Why? Because the intent of goodwill and positive feelings toward others is completely missing from these people. This is a memoir of sorts, detailing my experiences with conservatives and racists. This is why I can't walk away from a political argument or leave an ignorant or inflammatory statement go unchecked.
I grew up in a moderately conservative area in West Virginia, attended a moderately conservative private high school and lived next to and among racist conservatives. I say racist conservatives because racism and conservatism were indistinguishable to me.
Firstly, I will admit that while attending my high school, I was staunchly conservative. This can be attributed to simple worldly inexperience and selfishness. I was a religious zealot, I was completely inconsiderate and I endorsed every pattern of hatred that conservatives either directly or indirectly endorse as related to religion or a twist world view. I can't elaborate as to what changed me (could've been Iraq, MY ever withering belief in a Christian form of Religion, or etc.), but what is most important is that I changed. However, my roots in the former have endowed me with a special gift, like something seen on the X-files or Fringe... I know how they think.
Hold on as we beam forward to the autumn of 2008. I took time away from my career as a professional singer/songwriter in order to volunteer in my hometown of Wheeling, WV on behalf of Mr. Obama. It was one of the most life changing and trying times of my life. I had long been a liberal that didn't distinguish between race, orientation, etc., but it was then that I finally saw on a personal level what conservatism has done to so many wonderful people, it's held them back, degraded them and kept them isolated within run-down neighborhoods that are branded as dangerous and unsafe for white people (they don't say for white people, but one knows what they mean). As I canvassed these so-called dangerous areas, I never once felt unsafe. Much safer, in fact, than I would in my own neighborhood for publicly endorsing a democrat that happens to be black. It was heartbreaking to know that these people are continually kept from voting in any election in great numbers because the local republicans questionably moved polling places to areas that they knew minorities wouldn't be able to get to because they can't afford transportation (also thanks to these republicans that achieve local office positions, appoint their friends and then use their positions as a business structure).
When I returned home one night I sat on my front lawn and a long-time neighbor and former friend (an older man, if you can call him that) felt it necessary to tell me to remove the "spook signs" and to call me a "nigger lover," referring to, of course, to my family's Obama campaign signs. It was at this time that we started to fear for our safety and the safety of our home, but we kept the signs up and both of my aging parents joined the ranks of democratic volunteers, as they felt it would be the most defeating step they could take against this man and his ideologies. This racism was coming from a man I've known my entire, formative life that had never shown signs of bigotry but now hung on Fox News' every word. He then started sending bogus chain emails that absolutely enraged me. These emails claimed Obama was/is the anti-christ and is here to fulfill the prophecy, that he is a socialist also confused at times with being a communist by conservatives, and the list goes on. When I would confront him time and again, he displayed no understanding of Obama's policies and claimed that he was just joking when he previously said those terrible things but would never vote for or support Obama. I assume, with good reason, that this is because Obama is black. Until recently he was still sending nasty emails forwarded by his family members in Alabama until I finally approached the situation from a racial standpoint - rather abruptly stopping the emails, also lending support to my racism charges against him.
I also once belonged to a local historical society, oddly enough, populated once again by staunch conservatives. The emails I still opted to receive from the group had suddenly morphed into a steadily flowing stream of completely idiotic and borderline racist emails that denounced Obama; some of which tried to reason that Palin had more foreign policy experience than Joe Biden, that Obama has no understanding of federal governmental structure (despite teaching constitutional law), etc. Two older people in particular gave my family and I the most trouble. These 2 goofs live in eastern Ohio, about 5 miles from Wheeling itself and even after repeated requests for them to stop, continued to send these emails that were nothing short of completely offensive. Their reason... and I quote, "this country is about to become two countries with trouble ahead." How curious... when we threatened legal action, they stoped forwarding them only to start again several months later. The latest email (before blocking them and contacting a lawyer), dealt with Tiger Woods. The email basically detailed Woods' speech at the "We Are One" concert and said that they were sick of Liberal media outlets choosing to exhibit bias toward him because he talked about his military ties and support for our armed forces. Of course, they now focus on an icon who just so happens to be black and whomever constructs these emails ingeniously adapts the rhetoric and content so that the recipient is forced to eat a shit sandwich by complacently receiving them or reply negatively and sound like a complete jerk to the dim-wit that sent the emails - further cementing the sender's ideologies If these time release emails generated by far-right clowns don't convince you of racist undertones, I have more stories...
I moved temporarily to Miami after high school to work at Sony International and would return to visit every other month when flights were cheap only to see how regressive and behind the times conservative areas tend to be. When eating out with an old friend and his family, I described the area in which I was living in Miami; an area between a large gay community and a notoriously dangerous area that was home to many rival gangs as showcased on "Cops." His father replied by saying that if he had to choose, he'd probably stay close to the "Fags" because they probably wouldn't physically harm anyone. Guess which candidate this man publicly supported amongst the Wheeling circles? It wasn't Obama...
To top it all off, these people I've made known to you all claim to be Christian and I can tell that right now you aren't surprised. You and I know that sometimes a very few stereotypes are based in reality, and this is a perfect example.
Before you discard this as a rant, I want to pose a substantiated theory. These people were always Archie Bunker types and closet racists... the types that go to a WVU Basketball Game and say, "there are a lot of Blacks on the court" and when asked why it matters they say, "I didn't mean it like that!" but... the conservative movement has creatively adapted its strategy to play on these fears and hatred. I know, I know, you're saying... that's nothing new; but it is. The majority of these people wouldn't give race any thought aside from an off color thought, regardless of their racist beliefs, but the people pulling the strings and circulating this propaganda are activating a fail-safe trigger and slowly convincing these people that what they are saying and doing is not attributed to racism. Douchebags like Beck and Hannity honestly believe they aren't endorsing bigotry (whether they are bigots themselves is debatable), instead branding themselves as Libertarians while all the while, not smart enough to recognize the role that government plays in the structure of their lives and inadvertently watering seeds of racism planted in the heads of their mentally inept audience/cult following. If you pay attention, they complain about a growing deficit, host tea parties and then they all omit the racially insensitive signs and comments or silently excuse these assholes. All the chain emails slip in little racial tidbits like some sort of subliminal message, be it a political cartoon that depicts Obama as a monkey or whatever else or local grassroots newspapers by playing on slum areas like those of Wheeling and their visual and cultural "inferiority" or tv shows through other means, etc. They don't want a public option, I assume because it will provide the people they try to keep down with a small means to succeed and bridge the fiscal gap between classes in America, they want illegals evicted immediately not because they're concerned about job loss (or they are because white people lose their jobs, and for the record, I'm not downplaying the problem in any way) but because America's heritage will be lost and caucasians like myself will become a minority "I didn't mean it like that," they say, but they really view Mexicans and Mexican immigrants as an inferior and less developed people - you know the rest. It's indirect racism in most cases. They've crafted a belief system that appeals to the average idiot but seems to be devoid of racism.
I cannot walk away from an argument with a conservative because I've seen how destructive the other side can be (even though it's like talking to a rock most of the time). When they say something stupid and don't realize how their ideologies hurt others, I can't help but think of all the amazing people I met on the campaign trail, people that changed my life for the better. People like Bishop Pitts, a gentleman that volunteered in Africa, marched with Dr. King and would take the time each day to talk to me at length as a sort of counselor and always bugged me until he could hear what I'd been working on in the record studios. Bishop passed away last Spring. I am completely and totally intolerant of racism now and I have reached a social nirvana where I do not see anyone as different for any reason other than actions or intent and I will not sit idly and let other further poisonous agendas. When I father children, I don't want them to see the things I do, although I suppose I am still technically but a youngster myself. So, boycott, discredit, send Liberal chains emails, be zealous and be an activist because we aren't standing for what we think is right and just, we are standing for what IS right and just. We could never lower ourselves to their level because we endorse facts and reason (and if we're liberals then we're automatically at least a little bit smarter or at the very least more realistic, if not a bit imaginative and hopeful).