Bracey Junction, VA 7:50 PM

Parked here for the night...just checking the news and blogs and such. I just had to share this bit of wisdom I came across--

One of my fellow DU'ers, a poster called GTRMAN, put this account up of an encounter he had at the local grocery store:

"I used my lunch time to go to the grocery store and pick up a few things. I was standing in line behind what I assumed were a mother, daughter and grand baby. The daughter had a baby about 18 months or so I'd guess, and was pregnant again.

They were talking about the election and lamenting that it was going so badly for McCain and the repugs, and talking about how bad things would be with the "awful Democrats" winning and "damn liberals" running the country and blah, blah blah. As we got closer to the register, I saw the daughter pull out an Access Oklahoma card, which is our electronic version of food stamps. Then I heard her mom tell her they would have to pick up her WIC at another store since the one we were in didn't do WIC vouchers or something like that.

It was at that point that I said "excuse me, I don't normally butt into other people's conversations, but I'd just like to say *You're Welcome*..." They shot me a puzzled look and after a pause, I said, "I'm sorry, I thought I heard you say *thank you*.."

The mom looked real puzzled and asked "why would we say that?" I said "because I'M one of those *DAMN LIBERALS* and *AWFUL DEMOCRATS* that has voted and fought damn hard to make sure you have the government food benefits you're so happily spending right now, among other things. If everything were left solely up to the tender mercy of the ultra conservative idiot republicans, you'd be in a world of hurt trying to find something to eat today!"

The mom just looked at me and sort of stammered and said "sorry, I didn't mean anything bad by what I said" I said "the hell you didn't, you just didn't think there were any of us *godless liberals* within earshot, or none that would have the guts to speak up. Next time you start running your mouths, don't be surprised when someone calls you out on your bullshit. Fact is, what your family is enjoying in benefits, which by the way I'm happy you have, is the result of my Democratic, union-man Grandfather voting for FDR in the 30s, and my Democratic Teamster Father voting for Jack Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson....and God willing Barack and the Democrats will win two weeks from now and set about saving the day once again from yet another godawful mess the damn republicans have created.Something to think about before you go into the voting booth."

I shut up and the two of them just sort of looked down at their feet as the checker finished ringing them up and they got out of there. As I was checking out, my checker was grinning and a teenaged girl in line behind me said "you're awesome....and you don't even look like a Democrat!"

Now I just wonder, what the hell is a Democrat supposed to look like? "

Well said, sir!