Conversation with Conservatives

Welcome to a new series on the Southern Donkey Blog. Whenever you see this title or image, you will know that the series is continuing. I have had so many interesting interactions with conservatives that I've decided to start publishing some of them under the title of "Conversations with Conservatives". The names will be protected but the interactions are real. If you have similar events, please feel free to send them to me or post them on one of our pages. The first conversation that I want to share is a brief encounter that thrust me into the political fight and occurred during Bill Clinton's second term. I've always been a Democrat but had seldom felt the need to openly defend myself. On this particular occasion, my brother and I were visiting my Grandmother at the hospital and as we were leaving, I was confronted by an older gentlemen in the waiting room who was watching the television and staring at CNN's coverage of the President. He reached out and grabbed my arm as I passed him and this what transpired....

Older Man- Ain't you glad that you didn't vote for him?

TSD- Well, I actually voted for Bill Clinton two times. 

Older Man- The hell you say!

TSD- No, I voted for him and really glad that I did.

Older Man- mumbling obscenities......you, you... you draft dodger!

TSD- No, I never dodged a draft, I'm just a Democrat.

White Lady working behind the reception desk- Well  I agree with the Older Man, why would anyone vote for a Democrat?

African American Lady sitting near us- I'm with the man who voted for Clinton and he's a great man. 

TSD- Thanks, you know it's just a matter of opinion and everyone has a right to their own.

At this point, my brother came by and asked what was going on and what the ruckus was about? The waiting area had divided into two groups and was getting very agitated. I decided to leave before a full blown riot broke out. As I left, I turned to the Older Man and said, you have a nice day now and this was roughly equivalent to handing him a grenade as he went into a ballistic fit. Although this was a short happening, it changed my life and made me chose a side in the Southern political fight. This wasn't a war that I had asked for but it became really obvious that it was either learn to fight back or be beaten down politically. Watch for more conversations with conservatives to be posted in the coming weeks.

Flowers in the Desert

Sometimes, the South can be a lonely and desolate place for a Liberal or Progressive minded person. Every day brings battles and persecution just for daring to speak your mind or voicing support for the Democratic Party. To the untrained eye, the South would appear to be unified behind hunting, fishing, country music, concealed carry permits and anti governments sentiments. Just when the desert seems to be harsh and without any hope, an oasis can often be found. The Southern Donkey found an oasis in the Southern Desert tonight. I attended a high school musical. The kids put in a ton of work and it paid off greatly. Against all odds for success, the drama department decided to put on a musical called "Singing in the Rain". I'm sure that many of the kids that participated in the play were subjected to ridicule for learning to tap dance and for singing their hearts out. In full disclosure, my daughter had some minor parts in the musical but it wasn't so much pride in my daughter as it was just being moved by a group of people who put the arts on display for the world to see. Being able to get lost in an innocent story line was refreshing and although there were some concealed carry people in the audience, even their hard hearts became warmed by the spirit of the the performance. Art, sports, comedy and music have the ability to unite us in common interest and they allow us to leave the bickering world of hateful politics behind. I have to feel that the next generation will have a chance to advance the South beyond it's old stereotypes. Imagine a South free of racism, conservative extremism and one that isn't so stuck in tradition and the rebel way that we risk our future in order to feel that we are right and the rest of the country is wrong. Southern Pride can be found in our sweet tea, hospitality, cooking and the beautiful scenery but only by striking the resentment from our past can we begin to find solid ground to stand on in the future.

TSD