OK, so I'm out with the baby, in a local ministry thrift store, the profits of which I assume, go to help fund the ministry. Found some old Tupperware (which I love), and was waiting at the checkout behind this enormous guy. He was about 6ft. 4, and had a booming voice and a motorcycle helmet. On the shelf directly behind us, the store had about five miniature Barack Obama dolls for sale, I guess left over from elections, or just "collectibles" donated by someone. The first time he said "Man, those are just about the right size to hang in a noose from my windshield". The poor girl behind the counter kind of stammered and gave him his total for his purchase. Then he said it again. And then something similar a third time, trying to get some kind of reaction from her. She didn't say anything.
So I did.
I said, "Excuse me, its pretty clear you keep repeating that to get some kind of response, so let me give you one. First, would you have even used the word 'noose' if Barack Obama were not black? Second, you're talking about doing something that depicts the murdering of the President of the United States, which I think is a pretty bad thing to say out loud in a public place. Third, this is a ministry thrift store...basically an extension of the hand of Jesus Christ to the less fortunate among us. I personally find it offensive that you would talk about reveling in someone's death so easily, especially in this place, and I'm pretty sure the ministry that runs it wouldn't want any talk like that in this establishment. Last, I just came here to shop, and frankly, I don't care what your opinion of him is...like him, don't like him...keep it to yourself." He replied "I just don't like the guy". I said - "Hey, man, that's fine - you're perfectly entitled to whatever opinion you have - but when you talk about lynching someone in public, that's a little too much, making everyone around you uncomfortable with that kind of talk isn't right". He said "I wasn't trying to cause a scene". I said "No problem, man, its not a scene. I just think you gotta keep those kind of opinions to yourself when you're in a place like this". He said "Well, you guys have a good afternoon", and I replied "You too - have a nice day". And he left. Poor girl behind the counter...she said to me after he left "wow, I just didn't know what to say to him when he said that". And I said "Hey, its OK, I think I said the right things, maybe he'll think about it".
I suspect that because I was holding a really cute little baby girl, and didn't raise my voice at all, he didn't rail on me. Maybe he didn't have a gun on him, or just maybe my words got through to him a little bit. For those of you about ready to pounce on me for politics, there was absolutely nothing political about what he said, and nothing political about my response to him. Let's face it: if John McCain had won the presidency, and done the exact same things Barack Obama has done, no one - not a single American - would talk about lynching him. This guy's comments were 100% racial and nothing else.
The absolute fact is that whatever you think of this President, no one has the right to threaten him with the same kind of treatment given to "bad" slaves and black men and women in the 60's...this is the year 2010, people. We have an African American President, and whether you voted for him or not, he won, and is the leader of the most powerful country in the free world. Can we dispense with the veiled references to the color of his skin and show the man at least that respect?
Outstanding. That's all I have to say. :)
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