In front of my six year old son, I'm told by a total stranger I could be shot.

[Pacifist Patriot]

Yesterday I was picking up a prescription at Walmart for one of my neighbors and wearing this shirt.



As I turned a corner, an elderly man spotted my shirt and sputtered derisively, "Acorns, Acorns?!"

I said, "It's a charity, what is the problem?"

He snorted and said, "Wear that around here and you're likely to get shot."

I knew exactly what he thought my shirt was about, though granted it is a sports jersey which should have been a small clue, and said, "Yes, it's an English charity for terminally ill-children. Again, what is the problem?"

He said, "oh, I thought it was..."

I interrupted and said, "oh, the group that helps low and moderate income citizens participate in our democratic process?"

He harumphed and stalked off.

I cannot believe he made the comment about possibly getting shot. My six year old child was standing right beside me and is at a very literal age. What an ass! When I told my twelve year old about the incident he said, "Mom, you should have asked him who was going to do the shooting."

*sigh* I wonder exactly how many hours of Faux News Channel this idiot watches a day. It really is disheartening to experience that followed by receiving a stupid inflammatory email from the congresscritter who supposedly serves her constituents interests in Jacksonville.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6242855

Will we ever be free of the Far Right Disinformation Campaign?

[patrice]

1. The cure is Trust Busting. nt

[LeftinOH]

2. It looks very much like a British sports jersey; the man is a clueless old buzzard, and

your child was quite correct in asking who was going to be doing the shooting; I'd have pursued the creep and asked him if he planned to do the honors himself.

[Pacifist Patriot]

26. The comment would have made more sense if I'd been shopping in Liverpool rather than Florida.

;)

[mmonk]

3. Not until there are disclaimers required. Anything that passess

itself off as News but isn't should be required to announce it is not news but instead an entertainment and opinion show.

[Sirveri]

15. The court said they don't have to.

It was posted around here a while back, but I'm lazy and sleepy.

[mmonk]

23. I said ought to. I know the rightwing court we have now

since we kept our powder dry. I know they will protect lies and hate speech over our airways in the claim of "free speech" even while they never seem to have a problem with "free speech zones".

[VWolf]

4. Probably more dangerous

to wear last year's Man United shirt with AIG as the sponsor.

[reflection]

5. What an ignorant jerk.

Running your mouth about people getting shot is a good way to get shot. You might have considered covering your child's ears and telling him that. Or just told security he threatened you, and at the very least, made him very uncomfortable while they crawled him up and down.

[lonestarnot]

6. Clearly just another inorganically brain damaged Walmart shopper.

[pecwae]

10. Way to broadbrush.

There are people who have little or no choice other than a Walmart.

[lonestarnot]

11. Not. Specifically referencing dickwad saying shit like that in front of a 6 yr old.

And yea, among the group of those with little or no choice Walmart shoppers, there is a group of inorganically brain damaged folks. :hi:

[Hepburn]

19. Who is addicted to Faux Snooze...apparently. n/t

[Obamanaut]

34. And the OP who was shopping in Walmart is...? You know, some

folks really don't have a choice.

[Pacifist Patriot]

35. Well actually, I was only there to pick up a prescription for a house bound neighbor.

I avoid the place like the plague if I can help it. Not because I'm concerned about the intelligence level of the clientele, I just find it to be a horrid shopping experience in general. But yes, I agree with you. For some people, it may be their best or only option.

[Hutzpa]

7. Thats an Aston Villa football jersey

with acorns advertising.....the idiocy of these people is tantamount.

This is the website of that charity group;

http://www.acorns.org.uk/


:wow:

[AspenRose]

8. Imagine what would have happened if you wore an Obama T-shirt!

:scared:

[Echo In Light]

9. Some may disagree, but perhaps there's some good in this era of fascists showing true colors...

...I mean, it's better than the tightly pursed-lipped denial coupled w/their uber patriot bullshit. Obviously the signal is out, it's in the air, within the climate of opinion, and for those it resonates with, they're clearly not holding back and are perceiving this as thee time to fly their fascist flags high - - as it manifests in all sorts of different ways, such as the unfortunate incident the OP tells of.

I guess I'd rather the haters were upfront re their animosity so that it sends an easy to identify message to the many on the fence re the nature of the rightward movement in this country. It may prompt others to oppose them, and what they stand for and represent.

[Barack_America]

18. I'm all for fascists showing their true colors, just not in front of kids. nt

[Echo In Light]

33. As a parent, I know what you mean. However, children learn from example...

We teach our daughter how to recognize and decode certain telltale signs with people in various settings. Sometimes it's blatant, other times one has to learn to read between the lines as to what's actually being expressed beneath the surface action. Obviously one doesn't want their child in the presence of blind-fury idiots who are geared up for confrontation, but in my estimation it's a good thing to point out and explain to children what's really going on when such rightward people are encountered. That way they grow up realizing that there are those kind of people out there, they sometimes appear in unlikely form - especially if due to their social standing others are reluctant to say the obvious - and that way they'll have a leg-up in knowing how to deal with them if they have a better understanding of the what drives them.

[Joanne98]

12. We should start calling the police on people who threaten us with their guns.

[Echo In Light]

17. Not advocating violence, but I still maintain that if non-rightists stand up to such blowhards...

...from time to time, they'd find that the % of these type of encounters may decrease.

Bullies sense blood in the water, so to speak, and if the social climate (M$M) paints the picture that non-repubs are somehow 'under attack' it can lead to an escalation of various confrontations since those types love to join in a groupthink endeavor that involves singling their 'enemies' out. I'm sure they perceive it as being 'good soldiers.'

And really, it sounds as though the OP did a very good job of standing their ground, no fisticuffs necessary thankfully.

[imdjh]

13. So does this mean I shouldn't say nasty things to people wearing BYU shirts?

[Starbucks Anarchist]

14. Reminds me of this Bush story:

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/06/04/1111026.aspx

From NBC's Chris Donovan
An interesting tidbit now that Obama is the nominee and in light of Bush's congratulations today for Obama:

”Jan Schakowsky told me about a recent visit she had made to the White House with a congressional delegation. On her way out, she said, President Bush noticed her ‘Obama’ button. ‘He jumped back, almost literally,’ she said. ‘And I knew what he was thinking. So I reassured him it was Obama, with a 'b.' And I explained who he was. The President said, 'Well, I don't know him.' So I just said, 'You will.' " (New Yorker, 5/31/2004)

[Xenotime]

31. Wonderful story. If only to be there.

[Barack_America]

16. I fear for squirrels.

We all know how they feel about acorns.

But, come to think of it, when it comes to these people, squirrels have never been safe.


I'm sorry for your experience. Your child should not have had to bear witness to the violence and stupidity of these people. I guess that truly nothing is sacred or off-limits anymore.

[seabeyond]

20. boyscout meeting in fundieville with two sons. we use you liberals as target practice.....

my mouth dropped open....

[Pacifist Patriot]

22. I can't believe the violence advocated on bumper stickers around here.

Mommy, what does "the only good liberal is a dead liberal" mean? And that's a tame one. Oi!

[seabeyond]

28. my boys got to learn about abortion at too young an age. something about dont kill the babies

reading a bumpersticker. son is saying in back seat.... no, we shouldnt kill babies, it is wrong, mean and cruel. had to have talk with him too young. and then only go so far. he immediately went to abortion wrong, mean, cruel.... cause he wasnt even to an age where he "got" preg issue yet. sick sick sick

[tjwash]

24. Jesus loves him

[seabeyond]

29. lol lol... byt the time i was done with him. lol. oh, they started talking about youth sexuality

in that meeting and boys ineptness with girls and how at 15 16 they get the group of male and a girl to interact so they can learn how to be with a girl.... i am in a world of wtf.... got home and told hubby boys spend NO ALONE time with any of these men. they didnt stay in much longer. was so sad

yes, jesus loves them. i would challenge them, "why do you hate me". stop them in their tracks. oh, you are different, not one of them. no i am exactly them

[City Lights]

21. What a nasty, clueless fool.

It's a shame your child had to witness that. :hug:

[zbdent]

25. some people barely have enough brain to keep them breathing ...

I remember a show on cable where the focus was on a child with a deformity ...

Right in front of the child, who had gone through several operations already, some idjit asked the mother if the child was going to die ... RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE FREAKING KID!

[kgnu_fan]

27. I am really shocked to know this. I don't go anywhere near Wall Mart. nt

[Xenotime]

30. The reight is getting more and more restless.

[havocmom]

32. Haters can't win fair elections, so they are gonna try to intimidate their way back into power

Scratch a bully, uncover a coward, as you proved. Good on ya!

You are rightfully pissed about him making the comment in front of your son, but consider: His idiotic and thoughtless remark provided you with a gem of a teaching moment. My prediction: you son learned a hell of an important lesson that will sink deep into his consciousness. That lesson will serve him well, if you keep reinforcing it: Don't give in to bullies; don't miss an opportunity to use calm, rational truth.

[Iggo]

36. You were a lot nicer than I would have been.

Way to keep your cool, man.

[Pacifist Patriot]

38. Too shocked to wig out on him or I would have.

[Kievan Rus]

37. My goodness, these wingnuts are dangerous and scary

[Algorem]

39. that's WalMart's new thing- sinister greeters

it's all the rage

[Pacifist Patriot]

43. It wasn't a greeter. He was a customer.

[flvegan]

40. I'd have been right quick in asking him if he was threatening me.

Telling me I was "likely" to be shot, to me, is somewhat of a threat. Quick to put the asshole on the defense. When he was done backpedaling I'd tell him to shut the fuck up.

[GodlyDemocrat]

41. I would have called the police

[Mythsaje]

42. "Really? Wow... I guess there are reactionary racist nuts everywhere these days.

Thanks for the warning."