Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Life / 2008 I am No Defeatist Coward...am I?
Posted by Jeff Kirby on Wed, Nov 26, 2008 at 3:33 PM
Two weeks ago somebody destroyed the back windshield of my car.
It was parked next to a dumpster, and some jerk decided to grab a thick, ugly, pineapple-shaped glass trash vase and use it for some smashing. I couldn’t even really get mad about it. It was one of those random acts of vandalism and I was the evening’s karmic toilet. There must have been twenty other cars parked around mine, and I got the short stick. C'est la vie. But then I started wondering if maybe my car was targeted because of the Obama bumper sticker still affixed on the back. Maybe some drunk, racist asshole walked by my car, saw I was still rubbing his nose in defeat, and decided to wreck my stuff. It’s possible, but it seems so unlikely. Nobody’s going to get their windshield smashed, on Capitol Hill of all places, for having an Obama sticker on their car. Right?
I came out to my car yesterday to find this:
Well shit. I guess this means my car is a target. Granted, this act of vandalism is minor and easily remedied, but it proves that my Obama bumper sticker has marked my car for intolerant acts. There’s still no way to know if my windshield got smashed because of it, but the probability just went way up. So does this mean I have to take my Obama sticker off my car in order to feel safe again? I can’t afford wasting hundreds more on another stupid repair - I’m the working poor. But I’m also not quite done reveling from November 4th yet. And even if I was, I want to take the sticker off when I’m ready, not because I’m worried it’s going to lead to more smashing. I don’t want to be a defeatist coward, but I’m so poor. Sigh.
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3
All you need is a friend with a webcam that can catch them in the act - and then report them so they can be shipped to GITMO for acts of terrorism against the President.
4
Grow a fucking spine and stand up for yourself instead of rolling over and showing your ass.
Set up a webcam or something- catch the person who is doing this. You can return it later for very little loss out of pocket.
Set up a webcam or something- catch the person who is doing this. You can return it later for very little loss out of pocket.
8
Yeah, because anonymously leaving a mean little bumper sticker on somebody's car is the very essence of courage and conviction.
9
It would make a great story if you could get video. Probably make a couple bucks off it.
Oh. And the google says you're not the first. This thing is BIG. Somebody investigate.
Oh. And the google says you're not the first. This thing is BIG. Somebody investigate.
10
I know the feeling of being the karmic toilet... two Christmas' ago (after that big wind storm) my house had no power for a week; On my way to stay at a friend's house I got a speeding ticket, and then the next morning I come outside to find that some little shit with a BB gun shot out the driver's side window of every car on the block, including mine.
good times.
good times.
11
Sore fucking losers. Those assholes managed to get Bush into office twice, but you didn't see me breaking their shit (although especially after the 2004 election, I felt like it).
13
Right-O right-wing vandals. After all, nothing (not even victorious Democrats) could be more cowardly and defeatist than some chickenshit putting a sticker on someone's car.
These morons have projection down to an art.
These morons have projection down to an art.
15
maybe somebody's targeting you because they know you and think you are an asshole. could be these acts have nothing to do with your political affiliation at all.
16
Find a friend who enjoys a rousing game of paintball (preferably one who owns his own gear) and wait, quietly, in the shadows...
Even better if the paintballs are frozen.
Even better if the paintballs are frozen.
19
Police normally won't fingerprint for "small" crimes but maybe if you point out this is probably a hate crime, they'll pay attention. Or peel off the sticker with a tweezer, wrap the vase in a plastic bag, and hold on to the evidence until the police figure there's a problem going on. If they're targeting you because of your sticker, then they're wrecking other people's cars too. And get that webcam set up. If you catch them, not only will they go to jail, you'll be able to sue them and get your repair bill back.
21
Vandalism, of course, sucks.
However, consider updating that bumper sticker with a "ng" replacing the "st".
However, consider updating that bumper sticker with a "ng" replacing the "st".
22
the bumper-sticker users of the world truly deserve one another...however, i genuinely applaud your ability to shrug-off the smashed window.
25
sounds like your car was parked in two places, right? so maybe just a coinky-dink. at least you can take the sticker off. once someone stole a jesus fish and stuck it on my bronco because i had a darwin fish sticker. silly kids.
26
A few years ago while in Centralia I came out of one of those outlet stores (I know, but never mind that for now) to find a wad of spit on my drivers side window which I attributed to my Kerry bumper sticker. I realize that's not the same as the smashed window and red bumper sticker but it says a lot. How many Republicans have had their cars vandalized because of a Bush or McCain sticker? We at our end of the political spectrum don't do things like that. Which party has the college professors and which party has the trailer trash rednecks? Compare the positive Obama video to the shrieking McCainiacs at one of their campaign rallies. We belong to the party of intelligent and superior people and I am proud. My Obama sticker is staying even if I drive through Idaho on my next road trip.
27
Go for Tiktok's "Democrats are defeating COWARDS" idea. Not only is it the cheapest idea, you also get to give the middle finger to Republicants.
29
One of the guys who's doing this is one John Laughlin from Duvall. His email is volvo242gt@blarg.net and his AIM name is IIci MAN.
30
Get a sticker (or make one) that says "Republicans" to cover the "Democrats," if the first sticker won't come off.
31
I'm not saying you deserved either of these two things, but still having the bumper sticker on your car almost a month after the election seems like just rubbing it in. I remember seeing all of those 'W' stickers on peoples' SUVs months after the last election was over and it made me want to throw some vases through some windshields (or at least flick boogers on them). If I would have been drunk and had something heavy handy, who knows how it would have turned out.
We pulled the Obama sign out of our front yard about a week after the election. I'm still reveling too, but there is a fine line between celebrating and gloating.
We pulled the Obama sign out of our front yard about a week after the election. I'm still reveling too, but there is a fine line between celebrating and gloating.
32
You know, this is interesting to me because here in racist, backward flyover country (a.k.a. Ohio) which had the temerity to vote for HILLARY in the primaries, I've not heard of anything like this happening at all. Of course, I live in Clintonville, a liberal enclave (or something like that) but still...
34
Jeff, I feel bad you had this happen to you. It's easy for me to say this, but you have two paths... one is easy but *may* leave you feeling violated for quite a while.
The other is harder work but EXTREMELY satisfying if it helps punish the criminals. In such a case, I'd follow the advice of some of the above folks: 1) PUBLICIZE THE FUCK OUT OF THIS (aside from your license plate number), and keep some sort of long-form visual recording of your parked car somewhere.
Who knows, you may help put a douchebag or two in jail.
...
All that said, while it feels satisfying to say that vandalism is a right-wing trend, it isn't.
I remember leaving work one summer in 2005 to see a heavily vandalized car with a "W" sticker in Redmond during the Katrina aftermath. Cops were everywhere. Maybe that was coincidence, too, but, eh, probably not.
The other is harder work but EXTREMELY satisfying if it helps punish the criminals. In such a case, I'd follow the advice of some of the above folks: 1) PUBLICIZE THE FUCK OUT OF THIS (aside from your license plate number), and keep some sort of long-form visual recording of your parked car somewhere.
Who knows, you may help put a douchebag or two in jail.
...
All that said, while it feels satisfying to say that vandalism is a right-wing trend, it isn't.
I remember leaving work one summer in 2005 to see a heavily vandalized car with a "W" sticker in Redmond during the Katrina aftermath. Cops were everywhere. Maybe that was coincidence, too, but, eh, probably not.
36
Wow! This reminds me of numerous incidents of vandalism at churches and temples in California and Utah from the losing side of Prop 8. Come on people. Where is the civility?
38
The hood of my car has about seventy Obama bumper stickers arranged in a checkerboard pattern. I haven't had any attacks on my car so far. I also don't plan on taking them off any time soon, because I want to rub it in all of their fucking noses for as long as I can.
39
Set up a webcam so you can beat the fucker's head in with a baseball bat when you catch him in the act.
If enough of these pussies end up in the morgue, they'll think twice before acting out again.
If enough of these pussies end up in the morgue, they'll think twice before acting out again.
40
Yeah, well, we just had our car window smashed in Capital Hill, with no bumper sticker and no Obama sign on our lawn. Although it is a Prius, which probably gave us away. It is *&^% annoying.
42
@29 & 41:
"If it's not Scottish, it's crrrrap."
"Get in mah belly!"
Sorry, so many ways to go with this ...
"If it's not Scottish, it's crrrrap."
"Get in mah belly!"
Sorry, so many ways to go with this ...
43
Car vandalism is lame. This probably had more to do with drunk assholes than Obama stuff. Maybe I'm giving them too much credit. Maybe he was just trying to rob your car for money for drugs or something, or because he was a dick. Obama isn't even President yet, and you expect human nature to change for him? On Capitol Hill? You might have destroyed the Feng Shui of one of the local condo dwellers.
45
Not to blame the victim but... The first one breaks a rule of city living. Don't park next to dumpsters or anything else that reeks of garbage and gives cover to people who want to either mess with a car or defecate. It goes with not parking where there is broken window glass, not leaving anything of value or anything that might conceal anything of value(an inviting box) visible in the car.
The second one is another story. If you're gonna have a bumper sticker, be prepared for dirty looks, extra speeding tickets, political vandalism, and other crap. If you want to engage, change the sign to "republicans are defeatist cowards who vandalized my car." Then get this http://www.bumpertalk.com/bt/images/item… and mess with their heads
The second one is another story. If you're gonna have a bumper sticker, be prepared for dirty looks, extra speeding tickets, political vandalism, and other crap. If you want to engage, change the sign to "republicans are defeatist cowards who vandalized my car." Then get this http://www.bumpertalk.com/bt/images/item… and mess with their heads
46
A week or so ago, a guy cut me off on the interstate. Very purposefully, aggressively, for no reason (traffic was not heavy). The first thing I noticed after my defensive swerve was his NOBAMA bumber sticker. It made me question whether I should keep my Obama sticker, which I did plan on having for at least another eight years.
48
The same thing happened to me!!!
except it was two years ago, my sticker said "if you can't trust me with a choice, how can you trust me with a child"
and i was parked on a catholic campus.
so, yeah. kind of the same but not.
except it was two years ago, my sticker said "if you can't trust me with a choice, how can you trust me with a child"
and i was parked on a catholic campus.
so, yeah. kind of the same but not.
49
Boo Hoo! If this had happened to someone with a McCain sticker ( a sure bet on Capitol Hill) you all wouldn't have a lick of sympathy and would be laughing yourselves silly...
just sayin'
just sayin'
50
It's 2008; new rules:
Public political activities evidently carry the potential for backlash.
If it is ok for Richard Raddon to lose his job because he donated to a political cause Gays disapprove of then I suppose anyone who dislikes Obama can feel free to bash out a windshield or 2 (or 20)
This could be fun.
Public political activities evidently carry the potential for backlash.
If it is ok for Richard Raddon to lose his job because he donated to a political cause Gays disapprove of then I suppose anyone who dislikes Obama can feel free to bash out a windshield or 2 (or 20)
This could be fun.
52
Hey, guys.
I'm a Seattle Republican. Believe it or not, we exist!
The thing that makes me uncomfortable about this situation is how everyone is obsessing over "rubbing it in." I voted for Bush and never did I or any of my friends make an effort to rub anything anywhere. If anything we kept our victory celebrations to a whisper. However, this may just be due to where we live.
I've seen and heard plenty of examples of W supporters, Republicans and veterans getting their cars slashed up, keyed, tagged, spat on and defecated on.
My suggestion to you: get used to it! This is one of the many perks of putting your man in power.
If you can't get used to it be willing to affect a change in your own behavior. Please don't pretend that Republicans run a monopoly on vandalism. We need to halt the culture of blame. We don't want eight years where bad behavioral patterns have simply flipped. I don't want to see Republicans being sore losers or Democrats being sore winners.
Are Democrats defeatist cowards? No. But neither are Republicans uneducated racists. We need to get away from these blatant generalizations. It's in keeping with what both Obama and McCain said.
"I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in...offering our next president our good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together, to find the necessary compromises, to bridge our differences, and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited. Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans." -John McCain
"It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states; we are and always will be the United States of America." -Barack Obama
I would like to take the time to make it clear that Barack Obama is my president, too. I will support this man as the leader of my nation. I may make fun of him and rail against some of his policies...but this man will be my President for the next four to eight years. My Republican friends and I wish him success in all of his endeavors because success for Mr. Obama translates to success for Americans and many others abroad.
Please accept my Congratulations, and realize that I along with millions of others will be supporting Barack Obama at a level that most Democrats couldn't muster for Mr. Bush. Don't get caught up with these minor acts which are the exception to the rule. Both parties need to try to get past this if we want any of the lauded Change we were promised.
Don't make the mistake of thinking I'm a soft Republican, either. I am a pro-life, gun-carrying, traditional-marriage-supporting, big-business, small-government, pro-change-in-the-middle-east Republican.
All of us need to get past polarizing comments, stereotypes and behaviors. I have friends, family and coworkers who are young, old, rich, poor, Democrat, Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Today I will go celebrate Thanksgiving with my family, despite its political divisions. Tonight I will go to bed with my girlfriend who I love and cherish, though she is a Democrat. Next week I will go back to work where there are people of all convictions and persuasions, and I will work alongside them with complete indifference to the fact that their personal beliefs differ from mine.
I'm positive that the individuals who posted above and who are reading this now also have a multitudinous variety of people in their lives that they know and are dear to them. Let's not make the mistake of calling each other racists or cowards.
More...
I'm a Seattle Republican. Believe it or not, we exist!
The thing that makes me uncomfortable about this situation is how everyone is obsessing over "rubbing it in." I voted for Bush and never did I or any of my friends make an effort to rub anything anywhere. If anything we kept our victory celebrations to a whisper. However, this may just be due to where we live.
I've seen and heard plenty of examples of W supporters, Republicans and veterans getting their cars slashed up, keyed, tagged, spat on and defecated on.
My suggestion to you: get used to it! This is one of the many perks of putting your man in power.
If you can't get used to it be willing to affect a change in your own behavior. Please don't pretend that Republicans run a monopoly on vandalism. We need to halt the culture of blame. We don't want eight years where bad behavioral patterns have simply flipped. I don't want to see Republicans being sore losers or Democrats being sore winners.
Are Democrats defeatist cowards? No. But neither are Republicans uneducated racists. We need to get away from these blatant generalizations. It's in keeping with what both Obama and McCain said.
"I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in...offering our next president our good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together, to find the necessary compromises, to bridge our differences, and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited. Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans." -John McCain
"It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states; we are and always will be the United States of America." -Barack Obama
I would like to take the time to make it clear that Barack Obama is my president, too. I will support this man as the leader of my nation. I may make fun of him and rail against some of his policies...but this man will be my President for the next four to eight years. My Republican friends and I wish him success in all of his endeavors because success for Mr. Obama translates to success for Americans and many others abroad.
Please accept my Congratulations, and realize that I along with millions of others will be supporting Barack Obama at a level that most Democrats couldn't muster for Mr. Bush. Don't get caught up with these minor acts which are the exception to the rule. Both parties need to try to get past this if we want any of the lauded Change we were promised.
Don't make the mistake of thinking I'm a soft Republican, either. I am a pro-life, gun-carrying, traditional-marriage-supporting, big-business, small-government, pro-change-in-the-middle-east Republican.
All of us need to get past polarizing comments, stereotypes and behaviors. I have friends, family and coworkers who are young, old, rich, poor, Democrat, Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Today I will go celebrate Thanksgiving with my family, despite its political divisions. Tonight I will go to bed with my girlfriend who I love and cherish, though she is a Democrat. Next week I will go back to work where there are people of all convictions and persuasions, and I will work alongside them with complete indifference to the fact that their personal beliefs differ from mine.
I'm positive that the individuals who posted above and who are reading this now also have a multitudinous variety of people in their lives that they know and are dear to them. Let's not make the mistake of calling each other racists or cowards.
60
What kind of dumbass puts any kind of bumper sticker on the car's paintjob in the first place, moron?
62
There are Obama car magnets out there--if you're worried about being a target but still want to show your support, just get a magnet and just peel it off your car when you have to leave it parked for awhile. Example: http://store.barackobama.com/product_p/m…
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