be resentful toward that family? They came here legally and have done exactly what the right wingers love to preach about--they've worked hard, sacrificed, and they've done quite nicely for themselves.

[GOPisEvil]

1. He's just a racist.

He'd feel the same way if they were African-American, Asian or anything other than white.

[Bouncy Ball]

5. Oh yeah.

I guess if they were WHITE, it'd be ok that they worked so hard and are doing so well.

:shrug:

[GOPisEvil]

8. Not only is he a racist, he's insecure.

Their success makes him realize that he's had EVERY advantage and he's squandered it.

[Bouncy Ball]

11. I hadn't thought of that.

He's had it EASIER than them and they are doing way better.

But.....it's so odd to me to even think in those terms. I don't think of economic things in competitive terms, you know? I mean, if someone is doing well, great! Good for them! If they're not, well, what can I do to help?

:shrug:

[GOPisEvil]

13. That is what makes you a liberal.

Life is a zero-sum game to Republicans. If someone else wins, that means they lose. Liberals believe everyone can win.

Spelling edit.

[DemExpat]

18. Great responses here, GOP....

you get it and explain it well.

:thumbsup:

:hi:

DemEx

[GOPisEvil]

20. I had good teachers.

My parents taught me the difference between Republicans and Democrats at an early age. I have them, particularly my mother, to thank for my liberalism.

Thanks. :hi:

[punpirate]

19. Probably not....

Here's a guy seeing his life going downhill, drinking and feeling sorry for himself, and almost anyone else enjoying themselves would have triggered much the same response, would be my guess.

The racism comes in the form of the justification--in this case, grabbing the first obvious difference. If they were white, it would have been because they were Catholics, or Jews, or Northerners or (pick one).

Heaven forbid that this fellow might have to blame his own convictions, politically, for his own situation, for supporting the very people whose policies were eventually going to hurt him. Finding an "other" to blame is an essential necessity.

I would guess that this fellow's strong suit is not introspection.

[burrowowl]

2. Good on you!

Besides Texas used to belong to Mexico, it's the Gringos who haven't been there long.

[Bouncy Ball]

4. I should have said that.

"Hell, they're just taking this place back, as they should. VIVA MEXICO!!!!"

Oh God, he would have had a coronary.

:rofl:

[NoPasaran]

3. Yup

[Bouncy Ball]

9. He looks a bit like him.

But I can understand what this guy says, unlike that guy.

:D

[Droopy]

6. It's just prejudice

Which unfortunately is also a part of the right wing manifesto, be it unspoken.

[Bouncy Ball]

7. Well that was a classic example, wasn't it?

I already knew he was racist, but....he's always been so nice to this family (to their face).

I guess I really thought he liked THEM. All of us do. I thought.

[GOPisEvil]

10. A republican hypocrite?

You know the type. They're all friendly to your face, but talk about you behind your back the second you walk off. CLASSIC Texas.

[Bouncy Ball]

12. Yeah. I'm sure the husband and I have been the topic of

conversation more than once. In fact, I know it. But the day I start giving a shit what some racists think about me is the day I want one of you to cart me off for some meds, ok?

[Droopy]

14. Yep

I've spoken to a lot of people like him around where I live, too, some of them even in my own family. My step father voted for Bush and when he watches a sporting event he's always keeping track of how many white players there are versus black players. When a team doesn't have a white player in the starting line up he is always quick to point it out. It sickens me even though I love the man. He's done a lot for me, my sister and my mom.

The way I look at it is that nobody is perfect. We all have are good points as well as our flaws. But it is really hard to look past racism. The best thing that you can do is to confront the person like you did and make her/him think. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. All you can do is try.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

15. It sounds like one of those white republicans who believe that

it's the white men who are the real 'discriminated against' population. His view is enforced by FOX News, Limbaugh et al.

He sees other people doing better than him and rather than looking at the real reasons (motivation, hard work) he puts it down to racist conspiracies.

[babylonsister]

16. I don't think 'the Minutemen' have helped

at all for any state near the MX border. Racist opinions are being expressed more openly. I've heard similar from a friend in Corpus Christi, and she didn't vote for *.

[ewagner]

17. Just read your account

of the conversation and I got a cold chill running down my back...

Why?

Because just a few years ago, this guy wouldn't had DARED make those statements to you or anybody. He would have kept them to himself like some deep, dark family secret. But now, bigots have been given "cover" by the conservative agenda. Now, not only is it acceptable to give voice to your prejudices, it's downright PATRIOTIC!.

Frightening.

Very, very frightening. :scared: :scared: :scared:

[Droopy]

21. Good point, man

The cowards have definitely been emboldened by what I guess they see as the great white hope running things in Washington.

[burrowowl]

25. In the late 50's

My mother working in accounting at Fort Bliss in El Paso, she, Nell and Elsa invited a new colleague to lunch. Elsa was from Puerto Rico and a bit olive complexion, Nell and my Mother lily-white. The newly arrived Gringa went on about murdering Mexicans, she wouldn't go to Juarez, Mexicans were Catholics and would murder go to confession and murder again.
The 3 (all Catholic) let her rant on and then at the end (my Mother and Nell had very English type names) looked at the woman and said Nell is Mexican and my Mother was married to a Mexican (only one of five siblings born in El Paso (youngest, father was American mother Mexican). The Gringa was flustered to say the least.
I lost my first job in ABQ at an employment agency run by a Gringa (1966) when I aked: what does HS and LS mean on job description. She said High Spanish and Low Spanish, High Spanish doesn't look Spanish and Low Spanish does. I said that my Mexican grandmother would have shot her if she were called Spanish (took long enough to get them out of Mexico) and this was discrimation and racism of the worst type. Job lasted 2 hours and she didn't even pay me.

[sakabatou]

22. He can't stand other people being more well off the he is

Moreso, because they are immigrants...

[fluffernutter]

23. pig

that so pisses me off. they are what America was founded on for chrissakes, and they are definitely pulling their weight, born here or not.

he is a jealous, predjudice slob :puke:

[samplegirl]

24. They believe in pulling yourself up from your bootstraps

as long as its not them wearing the boots. Typical republican
mindset. Good for you for putting his words where they belong.

[progmom]

26. pathetic

good for you for speaking your mind - and for doing it rationally. :hug:

[yellowdogintexas]

27. your sweet neighbor has the blasphemous Mary and Joseph,

right?

They sound like such neat people too.

When I lived over near "Little Mexico" in FW, we noticed that every time a sort of run down little rent house suddenly started looking good, it was a Mexican or other Hispanic family fixing it up. Sometimes it was two or three men to begin with, get it all fixed up, then maybe a young family with one baby would move in to it.

The three amigo handymen probably moved on to another fixer upper and started over.

It was really neat to watch the tranformation of that street.

I love the Mexican/Hispanic/ etc people that I work with and admire their up and comer attitude.

And the other posters are quite correct, if it wasn't a Mexican family, it might be a black family or Jewish, or Catholic, or heavily accented European recent arrival. Your neighbor is feeling down and out and has to have someone to blame. Too bad he can't see it is * and crew.

[Bouncy Ball]

28. Yep!!! You remembered that!

Yeah, they have the baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph lit up display in which Joseph ALWAYS falls over face first into Mary's lap. I have GOT to get a picture of it this year.

They are totally cool people. Once my car was in the shop and a co-worker was picking me up, so I was waiting outside and she saw me and said "I wish you would have told me, you could have borrowed a car from our lot. We have a Mustang..."

I told her thanks, it was only for that day. Wow, that was nice.

[yellowdogintexas]

32. BB I will NOT forget that story, I hurt myself laughing!!! and shared

it with others.

You are lucky to have such good neighbors !!!!!!

[Deja Q]

29. That's the achilles' heel, when they become victims of their own policies.

I've seen it and eyewitnessed it before. "Why us?"

I wish more people could think outside the box. It'd do society a lot of good.

[lpbk2713]

30. Being a repubber moran is all about denial.

Any problems they have is someone else's fault. It doesn't matter if they have control of the Congress nor does it matter if Shit-for-Brains has been in office for over four years. It doesn't matter if things have turned to shit since he stole the election. It's all the fault of the dayum libruls.

[libodem]

31. I'm really proud of you for speaking up

a lot of people might have just let it slide. And the matter-of-fact, attitude, goes a long way, too. Damn bigots.