Dumber and dumber...

I know it's not politically correct or even good Karma. But I think that Republicans are idiots. At least the latter-day-Republicans. Those who went for Bush Jr. and Palin. These people have the same lemming mentality of the religious right and about the same amount of emotional intelligence (not to mention I.Q.)
I have noticed that every time I see one of those car stickers that say Bush/Cheney or McCain/Palin (or Sarah!, as I have had the pleasure to witness) my perception of the driver goes down the drain: I immediately see them as idiot hatemongers with no intelligence. Why, have I asked myself, do I make these harsh judgements on people? Aren't I being just like them in the sense that I mercilessly throw them in the gutter with all the other backward, hateful, ignorant people in this country (think KKK, Neo-Nazis, right-wingers, etc)?
It may be that we tend to over-generalize as a means of accepting reality. I would have to accept that I have known republicans (not anybody who would have openly voted for Palin, though) and that they are just like everybody else. Just conservative in some aspects. The problem may be that the religious right has hijacked the party during the last eight years and after witnessing their efforts to take over the political landscape I cannot help but relate ones with the others.
And in terms of religious (or Religulous, as Bill Maher calls them) folks, they have all my scorn. Mindless, rabid, dangerous, entitled and self-righteous, they seem to represent the ideal of that party (think Karl Rove and Dick Cheney). They use their smarts to get away with murder in the name of 'the bigger good' and for them that means that anybody who does not conform with their idealized (and hyper simplified) view of the world, should be set aside and probably shot. All in the name of their beliefs.
So when I see one of those stickers (usually accompanied by one of those 'support our troops' and 'the fish' radio station sticker, I immediately think of the car driver as a slightly dumb, gullible and dangerous person. Somebody who could easily run you over for your own good and justify it as 'charitable work'. But in any moment would see themselves as the other side of the coin, that is, that side of the same coin that flew those planes those buildings.
Because in their minds they are doing it to help you (or the country), they do not see themselves as oppressors (maybe they should go to their Thesaurus and find the meaning of that word) but as people doing what they have to do to keep their 'values' and 'lifestyle' tightly secure in the warm blanket their flag provides for them. If only they would keep warm by burning that little book of theirs, everything would be better.
But I think I have to learn to accept that it is fear what guides them. Lack of knowledge. How many of them actually know a foreigner, about other religions, other sexual preference? Not many, I think. Because that would mean stepping out of their comfort zone and that is scary. Maybe instead of ranting against them I should go and open some minds. That should keep me busy, because I'm sure it would be really difficult to sway Ann Coulter's readers the other way. Or move them a little. Ok, so enough of rants and impossible missions for today. I think I will just stick to revising my sticker policy and keeping an open mind when finding these new Republicans on the road. Least I end up being like them...