how are things between your republican friends/family

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a McCain supporter myself and dedicated campaign volunteer, my Obama supporting friends and family often judged me harshly. Now with the election over, I have gone out of my way to send congratulatory messages and make phone calls to them. They are all pleasantly surprised and say they hadn't wanted to contact me because they thought I would be "angry" over the results. While I am disappointed, I bear them or our President-elect no ill-will. I only want what is best for this country. I have many reservations and concerns about Obama, but in the end I hope that -I- am the one who is wrong. I want things to go well in the next 4 years and not to be in the position to say, I told you so. I remain cautiously optimistic and try to bend over backwards not to create any tension with those on the other side of the aisle. Often times, I have not been treated that way in return.

Regarding the issue of race - during the course of this election, I have experienced a sort of reverse discrimination, so to speak. Just because I am white and voted for the white guy, I have often been treated like a racist which couldn’t be further from the truth. The issue of race had NOTHING to do with my vote in the least, but that is often the assumption. I find that is our judgments of others that often cause the most tension.

I think most of your post is thoughtful and well-said. However, there is nothing stupider than the idea of reverse discrimination. Being treated like a racist is not reverse discrimination. People are making unfair assumptions about you because you voted for McCain--yes, that is unfair, and no one should assume that you voted for McCain because he is while and Obama is black. That is unfair to assume, as there could be many reasons someone would chose not to vote for Obama that have nothing to do with his race, as he expressed last night on "60 Minutes." But this assumption that you are a racist because you didn't vote for Obama--that unfairness and perhaps hurt feelings on your part are as far as it gets. No one is going to deny you a job, a house, or a loan because you are a white person who voted for McCain. These things can happen to black people just as a matter of course; and they have happened, for a long, long time. Because of racism and, yes, obviously, unfairness. But racism denies opportunity and creates systems that deny people basic rights. This is not the kind of thing one encounters as a McCain supporter or by simply being a supporter of any candidate. Seriously: I'm white, and unfair things have happened to me, but no one will ever treat me differently or deny me something because I'm white. One of my lifelong, childhood friends is black; she cannot say the same.

[Anonymous]

Well....I'm a white woman, blond hair, originally from South America, got a university degree, and when I was surrounded by republicans at the company where I used to work for 6 years I could smell and feel racism all over the place. I remember one time when the owner of the company saw me drinking some water inside the store, he asked me: "What are you doing here?" my answer was "I'm drinking water, what are YOU doing here?" and I went back to my duties.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a McCain supporter myself and dedicated campaign volunteer, my Obama supporting friends and family often judged me harshly. Now with the election over, I have gone out of my way to send congratulatory messages and make phone calls to them. They are all pleasantly surprised and say they hadn't wanted to contact me because they thought I would be "angry" over the results. While I am disappointed, I bear them or our President-elect no ill-will. I only want what is best for this country. I have many reservations and concerns about Obama, but in the end I hope that -I- am the one who is wrong. I want things to go well in the next 4 years and not to be in the position to say, I told you so. I remain cautiously optimistic and try to bend over backwards not to create any tension with those on the other side of the aisle. Often times, I have not been treated that way in return.

Regarding the issue of race - during the course of this election, I have experienced a sort of reverse discrimination, so to speak. Just because I am white and voted for the white guy, I have often been treated like a racist which couldn’t be further from the truth. The issue of race had NOTHING to do with my vote in the least, but that is often the assumption. I find that is our judgments of others that often cause the most tension.

I think most of your post is thoughtful and well-said. However, there is nothing stupider than the idea of reverse discrimination. Being treated like a racist is not reverse discrimination. People are making unfair assumptions about you because you voted for McCain--yes, that is unfair, and no one should assume that you voted for McCain because he is while and Obama is black. That is unfair to assume, as there could be many reasons someone would chose not to vote for Obama that have nothing to do with his race, as he expressed last night on "60 Minutes." But this assumption that you are a racist because you didn't vote for Obama--that unfairness and perhaps hurt feelings on your part are as far as it gets. No one is going to deny you a job, a house, or a loan because you are a white person who voted for McCain. These things can happen to black people just as a matter of course; and they have happened, for a long, long time. Because of racism and, yes, obviously, unfairness. But racism denies opportunity and creates systems that deny people basic rights. This is not the kind of thing one encounters as a McCain supporter or by simply being a supporter of any candidate. Seriously: I'm white, and unfair things have happened to me, but no one will ever treat me differently or deny me something because I'm white. One of my lifelong, childhood friends is black; she cannot say the same.

I have been treated unfairly because of my whiteness. I lived in a black area of Philly while attending school. Very racist group of people up there. So please do not assume that just because you are white you will not experience racism. Not true. Any one can experience it, just depends where you live.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I have been treated unfairly because of my whiteness. I lived in a black area of Philly while attending school. Very racist group of people up there. So please do not assume that just because you are white you will not experience racism. Not true. Any one can experience it, just depends where you live.

Yes that happens. My white dd attended a majority black school and I heard things now and then about comments a few black students made about white students. But step back for a minute and look at the wider world in the United States and look at the pathway to power. Black people don't control that. For most of her life, ninety-nine times out of a hundred my white dd will walk into a room and people will assume that she belongs there because she is white, whereas some of her fellow black students can never be quite sure of their reception in that same room.

I also live in a majority black neighborhood and find that most people here are nice to me. Could be they are nicer to other black people but as far as I can tell they like me just fine.

There is some prejudice against white people but it has very little impact on us overall. I don't worry about it.

[Anonymous]

My Son who is in 2nd grade goes to a school where he told me most people were voting for McCain.

The other day he came home and said...."there aren't going to be any more Pokemon for 8 years, Mom!!!" I said..."What do you mean?" ....He said, "Because of the new President, He's not going to let anyone make any Pokemon for the next 8 years...."

I couldn't believe it. I was wondering if that's what the other parents had told their children or if the children just surmised something 'horrible' on their own because of McCain losing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My Son who is in 2nd grade goes to a school where he told me most people were voting for McCain.

The other day he came home and said...."there aren't going to be any more Pokemon for 8 years, Mom!!!" I said..."What do you mean?" ....He said, "Because of the new President, He's not going to let anyone make any Pokemon for the next 8 years...."

I couldn't believe it. I was wondering if that's what the other parents had told their children or if the children just surmised something 'horrible' on their own because of McCain losing.

This sounds like definitive evidence of extreme, widespread racism on the part of these kids, who are obviously the children of unreconstructed racists who obviously voted for McCain.

I was being sarcastic. But I wouldn't make a lot of assumptions based on this. Do the kids know that a presidential term is, um, four years rather than eight? Maybe a little basic civic education is in order at that school!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My Son who is in 2nd grade goes to a school where he told me most people were voting for McCain.

The other day he came home and said...."there aren't going to be any more Pokemon for 8 years, Mom!!!" I said..."What do you mean?" ....He said, "Because of the new President, He's not going to let anyone make any Pokemon for the next 8 years...."

I couldn't believe it. I was wondering if that's what the other parents had told their children or if the children just surmised something 'horrible' on their own because of McCain losing.

This sounds like definitive evidence of extreme, widespread racism on the part of these kids, who are obviously the children of unreconstructed racists who obviously voted for McCain.

I was being sarcastic. But I wouldn't make a lot of assumptions based on this. Do the kids know that a presidential term is, um, four years rather than eight? Maybe a little basic civic education is in order at that school!

I think you're the one in need of a little basic civic education. You realize 4 years is term but that BHO will have the opportunity to run again, and if he wins he's ruler of the land for 4 more years. 4+4=8.

[Anonymous]

in my family there are Rep. and Dem. We respect each others choice. No one is afraid to make a joke or comment about the other side. Because we are a family. Same with my friends. My very best friend voted for Obama, I voted McCain. We are still best friends.