The night before Andrea’s law school graduation, we had drinks with her mom Mrs. S, her stepdad Tim, and her uncles Lee and Jamie. Mrs. S and Tim are Republicans from Florida. They love Sarah Palin and hate President Obama. They’re outspoken Fox News conservatives.
Adding alcohol to this outing guaranteed one of two outcomes. Either Mrs. S and Tim would have fun and not bring up politics or everyone would get into a screaming match by the end of the night. Andrea was willing to risk the latter, in hopes that the former would occur.
By the third round of drinks, Tim surpassed drunk and proceeded to belligerent.
“I’m not represented in this country — not with the current president!”
I rolled my eyes and took the bait. “Really, Tim?”
“I’m a minority where we live!”
“Y’all live in Orlando.”
“Most of our neighbors are Hispanic!”
“Let’s backtrack. How are you oppressed as a straight white man in America?”
“I’m not oppressed, I’m just sayin’ that more…y’know…”
“More what? Or whom?”
“More minorities are — ”
“Procreating? Living in your neighborhood? Taking jobs that were previously held by white people?”
“Yes!”
“Must be tough to feel isolated and shafted out of opportunities because of your skin color.”
“It’s very tough.”
“Imagine if generations of your family had to deal with that.”
Tim paused, pondering this.
“The thing is, they haven’t and it’s highly unlikely they will.”
“But what if — ”
“If we minorities outnumber y’all white folks, we’re not going to inflict reverse racism on you.”
“Not outta spite?”
“You’ve got white (and male) privilege. You’ll never know what it’s like to be discriminated against because of your race or gender.”
“I still don’t feel represented by Congress — ”
“The majority of Congress is made of middle-aged white men.”
“Who you callin’ middle-aged?!”
“Plus, President Obama is biracial. He’s half-white. Which you white dudes tend to forget.”
“Hmph.”
“Not that it should have any bearing on his leadership abilities. Just pointing out facts.”
“Obama may be biracial, but he’s still a socialist!”
“I need another drink before we continue this conversation.”
sometimes, Samantha writes 
Reblogged this on Unzip These Lips.
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u tell him! thanks for sharing 🙂
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Thanks for reblogging! 😀 I’m glad you liked this story!
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You’ve got so much spunk, I love it! When T grows up, I want her to be like you:)
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🙂 Thanks so much, Dean — I’m honored!
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You handled yourself so well. I on the other hand probably would’ve been a sarcastic ass.
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Lol!! Thanks, Robert! I was able to laugh it off because of the whiskey I was drinking.
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yes, you did handle it very well. My parents are very conservative white folks. We just don’t even go there. Politics are a wild subject no matter what. You certainly brought up some good points.
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Thank you, Tracie! That’s usually what I try to do, especially with folks who are on the opposite side of the ideological spectrum. Lol.
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What’s that old saying about not discussing politics or religion at a party? Sounds like Mrs. S. and Tim should follow that rule.
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Lol!! So true, Miranda! They manage to bring politics up (knowing Andrea & I disagree with them on almost every issue) every time we see them. Luckily, drinking made it slightly more tolerable, not worse.
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I’ve noticed that people like Tim love having this debate. As if to point out the many differences that separate our society in the first place, but to talk about it amongst people who are friends can cause friction. You handled that very well and it’s the same argument I have every time I speak with a conservative person. Stay strong and classy girl! 🙂
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You’re totally right! I don’t know why people like that have to pick fights.
Thanks, girl! 😀 I’ll try my best! (it’s hard when conversations like that get heated lol)
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