This afternoon I took my daily walk, as I always do. After a few times around the block, I discovered a older gentleman going door to door with pamphlets. I watched as he knocked on the doors and either handed the flyer to a neighbour or left it inside the door.
He encountered me whilst coming back towards the road. He slowly made his way to me, while wiping the sweat off his brow.
“Hello, may I hand you a pamphlet?” He cheerfully asked, as I greeted him and shook his hand.
“What is this about, sir?” I asked whilst trying to scan the bleached out paper in the mid day sun.
“We’re trying to get the real facts out about what President Bush and John McCain have accomplished while in office”, he answered, as he smiled and continued forward.
“Ah, may I ask if you work for the McCain campaign?”
He stopped in his tracks, turned around, and replied, “No, I volunteer with a local Baptist association”.
“Well, thank you, sir…Try to stay cool in this heat…”, I responded whilst making my way towards the house.
I came in the house and laid the paper down on the desk. I got busy doing chores and didn’t get around to reading it until about three hours ago.
It gave legitimate facts about Bush, but what got me was the wording. It used the words (if you want to call them that) Ya, Y’all, Darn, and Dang throughout it.
It’s as if whoever wrote it was cogitating, “Welp, them Southerners will never understand real statistics or logical wording, so I’ll just dumb it down for them”.
Southern Americans inside the United States have the stigma of being stupid and uncivilised. Unfortunately due to circumstances that I could write a thousand words about, a large portion of Southern people are illiterate. That does not mean that we are all eejits! I rail against such notions.
I’m not mad at the man that handed me the flyer, for he was just trying to do his part for the community. He has a right to his views as do I to mine.
It is insulting to me and every other civilised Southern American. Give me facts. Give me the hard core statistics. I’d much rather spend an hour going through a well formed report, than I had getting red faced over a thirty second scribble!
There’s one more wee thing that is bugging me. What is a religious organisation doing dabbling in politics?
P.S.: I let my Uncle look it over. As soon as I get it back, I’ll put it in this post. 
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Hi Jeff,
Thanks for stopping by. Always good to hear from you. Regarding what you wrote…
Dublin has become one of the most expensive cities in Europe. The unemployment rate here has soared…and will get higher in the coming months. The number of social welfare recipients has also soared to the thousands in these last months. And several hundreds each week are losing their jobs at offices and factories in different parts of Ireland. Thousands of people have lost their jobs already from just last January to now. It would be wise to consult your friends in Ireland or your family before you make a major decision. Just my 2 cents worth.
warmest regards
Suzan, thank you for the advice. I did not come to this decision on a whim. I’ve been in the planning stage for two months. I will take your advice into great consideration as well as friends abroad and at home. Honestly, right now is probably the worst time to go, but I’m not gong to live forever so…
Enough about me, how are you doing?
Hey JD. Not surprising that religious groups are involved in supporting the conservatives really, they’re a major contributor to the Republican movement. As for dumbing down the language . . bit rude I think . . probably written by some Washington hack whose only contact with a Southerner was watching the Beverley Hillbillies . . don’t sweat the small stuff my friend!
I don’t be knowin’ what yins are all upset about.
That there old fella’s pamphlet is dun in writin’ that be pretty darn gud if-in yous be ax-in’ me!!
LOL – weell heell, JD, rellijun and pollytiks is a’ways closely innertwined, a’way has been, a’ways wi’ be.
Thanks for the comments all. Yuxz guyz emulated the Sou’herrn a’xcent perfect’lie.
I’ve had a bit of a blow to my trip. I’ll try and work on a post about it tomorrow. I’ve had no internet for a week. I had all non essential utilities including internet cut off, because I “Thought” I was leaving next week. Things have changed considerably.
Basically, it boils down to money as it always does. I have enough for the three month trek but not enough if I get a job. To get a work visa, a person has to prove that he or she has enough money to last for six months. From what I gather, I’d need about twelve grand to get the visa. I don’t have it. So, unless my family gets really empathetic or I get a scholarship of some sort, I will not be able to stay.
I made a promise to be back by March, and I stand by that promise. Although, I hope and pray to be back before then.
I’ve signed back up for classes at the local University. I’m supposed to start next Friday. God, if I could only go to school in Ireland, Scotland, or England. That’d be so…so…grand!!!
I’ll formulate this into a post tomorrow. Thanks everyone for commenting.
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