Enjoy Your Tea Party

Several of my very close friends would be considered right-wing Republicans.  For the record, I'm about as far to the left as one can lean without falling over.  I rarely state this fact or enter into political arguments, for the simple fact that what I believe is really nobody's business.  I don't feel the need to defend myself against anyone because we're all equal.  Our forefathers founded our nation on that notion anyway.  I have a friend that I tease occasionally about clinging stubbornly to her guns and religion.  She laughs and agrees with me, saying I'm too far out there.  Another friend named her daughter after a Republican president, and when she found out she was pregnant for a second time, I teased that she should name the baby Clinton if it was a boy.  She laughed and said her husband would kill her for even suggesting it.  Most importantly, my best friend is a Republican.  We've had differing opinions about politics for as long as I can remember us having any sort of awareness about the subject.  Yet I think that's part of what makes our friendship so great.  We think the other is a little crazy, but it's okay.  That's what friendship is about.

So pardon the fuck out of me if I offend your Tea-Bagging, Right-Wing sensibilities.  I don't spout leftist propaganda (and even I'll admit there's a lot of that out there), nor do I subscribe to the notion that anyone who isn't a Democrat is stupid, or in some way a lesser human being.  I see room for most viewpoints as long as they don't threaten or encroach on another group's freedoms and liberties.  If you know me at all, you know I'm a joker and I'm going to tease about differences we may have.  Apparently that's not allowed if you're a tea partier.  I lost a friend of over 20 years today over a couple joking comments about politics.  You'd have think I insulted this person's mother, for fuck's sake.  Why is it that when you're the one doing the joking, you can push the line as far as possible, but when you're being teased back, you're touchy over the slightest little thing?

I personally don't have time for that nonsense.  I'll go right on believing what I believe, and my true friends won't care.  Those who find that they can't be friends with me because of my "leftist views" or the fact that I make jokes out of a place of affection... Well I guess they weren't really friends at all.