At lunch time today a group of us were having a political discussion. As usual the most anti-Bush of us were the most vocal. I say “anti-Bush” instead of “liberal” because one of the most vocal guys is a hard-core Republican who is ashamed that he’s going to have to vote for Kerry because Bush isn’t really a Republican, because of his record deficits and assault on the Constitution. Before the USA PATRIOT act, he and I got into very heated arguments about the purpose of government and who should be helping whom.
Anyway, today we had a woman joining us for lunch who used to eat with us, but stopped. And I think I see why. She’s a hard-core partisan Republican, and claims that Rob isn’t a Republican because he’s not voting for Bush, and Bush is the only person who can fight terrorism. I was trying to be fairly moderate to not make her too uncomfortable while she’s so out-numbered by people who disagree with her politics so completely. But then she turns to me and says “You shouldn’t even be talking”. “What?”, I asked. “You’re not a citizen, you can’t vote, so you shouldn’t even be talking.” I was flabergasted. I half expected her to tell me to “love it or leave it”.
Sorry, I was under the misapprehension that freedom of speech had only been drastically curtailed, not totally eliminated.
If there is a silver lining to this depressing tale, surely it is the fact that she was so outnumbered.
Two more months – I hope…
Make a deal with her: tell her you’ll stop talking when her country stops thinking it’s entitled to mess with the affairs of other sovereign nations. Sauce for the goose, and all that.
Just tell her that Canadians have free speech too.
But they have to do it in French.