Friday, June 10, 2011

A "Christian beat-down" comes my way!

A few days ago, maybe a week, I had an interesting experience that was akin to being in a bad rendition of Alice in Wonderland. It was actually bizarre, but reminiscent of my school days when I learned to never bow down before bullies.

Since then, I have been the recipient of a few beat downs from bullies, have won a few, have been the target of kidnapping attempts by Nigerian rebels, been held for ransom by said rebels, been the target of failed muggers in Boston and Tangiers, and numerous other events. I won't even start with my battles with legal thugs (state police) in East Germany and Russia in the days of the Soviet Union!

For a slightly overweight 200 pound 5'11" white accountant, I have had more than a few worldly experiences that have toughened me beyond what my 55 year old middle class looks imply.

Anyway, I tell you this as it has a direct bearing on how I responded to the situation I found myself deeply embroiled in.

The story starts when I drop my car off at my mechanic for some much needed repairs. My mechanic is one of the good guys and he always arranges to have a loaner vehicle for me so that I can go about my business when he is working on my car. These loaners are usually vehicles that he has bought and reconditioned for sale, and are usually older but in great mechanical condition.

The downside of this arrangement is that often there is not much gas in the tanks of the loaner, and that was the case on this day. Now, my mechanic is located pretty much in the center of my town. To the West is the better part of town while the East is sometimes described as the wrong side of the tracks, or more accurately, ghetto.

I needed to pass through the East side of town to get to my destination. And the car was low on gas. And as I drove, looking for a gas station, it did not take long for the dash lights to start blinking at me and the annoying verbal cues to start "binging" with increasing urgency.

Being in a strange car and not knowing when I was going to run out of fumes, I was relieved when I saw a gas station just in front of me. In the worst part of town. The sort of place that had bars on the windows. And broken signs displaying the prices...broken from rocks...or gunfire? Impossible to tell.

Anyway, I had no choice than to pull in. As I turned off the busy main road, a flashy new Chrysler 300 driven by a 40's black lady in a peacock blue dress was coming across the car park on my left. She stopped, smiled and waved me through.

I waved a thank you back and drove into the gas station and pulled up at the pump...one of at least 3 that were available.

The loud and incessant honking of a car horn behind me drew my eyes to the rear view mirror, where I saw a peacock blue blur pounding her steering wheel, filling the view in the mirror. She had driven so close to the rear of my vehicle that I could see nothing but her ample body and glaring face, as she punched her horn again.

I confess to being more confused than anything. What was this all about? She waved me through, there were several open pumps...what did I do wrong to cause such anger?

As I climbed out of the car, she exited hers and started yelling something about me not being nice, cutting her off, and whatever else she was yelling in her version of English.

I mouthed an apology, said she waved me through anyway, and then tried to use my card to pay for gas at the pump.

Of course, I had forgotten where I was. In this part of town you do not pay at the pump, presumably for the same reason that the bars were on the windows, so I walked inside to pay. The Chrysler had been repositioned to another free pump and I gave no further thought to it as I walked inside.

As I was paying for my gas I hear from behind me....

"He cut me off..."

"Who?"

"That white boy."

"What white boy?"

"That one standing there."

"Oh, that wasn't nice."

"No, it was not. But it is ok. I am a Christian and I will just let it go."

I hear the door open....presumably another customer has entered...

"He cut me off!"

The peacock was more stringent this time...louder, more aggressive. I refused to turn around, or show any concern.

"Who cut you off ?"

"That white boy standing there!"

"That wasn't nice."

"NO IT WAS NOT! And I bet he wouldn't be standing there smugg like that if a brother was around!!"

Forgive me for laughing here...I couldn't help thinking that this was a rather peculiar way of "letting it go because she was a Christian". And now she is coming out with the threats..."the brothers". Wow!

I finished paying and turned to go fill up my car.

The peacock stepped in front of me...worked up that head and neck wobble that they do so well and said in the loudest and shriekiest voice she could muster...

"You got no right cutting me off like that! Just wait till the brothers arrive. They will fix you up!"

That was it for me. I looked her in the eye and said..."Lady, I don't know what your problem is. You waved me through. I apologized for taking your spot (wishing I could add "but I don't see any sign saying reserved for the lady in the peacock dress"). Now, I am going to fill my tank and leave. If you are waiting for the "brothers"...bring it on. I am not scared of you or your threats. I am not scared of the brothers, they are no worse than the goons I have dealt with many times. Now, get out of my way."

She took a step back, clearly surprised that I would talk that way, and clearly very surprised that she did not scare me. I wonder what she thought of the smile that crossed my face as I laughed at the thought of the "Christian beat down" she must have been planning?

I filled my car, and got in, ready to drive out of the gas station. I was being careful to be aware of what was going on around me, as in these situations, surprise can be your worst enemy. I was not at all surprised when a Chrysler 300 suddenly appeared in front of my car, preventing me from driving forward.

I guess the peacock did not know, or, in the excitement of the moment forgot, that vehicles have a reverse gear. I just selected reverse and calmly drove backwards until I had room to drive past her. My last view of her was of a peacock blue dress and a mouth opening and closing like a clown fish. The image was so funny, I burst out laughing, and made a mental note to warn my mechanic that if he should ever happen to need gas at that station, "the brothers" may be waiting!

SO...a totally bizarre experience...but unfortunately one that is played out in many variations on a daily basis.

I told you about this true story because I believe we can all learn a number of things from this experience and I want to share some of them with you.

1. Things are not always as they appear.

In this case, the gas station was exactly as it appeared. A potentially dangerous place. By contrast the lady in the Chrysler was the exact opposite of what she appeared. Dressed nicely, if not uniquely, driving a nice car, pleasant enough looking....but with an anger management problem that rivals Michelle Obama and a mouth that matches. For all her middle class trappings, she was nothing but a ghetto queen who relied on threats and bullying to get her way. I am saddened to think that people like this exist. She must spend her days searching for opportunities to express her rage, and if those opportunities do not exist, she creates them.

I can't help help comparing her to the liberals of today. I recall Rahm Emmanuel saying "Never let a crisis go unrewarded". I recall Barack Obama telling the banks and car manufacturers what they will do, or else. I can recall many times in this administration where threats and bullying tactics have been used to further the left's agenda.

And it has all been done under the facade of peacock blue dresses.

2. Bullies are cowards.

This woman was a bully. There is no doubt about that. She uses her verbal skills and not insignificant physical presence to intimidate people. She uses the threat of violence to get what she wants when her verbal skills are insufficient. She uses her connections as the people who will mete out said violence (she couldn't risk discoloring her peacock dress in a physical confrontation). After all, she has the power to manipulate the fools she calls her "brothers" to do her dirty work for her.

But at the end of the day, she is nothing more than a coward. When I showed no fear of her, her threats or her "brothers" she had no power left. She became nothing more than a peacock blue dress making fish faces.

The current administration uses the exact same tactics. At first, verbally abuse and try to get other people to support you. When that doesn't work, become louder, more strident, more frequent in that abuse. If your target does not wilt from this onslaught, it is time to get in their face (didn't Obama tell his sycophant followers to "get in their faces"?). When that doesn't work it is time to bring out the big guns. The threat of violence from the thugs...the unions will organize and destroy you if you don't tie the line.

Wow. The liberal playbook comes from the ghetto....no surprise there!

3. Racism is alive and well in the USA.

OK...I get it. The blacks are still angry over the slave trade. They want reparations from whitey. They blame every bad thing in their lives on the white robber barrons. I get it...I really do.

What I don't get is why a segment of the black population does everything in their power to destroy their own futures, rather doing what the white man does and securing it? Can somebody tell me why this is?

Being poor is tough. Believe it or not I understand that all too well. I have been there, where I could not afford to buy food, and did not know where my next meal would come from. But I didn't trash my home...I didn't go out and steal from my neighbor...I didn't do any of the things that go on in ghetto land.

Now, racism in ghetto land is stronger than ever. A white man can not get gas without being abused and threatened with the combined strength of the brothers. Pleeaaasee!!

You racist thugs out there, take heed. I am not, now ever will be scared of you. I will not bow to your demands, I will not hang my head before your physical intimidation. I will stand up to you. You are nothing but racist goons and thugs, bullies of the first order. I have received beat downs from bullies before and I am sure to receive them in the future. But you will not win. You will not make me cower, and you will not prevent me from speaking the truth.

Racism is alive and well in this administration. Eric Holder has plunged the Department of Justice into a darkness that has not been experienced since the second world war and the anti-semitism that was rife then. The DOJ is now one of the most racist organisations on this planet. I do not care what was done in the past. I care only about where this country is headed.

The DOJ is supported by the likes of Sharpton, Jackson et al. The unions are their bully boys...the "brothers" stalk the corridors of power looking to mete out a beat-down on anyone who disagrees.

We must make a stand and make it clear that we will not run away from racist bullies. That we will not cower under their thinly disguised threats. That we will stand up for what we believe and never bow before them.

Even if we take a few beat-downs along the way.

The only way to deal with bullies is to stand up to them, never fear them,  and in so doing eventually show them to be the cowards they are.

4. Stupidity abounds

Remember that as I was readying to leave the gas station, the peacock drove her car in front of mine in an idiotic gesture to prevent me leaving the station (presumably so that the brothers could finish their crack pipe before coming to give the beat down I so much deserved)?

The message here is simple. Bullies know of only one way to get what they want. You have many ways of avoiding their stupid attempts. I was not for one minute concerned when she drove in front of me. There were so many ways  I could go, she could not block them all. She was useless, and stupidly attempting to block me. She was stupid because she knew it would do no good, but she did it anyway. She could not admit defeat.

The current administration knows only one way of doing things. Unfortunately, too often the opposition falls into their traps and does not look at other options. It is our responsibility to see that when the way forward is blocked, there are many other ways to get to where you are going. Calmly seeking those ways will allow us to get around the roadblocks, and taking the game out of the ghetto where their rules apply, and into the open where the rules of common sense and logic rule.

Never fall into the trap that the only way forward is through the roadblock set up by the bullies. That is what they want you to try to do, where they can rely on their strengths and the one thing they know well. Intimidation.

Find another way where their intimidation tactics have no more success than their cowardice.

Thus ends the lesson for today.

Should anyone want to correspond with me privately, please email me at devereauxdailydose@gmail.com

I will try to respond to all emails...but be warned, you could become the subject the next dose of reality.

oh...one last thing. I have no idea what political philosophies and beliefs are held by Ms. Peacock....but the Hope and Change sticker on her car may provide some indication.

Stupid is as stupid says.

........................devereaux

7 comments:

  1. Thank you for articulating it so precisely.

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  2. Just trying to apply truth to situations can make a big difference to how we see the world. I do my best.
    .......devereaux

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  3. On your comment "What I don't get is why a segment of the black population does everything in their power to destroy their own futures, rather doing what the white man does and securing it?"

    It is because American culture teaches us that our problems are never our own fault. If you walk into a psychiatrist the first thing he'll tell you is "it's not YOU'RE fault". A fat person will blame his condition on the fast food industry. A druggy will blame his addiction on his parents and upbringing; a smoker will blame peer pressure, as would shoplifters and so on. There are countless examples of "not guilty syndrome". One of the most disturbing, I believe, is the "Palestinian plight". They kill, maim, disrupt and destroy. But when Israel defends itself they cry foul. It is this sort of two-faced abomination that plagues the US and most of our post modern world. And the blacks don't understand it themselves. Whenever they ask, their always told "it's not your fault".

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  4. I think you have identified one of the major things that differentiate people. There is one type of person who takes responsibility for his actions, accepts his failures and works to overcome them, accepts his difficulties and goes on improving himself regardless of how hard it is. On the other side is a group of people who take no responsibility, blaming everyone else for their problems and demanding that somebody else resolve it for them.

    This is not new...it has been happening for decades....but when we have a President who does the same thing daily from the White House, and directs his minions to do the same, it is no wonder that certain people feel "it is not their fault".

    Good thinking Mr 261991!

    .....devereaux

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  5. Mr26, you make a common mistake when referencing psychology. Walk into my counseling office and one of the first things I'm going to ask you is "how have YOU contributed to every one of the problems you have?"

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  6. My children go to a public school in what some might call an affluent suburb. My son's 4th grade teacher has one bold word posted above her classroom door in 8"H letters. It reads "ACCOUNTABILITY". During our parent orientation last night; this amazing teacher hammered home the point of that single word above her door. She emphasized that if her children take home one lesson from her classroom for the year, that was it. I must also add that so many parents show up for this event that they use a shuttle and nearby parking lot to accommodate all of the parents.

    This is in stark contrast to our past experiences at parent orientation when we lived in the "historic" (urban) area of town. my wife and I were the only couple to show up and there were never more than 5-6 parents at the meetings. This schol went so far as to offer FREE FOOD to lure parents in. They handed out gift certificates to a national chain restaurant as incentive. It still didn't make the parents of these kids any more accountable.

    I think you've identified the cause of this societal collapse with the "blame anyone but myself" mentality. If I produce unemployable children; it's nobody's fault but my own. I can't pin it on the school system, the success of others or any external factor. I am to be held accountable for the quality of my kids and my behavior. It's too bad that everyone doesn't share your thoughts on responsibility.

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  7. To both anonymous posters above....

    I am very encouraged when I read your comments. It seems that there are changes afoot in the general community....changes that will lead to individuals taking responsibility for their own actions.

    As far as the school goes, I believe that parents should take the lead in producing attentive, responsible and accountable children....that is their job. Teachers can take those foundations and build on them to help create well educated responsible and accountable young adults. The world will then try to knock that out of them but if the foundation is strong, they will develop into fine adults who know which way is up.

    Teaching a sense of responsibility and accountability from a young age, with a knowledge of moral certitudes will reduce the number of patients ending up on the other poster's doorstep. Sorry, my friend, but I would rather people find themselves before they come to you.... :)

    See my post .... http://devereauxdailydose.blogspot.com/2011/08/who-are-you.html

    .....devereaux

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