By VictorM: Today I gave a ride to a coworker of mine. The ride was about 15 minutes. In this period of time, and although I have not really spoken about politics with this person but knew of her right-winger views, I learned the following:

• CNN is a Communist TV network
• Global warming is a hoax
• What Dom Imus said about the black members of the Rutgers women’s basketball team wasn’t so bad, after all, rappers and other black people treat their women even worse and call them worst things
• If Don Imus gets in trouble so should Rosie O’Donnell because she said the American government was responsible for killing the 9/11 attack victims.
• The model guy was the father of Anna Nicole Smith, not the lawyer guy.
  

I didn’t jump down her throat because this person is ill with cancer, so I wasn’t about to start the morning with a confrontation with her.

But I asked if she thought that whatever insults blacks have for black women (as she understands it) are nice things to say. She said, no. Then why is Dom Imus saying it OK? Well, she said, it wasn’t a nice thing to say, but come on, why should he get in trouble over it. So, it’s OK if Dom Imus had similar insults about your mother or sisters? Well, she repeated, I know what he said wasn’t right, but other people say worst things. But other people don’t have millions of listeners. And his insults were specific about eight young women who did nothing to him. Yeah, she admitted, he was wrong, but he apologized so people should leave him alone. But, I said, that apology means nothing because he’s said other racist things before, and even now, at first he didn’t think what he said was bad. It took days for the apology to come, and only after the whole thing had snowballed. But then Rosie should go too, she said.

I couldn’t hold back. I said, Rosie did not say she thought the government was behind the 9/11 attacks. She questioned the falling of building 7. But even if she had challenged the government, should we not as citizens keep an eye on those in power, whether they are Republicans or Democrats? Yeah, you’re right, she said.

Maybe she agreed because she was tired and we had arrived at work.

The one thing I have noticed, not only with this right-winger encounter but others recently, is how much more subdued they are these days. They still cling to the beliefs that make them right-wingers – disdain for people, talking in slogans, repeating talking points, not offering a single solution to any problem, etc. -- but the wind is out of their sails.

Labels: don imus, right-wing, Rosie O'Donnell