Old Bumper Stickers
I was driving south on Rt. 50 and just crossed the Bay Bridge near Annapolis heading toward Washington. I was in a column of cars traveling in the left lane at speeds emphatically discouraged by the Peoples Republic of Maryland when this little foreign car slid over in front of me, but wouldn't or couldn't keep the pace. At this point I noticed a blue Obama 08 sticker placed prominently in the rear window. It just sat there, like one of Bill Engvall's signs flashing "I'm stupid... I'm stupid... I'm stupid".
Still following the tortoise, but slightly less aggravated as I understood that he wasn't responsible, and he probably had no idea he was gumming up the works for me and everyone behind me... or perhaps he just didn't care. I studied the driver for a few minutes, noticing that he was an older gentleman. Old enough to have gone through the public schools before many turned into secular humanist indoctrination centers. I wondered just where he went wrong.
Eventually he moved over to the center lane and I forgot about his reasons... nothing I could do about it anyway. It did get me thinking about all the old bumper stickers I see as I travel up and down the east coast. I wonder if they are left in place to gloat, prove a point, or if the driver is just to lazy to remove them. Win or loose, I tend to take mine off the morning after the election.... sometimes even election night. At times this is a matter or practicality as my home state of Virginia has elections every year - so the old ones need to make way for the new ones on a fairly tight cycle.
In any case, after the last vote is cast, the sticker loses it's value and just serves to annoy those who voted the other way. I must confess that after the 2004 I left mine on an extra month or two. My motives, I have to say, were not entirely pure. As I drove to my office many mornings in October, an older gentleman made part of the same run at the same time. He made a variety of gestures at me that weren't exactly complimentary. I just smiled and waved. Besides those W04 stickers were some of the best ever designed.
With the current mood of our country, depending on where you travel, it can be an open invitation to have your car vandalized. Recently I was tempted to put a sticker on that said "If Obama is your answer, you asked a stupid question". However because I did not want to buy new tires, a new windshield, or a new paint job, I decided not to display my opinion.
Then I got to thinking about the message we convey with some of our bumper stickers. Supporting a candidate or issue should always be encouraged. On the other hand, attacking the people who vote for a candidate is not usually the best way to get through to them. If your candidate won, hopefully the supporters of the other fellow will see that your guy was the right choice by his actions. On the other hand, if their guy won... they will soon enough see the error of their ways. It's sort of like the idea you catch more flies with honey...
I'm not one that says we should all just pull together behind the winner and support all his actions and goals, but we may not have to be in each other face constantly. We must continue to pursue what we see as right, but we don't necessarily have to carry things at the personal level we see on some stickers. It may make us feel better, but doesn't go very far in convincing others.
Once our candidate is no longer running, the real estate on our vehicles would probably be better used promoting important issues where we may get agreement when separated from a party or candidate. Ideas such as "Secure the Borders" or "I Support Women: Born and Unborn" may get us further than banners that make people wonder if we don't know the election is over.
That said, this is still the USA, and for the time being at least, you have the right to express your opinion. It's your car, truck or SUV, with a few caveats, feel free to let the world know where you stand... even if it just says "I Like Knitting".
Still following the tortoise, but slightly less aggravated as I understood that he wasn't responsible, and he probably had no idea he was gumming up the works for me and everyone behind me... or perhaps he just didn't care. I studied the driver for a few minutes, noticing that he was an older gentleman. Old enough to have gone through the public schools before many turned into secular humanist indoctrination centers. I wondered just where he went wrong.
Eventually he moved over to the center lane and I forgot about his reasons... nothing I could do about it anyway. It did get me thinking about all the old bumper stickers I see as I travel up and down the east coast. I wonder if they are left in place to gloat, prove a point, or if the driver is just to lazy to remove them. Win or loose, I tend to take mine off the morning after the election.... sometimes even election night. At times this is a matter or practicality as my home state of Virginia has elections every year - so the old ones need to make way for the new ones on a fairly tight cycle.
In any case, after the last vote is cast, the sticker loses it's value and just serves to annoy those who voted the other way. I must confess that after the 2004 I left mine on an extra month or two. My motives, I have to say, were not entirely pure. As I drove to my office many mornings in October, an older gentleman made part of the same run at the same time. He made a variety of gestures at me that weren't exactly complimentary. I just smiled and waved. Besides those W04 stickers were some of the best ever designed.
With the current mood of our country, depending on where you travel, it can be an open invitation to have your car vandalized. Recently I was tempted to put a sticker on that said "If Obama is your answer, you asked a stupid question". However because I did not want to buy new tires, a new windshield, or a new paint job, I decided not to display my opinion.
Then I got to thinking about the message we convey with some of our bumper stickers. Supporting a candidate or issue should always be encouraged. On the other hand, attacking the people who vote for a candidate is not usually the best way to get through to them. If your candidate won, hopefully the supporters of the other fellow will see that your guy was the right choice by his actions. On the other hand, if their guy won... they will soon enough see the error of their ways. It's sort of like the idea you catch more flies with honey...
I'm not one that says we should all just pull together behind the winner and support all his actions and goals, but we may not have to be in each other face constantly. We must continue to pursue what we see as right, but we don't necessarily have to carry things at the personal level we see on some stickers. It may make us feel better, but doesn't go very far in convincing others.
Once our candidate is no longer running, the real estate on our vehicles would probably be better used promoting important issues where we may get agreement when separated from a party or candidate. Ideas such as "Secure the Borders" or "I Support Women: Born and Unborn" may get us further than banners that make people wonder if we don't know the election is over.
That said, this is still the USA, and for the time being at least, you have the right to express your opinion. It's your car, truck or SUV, with a few caveats, feel free to let the world know where you stand... even if it just says "I Like Knitting".
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