“Heard on the Bench”*
Today’s episode happened at the Motor Vehicle Department. There were four us waiting our turn, 2 men and 2 women. I started out with the man and opened with, “Somehow you look familiar?”. It’s a safe subject and with my 45 years in the county, maybe they should be familiar.
It turned out he was the nephew of a man I worked closely with at the cheese factory for decades. I told him about how his uncle would wheedle me into making repairs and modifications without pesky paperwork. He got a good laugh out of my story
Then I went on to the tricky question, “How do you feel about this last election?” He gave me a “thumbs-up” sign and smiled and said. “I’m so glad we kept the Democrats out.”
When I asked him why, it was, “They’re baby-killers and want to turn all our young people gay.”
I spent a lot of time this election season with a lot of Democrats from all over and I just can’t remember any of them ever advocating any of those positions.
I responded with “I think what you call baby killing is a religious belief not all of us share. Jewish people don’t call it a baby until it draws its own breath. Maybe you’re right, maybe they’re right.”
He countered with, “I’m a born-again Christian and there’s no baby-killing in the bible.”
One of the women entered the conversation with, “What about the 10th. Egyptian plaque of killing the first-born children, in Exodus.”
A couple of numbers were called out and our group dissolved. Conversation stopped but I think we were all left with a lot to think about.
The idea of God being involved in after birth abortions never crossed my mind before. But it’s there it is, in the Bible.
Our way of “framing” defines us.
For him, it was a very simple, “Democrats are baby killers and want everybody to be gay.”
For me, it’s a very simple, “I like freedom and I don’t like government control. It’s really none of my business what a woman wants to do with her body. It’s really none of my business how someone wishes to express their sexuality. It shouldn’t be any business of the government either.”
I’d like to think I’m right, but nobody bats 1000%.
As always, discussion is welcome at
codger817@gmail.com *This series inspired by Joe Keohane’s excellent book, “The Power of Strangers—The Benefits of Connecting in a Suspicious World”. Book review available at
www.tillamookcountypioneer.net/?s=Keohane 
