While driving eastbound on I86 (the old Route 17) through NY en route to Amherst, MA from Cleveland we made a pit stop. I walked by a car with a bumper sticker which read “World peace begins with a turn signal”. As the woman was getting out of her car I thanked her for the chuckle I got from her bumper sticker. She grinned and said — Oh, you’ll love my husband’s bumper stickers. As we entered the store he was standing there and I asked him about his bumper stickers.
He said something like “When I die don’t let a democrat bury me” (I think it was uglier than that, but I don’t remember) I’m in my mid 70s and they looked like 40ish. I said “Now, hold on here. I am a proud life-long, Democrat and I am here to tell you I am not a pedophile and I don’t eat babies or drink their blood. I pay my taxes and I’m a patriotic American just like you and I will not be vilified. I turned and went to the restroom. As I left I had to walk by their car and they rolled down the window, smiled and said “Have a nice day”. I smiled back and said something to the effect of thanks, same to you and I gently reminded them that this is America and we can be anything we want, Republican, Democrat, Independent or nothing at all. I wished them safe travels.
I’m glad our encounter ended with smiles. I get the feeling that they must live in an echo-chamber and must not have ever encountered a real living Democrat and had succumbed to all the right—wing propaganda.