Stick it


It seems that I am getting a bit heavy handed in my old age. I deleted a draft post and in the process deleted the last post. Oh well, it wasn’t anything earth-shattering just my talking about watching a semi-interesting exchange among U.S. House members on C-Span. Yawn, huh?

While out running an errand earlier I saw a funny bumper sticker. It said:

“My kid wants to be president.
I told him to aim higher.”

Bumper stickers are an odd facet of our society. Plastered to our bumpers and windows are our thoughts about life, gender, sex, politics, religion and what kind of beer one drinks among other topics.

An ex-husband, ex-wife, ex-lover, ex-whatever makes a good target for a bumper philosophy such as:

“Ex-lovers make great
speed bumps.”

Heck, it doesn’t even have to be an ex:

“My wife and best friend just ran off together.
I’m sure going to miss him.”

Sometimes bumper stickers express feelings that you might or might not otherwise publicly disclose such as:


“Drive any closer
And I’m gonna slap you.”

I noticed one earlier today while taking a walk that kind of took me aback. The sticker was in the window of a pickup truck belonging to a roofer from Houston. It showed the Rebel flag and said something to the effect of “Don’t be afraid to show your colors.” I’m not sure if those were the exact words but that was the gist of it. I think the first thought that came to mind was: What a moron!

Now I don’t care how you feel about the Confederate battle flag. I can see why those who detest the thought of slavery and its relationship with the South are repelled by the flag. I see it more in historic terms although not to the degree that many do who use such an argument.


The CSA had three national flags. This was the first one. The crossed star-and-bar flag seen so commonly among the redneck elite was the battle flag of the confederacy. If you are genuinely pissed off that Texas and other southern states are still a part of the United States, then I guess I can understand why you would cling to the battle flag as a symbol.

It wasn’t ideology that made me think the guy was a moron who had the sticker of the Rebel flag and the exhortation to fly it. No, it was the fact that this guy has a business and might well have a tendency to turn off potential customers of all races, colors and creeds with such a display.

As is the case with drinking liquor and shooting firearms (though not necessarily together), a little common sense goes a long way. The same is true with displaying a personal philosophy with a bumper sticker.

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