Words of Truth

I work with both Democrats and Republicans. I enjoy political discussions. What I don’t enjoy is discussion with people who refuse to see facts as facts. There is room for opinion, there is room for personal preference. If you like Obama’s economic policies better than McCain’s, that’s fine, let’s discuss the possible up and down side to each. But when I am talking to someone and they refuse to acknowledge the facts, I don’t know how to get through to them.How do you convince someone that 1+1=2? Here’s what prompted this post:

This morning I asked a Republican co-worker if she had seen the Joe Biden interview yesterday. She said, “no,” so I told her that supposedly (I hadn’t seen it either at that point, but you can see it here) the interviewer called Obama a socialist. A Democrat coworker overheard this comment, and launched an attack against me, stating that what Obama said about “Spreading the wealth” isn’t a socialist policy. I disagreed, and she refused to listen to my reason. I said, “Don’t take my word for it, look up socialism and you will see that “spreading the wealth around” is a very good description of socialism.

Socialism is a system where wealth is taken from those who have it and given to those who don’t have it.
Obama said that he wants to “spread the wealth around.” To spread something, you must take it from where it is and move it somewhere else. This is socialism, pure and simple.

She (and others) seem to be hypnotized by Obama, and I have never gotten a good answer as to why she supports him. When I asked her originally why she supports him, she asked me if I had read his books. Any time I try to discuss the election with her, she gets defensive. I’m done talking to her about it (actually, I was done talking to her about it before this morning, but she poked at me).

The picture at the top is exactly how I feel about people who follow others blindly and refuse to face facts. Do you see dumb people? When you speak the truth out loud, do they cover their ears and run away (figuratively)? Then this picture is for you.

The scariest thing is that these people have a vote.

UPDATE: I just read this article. Speaks to the “cult-ness” of Obama followers. Very interesting.

I got a ticket to the Sarah Palin rally that was held a mile from my house yesterday. I had worked the night before (and I had to be at work at 7pm Friday night), so I slept until 3pm, showered, got ready for work, and then drove to Verizon Wireless Music Center (where the rally was held). I stood in line from 3:45 until 4:30, when I finally got to my “place” (I was going to say “seat,” but I’m not a VIP so I didn’t get a seat. Standing in line, the guy in front of me got swindled by a button salesman: “buttons, one for $5, they are twice as expensive near the front!” The guy in line bought one. Then we got up to the front and there were the button salespeople: “Buttons, 2 for $5!” HA!I got my electronics frisked by TSA agents (you know, airport security). No problem. Some of the USSS guys looked like they were still in high school. But they all had the requisite black suit, sunglasses, and pig’s tail cord coming out of their ears. I walked to the lawn area (nosebleed section) and waited. The IN attorney general spoke for several minutes. Then “Tony Bennett got up to speak. No, not that one. This one is younger, and is running for State Superintendent of Public Education (SSOPE?). Lots of cracks about his name. Ha ha. How sad to go through life explaining that no, you are not that Tony Bennett, and then you have to use it in a political career. He probably hates that joke.

Some lady I didn’t know came out to do the pledge of allegiance. People shouted out “UNDER GOD” when it got to that point. Then some other lady I didn’t know sang the national anthem. Then Mrs Aaron Tippin came out to sing “God Bless America” and introduce her husband, who sang three songs: Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly, Kiss This, and Drill Here Drill Now. Then the Lt Governor of Indiana gave a 10 minute speech, which was good. After this, the crowd was treated to a half hour of music. Not live music, but taped music. Ummm, let’s see…there was “Centerfield” by John Fogerty, “Thunderstruck” by ACDC, “Footloose” by Kenny Loggins, and “She’s Not Just a Pretty Face” by Shania Twain. There were other songs, but that was a good sampling. Kind of an odd selection if you ask me. Anyway, I just sat down and read my new Julie Czerneda e-book at this point.

They introduced Governor Palin at 5:45 and she spoke for about 30 minutes. It was really good stuff, and I really enjoyed hearing her live. I wish I could have been closer, since being 100 yards away takes some of the fun out of it. I can’t think of any one thing she said that struck me, but the crowd was applauding every other word, so it was hard to get a flow going.

I tried to leave at 6:15, since she was still talking, and I needed to leave for work so as not to be late. I walked over to the exit, and the police officers and US Secret Service wouldn’t let us leave. We thought they were just waiting until she was done talking, but she finished, and they still wouldn’t let us through. Ten minutes of waiting there…we thought they were just letting people leave in an orderly fashion (closest to the exits first, you know). Eventually, the middle section was empty, and they STILL weren’t letting us out. People started getting angry. Finally a K9 cop told us that since the upper section had people who had not been searched, we would not be allowed down near where the future VP was still shaking hands. We then understood, but we still wanted to leave. He pointed us to the exit at the top of the bowl (those of you familiar with the music center will understand this bit). I walked through that, then walked through a gate, then 200 yards down a drive, then 200 yards down to 238, then 50 yards west, then 200 yards north to my car. Then I waited in line for a Loooooong time to get out of the VWMC parking lot. I found it interesting that the people I graciously let in front of me didn’t then let others in. Selfish. I finally got to work at 7:30, but the nurses I was relieving were still giving report to others, and I already knew the patients, so it was no big deal.

I enjoyed seeing Sarah Palin. I enjoyed hearing her speak. I didn’t enjoy the logistics. Next time I go to one of these things, I will clear my schedule so I don’t have to be anywhere. I could just as well have sat down and read my book for another half hour if I didn’t have to go to work. Live and learn.