Wednesday, August 05, 2009

I'm a Victim Too


Watching all the coverage of the Henry Louis Gates incident has caused me to re-think what happened to me up there on the Maine/New Brunswick border. Could I have been a victim of redneck profiling? There I was, a typical white person heading for a Canadian vacation. I was wearing a T-shirt, driving a pickup truck with an NRA sticker declaring “I’m a bitter gun owner and I vote,” and two twelve-packs of beer in the back. My wife was with me, so I was obviously heterosexual. My profile fit more than one of those emails you get: “You might be a redneck if . . .

In an earlier column I described how two border guards pulling all our stuff apart as they searched the truck. They found a book in the cab with a Christian theme my wife had been reading. When they found a box of .22 shells I’d left in the glove compartment, one of them ordered me to put my hands behind my head with my fingers laced and my toes pointed outward while he felt me all over, including my groin. Scores of motorists stared out their windows as they passed, like I was dangerous criminal or terrorist, or heterosexual white guy clinging bitterly to his guns and religion. Last year, President Obama warned liberals all over North America to be on the lookout for people like me when he said:

So it’s not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.
There’s no denying I’ve been frustrated, especially after the last two elections. I’ve always clinged to my religion (except for some heathen years during my teens and twenties), and I’ve been clinging to my guns since liberals took over all of New England, including New Hampshire. When I look at the map of North America, I calculate that there aren’t many places near me where conservatives are in control anymore. For that, I’d have to drive all the way to Virginia. Driving north only brought me deeper into securely left-wing territory. Yeah I’m frustrated, and getting lonely too.

Then President Obama appointed Janet Napolitano as Secretary of Homeland Security and she issued a memorandum to police chiefs all over America last spring warning them about what she considers “right-wing extremists,” or people seen as:

. . . rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority . . . It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration.

Well I’m strongly against any federal authority not granted by the US Constitution - and there’s certainly been a lot of that lately. I’m strongly against abortion and illegal immigration too. Guess that makes me an “extremist” to the Obama Administration, and maybe the Canadian government as well.

Am I being paranoid when I consider that border guards might have run my license plate and discovered I have concealed weapons permits in Maine and New Hampshire? Did they know leftists have described dozens of my columns as “racist” when I’ve criticized Affirmative Action; “homophobic” when I’ve opposed gay rights or gay marriage; “sexist,” when I’ve criticized feminists; or “xenophobic” when I’ve opined against spending tax money to support illegal immigrants? Did they find out I’m the founder and president of HWGJA - the Heterosexual White Guy Journalists Association?

A few years ago, several of my columns were entered into evidence in a Maine courtroom as “Exhibit A, Exhibit B,” etc. - purportedly proving I was “homophobic." Local homosexual activists had twice dragged me into court on made-up charges and perjured themselves in an effort to shut me up. I was exonerated both times, but maybe those columns are in a database, still accessible to government.

I’ve been reported to the Maine Attorney General’s office for alleged hate crimes - not only by homosexuals, but also by Indians. When I wrote urging Mainers to vote no on a referendum allowing Indians build a casino, hundreds of them from all over the country sent emails, made phone calls, wrote letters to my school board, my superintendent, newpapers that published me, and to Maine’s teacher-licensing bureau claiming I was unfit to teach.

The referendum failed, I’m still teaching, and it’s been a while since “tolerant,” multicultural liberals threatened me with legal action. I thought I was going to be able to live a normal life until I got pulled over for “driving while redneck” at the border.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Right on point! The rush to praise Obama for his little "all guys together" beer party fed into even more liberal journalistic nonsense. It was a transparent attempt to cover up his instinctive reaction when caught without his teleprompter and speech writer.

Anonymous said...

Although it has been many years since I sat in your classroom, I'm so thankful you are still teaching. It's always refreshing to see some teachers still hang on to the traditional values that made this country great, regardless of how unpopular those opinions are becoming now.

Jeff Bailey said...

Tom,

Relax, in our private discussions, we have never discussed religion. You seem to bit over jumped over the ammo thing, but that is Canadian customs and they have always been keen on gun possession.

I have invited our esteemed NH Rep. Carol xxxxx-xxxxxx to a town hall meeting, without Republican Committee involvement. I am asking my Democratic and Republican friends to join in to discuss Health Care Reform and Cap and Trade.

I will not permit gang behaviour, will not disrespect the Representative and will not allow her to be disrespected. I will allow legitimate, non-programmed questions and will not tolerate DNC program responses.

Her scheduling staff has not responded to my personal, oral invitation, I doubt they will.

Our next meeting will no longer be so mundane. We shall discuss things as they are, as they were and where in the hell are we going.

As a blog commentor alluded "no more beer parties."

Jeff Bailey

Anonymous said...

Great article! Thanks for the commentary, particularly the "Redneck" references. Being a Patriot these days, along with publicly espousing family values, will certainly raise the red flag for liberals. Keep up the commentary and the teaching.

Geoff said...

Tom,

Perhaps you wrote and posted this before yesterday's revelation that the White House is asking your neighbors to "snitch" on any anti-Health-Care-Reform musings: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Facts-Are-Stubborn-Things/

Tom McLaughlin said...

You're right Geoff, I did. Last Sunday, I sat down to write the above piece using a mildly sardonic tone with "redneck profiling" and all.

Just now, I went to the White House site you linked to that's asking for tips when we hear anything "fishy" about healthcare reform. Are they recruiting commissars? Maybe I wasn't too far off the mark with this column.

Anyway, I sent the following to Linda Douglass, the communications director for the White House’s Health Reform Office, and President Hopenchange:

Dear Linda, President Obama, et al,

Yeah, I've heard several fishy things, and they all come from left-wing Democrats like you two. If you want to bring down medical costs - rein in the trial lawyers whose lawsuits are driving up costs the most. Then build a fence across the Mexican border, then go after businesses that hire illegal aliens, then go after states and cities that provide them sanctuary.

See how all that affects medical costs. Meanwhile, scrap your socialized medicine bill. It smells like week-old fish and nobody wants it but you. No, you don't really want it either - not for yourselves. You want the control that goes with having the federal government run another 18% of our economy. To get that, you want to foist this smelly, fishy bill on the rest of us.

We're not buying it and we don't trust you - no matter how many YouTube videos you post. Congressmen and senators are getting that message back home. If you don't get it soon, we'll get louder so you can hear us better.

Tom

Anonymous said...

More ways to lower health costs in the U.S., ban prescription drug advertising and drug company lobbyists.

Joe

Anonymous said...

...Tom, one thing we can bank on is God's promises when Satan comes in like a flood, God will raise up a standard against it. Isaiah 59:19

I also take comfort in Romans 11:4
But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.

- tomax7

jjet said...

So, why would you ever go back in the The People's Republic of Canada again?

I'd really like to hunt up there (Canadian animals are particularly tasty) but I refuse to give any money to that socialistic and hoplophobic government.

Of course, I don't fly the friendly skies anymore either.

Sigh.