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Stick 'em up, or on

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

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By ANGELINA GERVASIO
Seventh-grader, Redwood Middle School

Not your average kid

What a great country we have created in more than 220 years. Here in the U.S. we all exercise our First Amendment rights (citizens, legal residents and even the occasional tourist), one way or another. This time however, I want to address the sticky part of our expressions: The bumper stickers!

While riding in the car, my bike and even walking I am confronted by statements chosen by people who wish to let me know what they think or feel about different issues in life.

Just a few weeks ago, on our way to school in the morning we came behind this car which had a license plate that read something like "PEACE ‘N LOVE " and a "COEXIST" sticker next to it, when it made a sudden stop to make a left turn we had to abruptly come to a halt and the car behind us loudly honked. Well, what do you know, the love and peace driver who claims to coexist flipped us off, we stayed quiet for a few seconds before we burst out laughing. So much for love 'n peace!

There is another one I have read and don't quite get its meaning "Visualize Whirled Peas,” unless they are bright green spring English peas with truffle oil, the mental picture is not very appetizing but rather kind of gross. If I say the sentence fast enough it resembles "Visualize World Peace.” I am lost here about the intention of the sticker however. I also wonder about the "Keep Tahoe Blue,” is someone trying to turn Tahoe green?

During our most recent presidential election we saw all sorts of left and right assaults, countdown clocks, donkeys, elephants and even pit-bulls with lipstick. Obama supporters still proudly parade theirs in their cars, even though I am sick of it I say good for them, but the ones who still have Kerry/Edwards or Bush' 04 make me wonder if they have not heard the latest news: We are on 2009 and neither one of those candidates run for president on ’08.

Time to time we would drive by a car with an "Evolution" sign (you know the one with apes evolving into humans?) What if I caught the driver's attention and then ask them "Want a banana?" Would I be making fun of people this way? I think not, it's like having an open discussion on a topic where opinions get created and voiced ... both ways.

And then you have the anti-war, anti-terrorists, pro-guns, freedom and peace ... and sometimes you'll see more than one bumper sticker in the same car that make you go "Huh?"

I have seen more than once a car sporting "Arms are for Hugging" and a "Free Tibet" next to it and I wonder if these people really understand their demands. Who are they suggesting should go to China, hug each one of their government and army members and then the Chinese will set Tibet free? ... "War is not the Answer," “Peace, Love, Freedom," "Live Free or Die"... When was the last time a country became free through diplomatic conversations, or hugs? When was the last time freedom was obtained without brave men and women willing to die fighting for it, or without waterboarding?

Some of my favorites are "The Emperor Has No Clothes," "Silly Boys, Trucks are for Girls," "Stop Global Whining," "I'll keep my money, my freedom & my guns ... you can keep the change,” and the latest one I saw on a truck outside Safeway with license plates from Idaho read "So, you went to college and still voted for Obama?” or one that I saw yesterday... “Obamanos”, since “vamonos” in Spanish is “Let’s Go.”

How about the one that says "My Labrador is smarter than your Honor student"?

Our chocolate Lab “Bruno” travels with us in our car a lot of times, and since we sport a “Proud RMS Parent Honor Roll” one, I suddenly feel compelled to let you know that I love my very smart dog!

So what does your car want me to talk about?

81 comment(s)

a teacher wrote on May 13, 2009 1:35 PM:

" I used to have a few bumper stickers on my old car:

"If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention."

"If you can read this thank a teacher."

And one or two more political ones. but I grew tired of them. When I bought my new car I decided not to clutter it with other people's opinions.

Instead I have a little yellow gekko on the back window. A friend gave it to me because I was complaining that my car looks just like the 50 other silver Hondas in Napa. Now it stands out in the crowd, without being too loud. That is my message. "

alucawanza wrote on May 13, 2009 7:08 PM:

" Lake Tahoe is a beautiful blue lake. It is in danger of being ruined by pollution, thus the sticker.

The other evolution sign is a fish with legs.

I'm glad you didn't see any signs with the name of Jesus on them. It seems (to me) very demeaning and disrespectful to put his visage or name on a bumper sticker. "

wildflower wrote on May 13, 2009 7:46 PM:

" Good humor Angelina.

< The fish symbol has been used as a Christian (Jesus) symbol for over a thousand years. The Darwinistas couldn't come up with a symbol of their own, instead they ridicule the existing one by adding feet. To me, it shows lack of imagination of their grand imagination (humans evolving from fish? ha ha ha!).

I particularly like to see those bumper stickers that say "Jesus loves you" that surely reaches out to everyone. I don't feel offended by the use of Jesus image or name, in the contrary, it reminds me to pray while driving. "

alucawanza wrote on May 14, 2009 11:15 AM:

" They don't reach out to me, wildflower. His image is sacred. It doesn't belong on a car bumper. Just my opinion...
Ever see Allah on a bumper sticker?? or Buddha? "

wildflower wrote on May 14, 2009 11:48 AM:

" Hmmm...too bad.
Yes He is sacred.
You might be right.
No, and it isn't the only thing that set us apart either. "

alucawanza wrote on May 14, 2009 4:12 PM:

" Waterboarding never freed anyone, Angelina. It is an inhumane practice. The Japanese were convicted of this crime after WWII. They called it the water cure. They got 15 years at hard labor.

The Spanish Inquisition in the late 1400s used this torture to uncover and punish heretics, and then in the early 1500s Spain's inquisitors carried it overseas to root out heresy in the New World. It reappeared during the witch hysteria. Women accused of sorcery were “dunked” and held under water to see if they were witches.

In World War II Japan and Germany routinely used water boarding on prisoners. In Viet Nam U.S. forces held bound Viet Cong captives and “sympathizers” upside down in barrels of water. Water boarding also has been associated with the Khmer Rouge.

Freedom was gained during the Revolutionary War. It has been protected since then in many wars by our wonderful servicemen and women.

The Cold War was won without a single shot. All of the presidents during that time were diplomatically resourceful.

The country of Israel comes to mind when asking about a country that became free or into existence through diplomatic negotiations. It, too, has fought to maintain its freedom. But it also has sat down at a table to negotiate dipomatically.

Bumper stickers are just another form of freedom of speech. They are opinions. Many have died to protect our right to express our opinions. Everyone is entitled to their opinions. You will probably be hearing from the owners of these bumper stickers who will explain their opinions to you. "

PlasticPinkFlamingo wrote on May 14, 2009 10:10 PM:

" The Cold War won without a single shot? I take it you mean the struggle between the USSR and the US, communism vs. capitalism?

I wonder how those who were shot trying to get over the Berlin wall would feel about that, if they were allowed to survive? While you're at it, how many people were shot trying to escape from socialism to West Berlin, and how many were shot trying to escape capitalism to East Berlin? Got statistics?

If that wasn't warlike enough for you, the Cold War wasn't cold in Hungary when the Soviet tanks came. Lots more examples, how many would you like?

BTW, Israel has had to defend itself from the first second of its existence.

I like your humor on this one Angelina. Others seem to get all tightened up over their bumper stickers. For me, I haven't put a bumper sticker on a car I've owned since 1964. But I have seen some real head scratchers. One car had a "Hang Up And Drive" sticker (one I believe in) but the driver was waving her hands and talking on a cell phone. Another (back in the day) had a Smokey the Bear "Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires" who threw a cigarette butt out of his car. Kind of makes you wonder about their personal commitment to their causes - or do they believe in "Do As I Say, Not As I Do"? "

Hear Ye wrote on May 14, 2009 11:46 PM:

" Hey PPF, haven't seen you around these parts for a little while

I personally don't use bumper stickers because I think it looks tacky but thats just me.

I do enjoy the bumper stickers that are in direct conflict with the actions of the driver. Always gives me a chuckle.

Favorite political sticker is "Somewhere in Texas a village is missing their idiot" "

a teacher wrote on May 15, 2009 6:44 AM:

" WOW! I thought this was about bumper stickers... "

Angelina Gervasio wrote on May 15, 2009 9:38 AM:

" OGreatPinkOne (I really missed saying, er, typing that:)-

You have a car that was made in 1964? Cool! What model?

I agree, plenty of people get really mad if you insult their bumper stickers...

Have you seen that one car that's painted baby blue with a whole bunch of hand painted "bumper stickers"? It used to be by Trader Joe's all the time but I haven't seen it for a while...

Hear Ye-
We got a forward that had a picture of a sign saying "Somewhere In Kenya A Village Is Missing It's Idiot"... obviously the Bush one came first, but you have to admit, they're both pretty funny.

What about the sticker with the picture of the Marijuana plant? Doesn't it kind of defeat the purpose of DARE and programs like it if there are still people out there "worshipping" drugs? "

freeport56 wrote on May 15, 2009 10:40 AM:

" "The Cold War was won without a single shot. All of the presidents during that time were diplomatically resourceful."

At least that you are aware of. Many brave soles on both sides died to fight the Cold War. Most of them you will never ever know about, because they are just stars on a wall in Virginia.

Angelina, as for my car, the Prius, it has two American Flags, NRA Life Member decal, And a Second Amendment Foundation decal in the back window. My license plate refers to a morning beverage.

PPF- nice to hear from you. "

Angelina Gervasio wrote on May 15, 2009 12:53 PM:

" Freeport-
We used to have an American Flag sticker on both my dad's truck and the family Highlander (Toyota), but they faded so we took them of and haven't found replacements... they were cool while they lasted, though "

pharper wrote on May 15, 2009 2:02 PM:

" Angelina, I highly doubt that anyone with a "Arms are for Hugging" bumper sticker literally means that we should try to solve problems by hugging one another (not that I don't love hugs!). I think the bumper stickers are more for thinking, anyway, not literally promoting a driver's exact philosophy on life. One of my favorite stickers is "Republicans for Voldemort," because I think it's kind of a funny way of integrating pop culture. One of my very conservative friends has that bumper sticker on her car, actually, and so do some very liberal friends of mine. Another favorite was one that says, “It’ll be a great day when schools have all the money they need, and the military has to hold bake sales to get money to buy weapons.”

Another friend and I once discussed her McCain bumper sticker, and joked that she should add another one that said, "...but I'm carrying a vote for Obama!"

As to the Kerry/Edwards and Bush bumper stickers, I think maybe you're underestimating how hard it is to get a bumper sticker off! I think a lot of people just don't want to take the time to do that, since it is pretty difficult. "

Conservativemom wrote on May 15, 2009 2:22 PM:

" Anglelina - Your parents should be very proud of you as well as our entire community. Even if some don't agree with your political views, we should all hope that every 7th grader is as articulate and can express themselves as well as you. Very humorous article, I enjoyed it. "

Angelina Gervasio wrote on May 15, 2009 3:15 PM:

" pharper-
One of our liberal friends that had a Kerry covered it with a "My Pug Is Smarter Than Your Honer Student".

"I highly doubt that anyone with a "Arms are for Hugging" bumper sticker literally means that we should try to solve problems by hugging one another"

Then how else do you suggest we get the Chinese and Korean gov't to not blow us up with their Nukes without killing them? It's one or the other. We kill they're government or they blow up our country like the Middle East blew up our WTC. Your choice. "

Angelina Gervasio wrote on May 15, 2009 3:26 PM:

" Conservativemom-
Love the screen name BTW... Thanks! My parents are proud of me, and I'm hoping to use the blog to get a scholarship for Justin Sienna and hopefully Harvard Law or Yale. "

pharper wrote on May 15, 2009 4:31 PM:

" I was saying that I don't think people with those bumper stickers think that hugging is literally the answer. But killing innocent people? I seem to recall a certain amount of outrage when a certain terrorist group attacked innocent civilians in our country. I guess it's okay for us to kill innocent people, though.

So far, I haven't heard anything about the Chinese planning on bombing us anytime in the near future. Maybe I've been missing those articles (that darn liberal media!) but I haven't heard anything about tensions with China in that sense. Korea is another story, but do you honestly think we should murder their civilians because of something their government may or may not do? We're Americans, and therefore very resourceful. If we tried, I'm sure we could come up with a better solution than cold-blooded murder. "

Angelina Gervasio wrote on May 15, 2009 7:13 PM:

" pharper-
I never said a thing about killing civilians. Their government is very, very far from innocent. Hire an assassin team and take them out. Or do you want them to blow us up first? It's sour before it's sweet. "

alucawanza wrote on May 15, 2009 7:37 PM:

" When I spoke of the Cold War I was thinking of a bigger picture than you have described freeport. Of course I remember the Berlin Wall. I remember the Berlin food lifts. I was thinking of the constant nuclear danger, hiding under desks during drills, and the Cuban Missile Crisis.
John Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Lyndon Johnson, and Richard Nixon all walked a very thin line in keeping the peace diplomatically. Don't we all remember Ronald Reagan's remarks about the Berlin Wall? Don't we all remember John Kennedy getting the missiles removed from Cuba? We all remember the lessening of tension between China and the U.S. with Richard Nixon's foreign policy acumen. These men, with the exception of the horrific mistake of Viet Nam, used diplomacy rather than bloodshed very well.

Another country that gained freedom without war was India's non-violent movement against the U.K.'s colonialism under the leadership of Ghandi. "

pharper wrote on May 15, 2009 8:09 PM:

" I think the US has done a very bad job in the past of messing with others countries' governments. What happened when we entered Vietnam? Things got worse once we finally left. What happened in Chile when the CIA assassinated Allende? Pinochet began his reign of terror and slaughter - backed by the US government. Iraq and Afghanistan are no more stable or US-friendly now than they were eight years ago.

A better solution would be to attempt better diplomatic relations first. If that doesn't work, then perhaps the intensity of our involvement would have to rise, but to just suddenly assassinate members of a government without first trying other, less violent measures? That would be un-American.

What you're using is called a logical fallacy. Of course I do not want them to blow us up, but that doesn't mean that your solution is the correct one. I'm not saying mine is either, but I think it's highly irrational to simply kill other people without trying other things first. "

Napan007 wrote on May 17, 2009 11:34 AM:

" The Middle East blew up our WTC? WOW, and also, INCORRECT. I hope you have the chance to travel internationally in your lifetime, especially to the Middle East. "

alucawanza wrote on May 17, 2009 3:17 PM:

" Hire a team of assassins to go into China and kill their leaders??? The Chinese aren't going to blow us up. We owe them too much money! "

Angelina Gervasio wrote on May 17, 2009 4:38 PM:

" Napan007-
Well it wasn't Bush...

alucawanza-
That's actually a pretty good National Defense Strategy... Maybe we'll get lucky and the CHinese will bomb the Koreans before they bomb us so we can still pay them... lol :) "

orual wrote on May 17, 2009 4:42 PM:

" ("The Chinese aren't going to blow us up. We owe them too much money!"
That actually made me laugh out loud.)

The CTA mailed me my pink and white "Stand Up For Schools" sticker my car is currently sporting next to my "Amnesty International" one.
I think bumper stickers that are made to comment on popular ones are funny like "Your College S*cks" written in fancy letters to resemble the name of an actual college, or "My kid beat up your honor roll student". "

funnyme wrote on May 17, 2009 6:57 PM:

" orual-lauro,
Pretty good!

The one I REALLY have a "huh?" with is the 'marijuana leaf' one. Our government (through different school grants of some sorts:DARE for example) spend a lot of money trying to steer our kids away from drugs, and there's these people "glorifying" pot smokers/eaters/sniffers, etc., etc., etc...That gets my funny bone going tickling. It's almost like asking cops to stop you to search your car for drugs...LOL
I wonder if bumper stickers give COPS a clue...???

pharper,
I disagree with you. I think the US has done a great job to HELP other countries to get rid of the tyrany, the most recent example is Iraq. Can you IMAGINE living under those circumstances?
I can. Mexico, unfortunately, ain't too far from what Iraq lived through before the US 'invasion'... "

pharper wrote on May 17, 2009 9:03 PM:

" Yes, I imagine the Chilean people felt very grateful to have a murderous leader backed by the United states government. Look up Augusto Pinochet. The man banned all left-leaning political groups, killed thousands of people who disagreed with him (by beheading or worse), took over Chile as a dictator, and implemented economic policies that caused the Chilean economy to tank in the early 1980s - all of this was backed by the United States government.

In Vietnam, the United States' presence did very little to help any situation, and it soon became clear that event he soldiers weren't entirely sure what they were fighting for. Thousands of US soldiers died for a very murky reason, and many, many Vietnamese citizens were slaughtered in their own villages by the US military, something the government kept hidden until the situation was forced into the light. (Look up Mỹ Lai and My Khe.)

Iraq and Afghanistan are also iffy situations; what will happen in the future is unclear, but right now, civilians and innocents die all for the sake of capturing Osama bin Laden's "right hand man" (which we seem to have done multiple times). I see no evidence of a stable new government, a growing economy, or friendlier relations with the United States. I remember a picture in the newspaper several years back of a three-year-old Iraqi boy sitting on steps red with the blood of his father and grandfather. That's helpful?

If that's how the US "helps" people, it's no wonder more people don't ask for our help.

In the meantime, countries like Darfur face genocide and crimes against humanity, and the US sits back and does nothing. "

alucawanza wrote on May 18, 2009 5:33 PM:

" Angelina:
Bush was given intelligence memos that an air attack was imminent. He didn't do anything. When it happened he was reading a book in a classroom of small children. An aide came in and whispered in his ear that we were under attack. He sat there for 7 minutes before leaving. No one was given any direction by him for 7 minutes. He continued reading the children's book. He didn't know what to do...What should a president do when the country is under attack??? "

freeport56 wrote on May 19, 2009 9:55 AM:

" pharper-

just one question, who is committing the gencide in Darfur? Do you know? Do you also know why the U.S. does not have a military presence in Darfur?

I also see you are getting a negative history lesson of US foreign policy. To add to that lesson. Look to Preside Obama's new found foreign friends Castro, Ortega, Chavez, not too mention his support for the Palestinians and Hamas. All these leaders are dictators, Ortega ran death squads in the 80's, and have tortured and murdered their own civilian populations.

So now i guess there is hope. While we prsecute our won for trying to protect our country, we buddy up to people who do much worse.....totally wrong direction.

pharper- did your teachers bother to tell you that US citizens give more out of their own pockets in foreign aid than the combined rest of the world? $254 Billion in 2005. What a country! "

Raven wrote on May 19, 2009 12:12 PM:

" Mhe US leads in total dollars but in terms of the percent of the nation's GNP, it is lil ole Sweden that leads the way, the US is 17th according to globalissues.org "

Sandra wrote on May 19, 2009 2:55 PM:

" "Another country that gained freedom without war was India's non-violent movement against the U.K.'s colonialism under the leadership of Ghandi."

You ever wonder why Ghandi was successful?
Take a moment and give it some thought.
Now take the British out of the picture and insert radical Islamic terrorists.
You think we would have seen the same result? "

Sandra wrote on May 19, 2009 3:00 PM:

" Pharper,
Will you be attending Napa college next fall? May I suggest you take a current history class from Mr. Clymer. I think you need a clearer presentation of U.S. history. Check him out on Rate your professor...... "

crymeariver wrote on May 19, 2009 3:38 PM:

" And the Napa Register gives a 12 year old middle school girl a politcal blog why??? This paper nevers fails to amaze me with their lack of journalism. "

alucawanza wrote on May 19, 2009 3:40 PM:

" Sandra,
There's no way to know. Do you think there's a level of civility that makes a difference?
Different time, place, and actors. The question was aked if there was a time in history when diplomacy was successful rather than war. That was an example. I use the term diplomacy rather than kisses and hugs.

The post I was responding to was:
"I highly doubt that anyone with a "Arms are for Hugging" bumper sticker literally means that we should try to solve problems by hugging one another"
hen how else do you suggest we get the Chinese and Korean gov't to not blow us up with their Nukes without killing them? It's one or the other. We kill they're government or they blow up our country like the Middle East blew up our WTC. Your choice. "

If my response sounded elementary, that's because I'm talking to a 7th grader. BTW, it's "their government, not they're government and the article an is used before a noun that begins with a vowel... "

pharper wrote on May 19, 2009 4:42 PM:

" I'll actually be going to CSU Chico next year.

In tenth grade, we had to do a project on the things that happened during the Cold War period between the '50s and the '80s, analyze a specific event, and give a briefing where we either supported to the course of action taken by the US, or suggested a different one. My group chose to study the Chilean military coup, and so far I've yet to see any evidence that the United States was justified in supporting and organizing the murder of another country's leader. Perhaps assassination is sometimes necessary I don't know, but form the extensive rsearch we did and the briefing we put together, I'd have to say that ultimately, in that case, it was not.

As to the Vietnam War, I stand by what I said. There are many opposing views on it, but to me it is clear as day that not only did the US have no business being there, but that our presence only made things worse, and resulted in the death of thousands of our young soldiers.

I understand that I have a lot to learn, but I think you may be under the mistaken impression that only one side of an issue was presented to me in my history classes, and that isn't true. My history teachers have been very careful to present all issues and opposing views, and encouraged discussion and debate about them. We were left to draw our own conclusions on the events in history, and were never told to believe any one thing. "

Angelina Gervasio wrote on May 19, 2009 5:12 PM:

" crymeariver-
Yeah, I'm amazed too...

alu-
Even the best of us make mistakes. Remember Obama and the 57 states??? I don't remember you correcting him... "

alucawanza wrote on May 19, 2009 7:56 PM:

" If Obama read these posts I would have corrected him. Maybe he was thinking of ketchup!~
I'm a sixth grade teacher. How can I pass up an opportunity to correct something?
When you stop making mistakes you stop learning... "

Madison Jay Hamilton wrote on May 19, 2009 10:26 PM:

" Wildflower writes, "The fish symbol has been used as a Christian (Jesus) symbol for over a thousand years. The Darwinistas couldn't come up with a symbol of their own, instead they ridicule the existing one by adding feet. To me, it shows lack of imagination of their grand imagination (humans evolving from fish? ha ha ha!)."

Actually, the fish was a Greek symbol for the goddess of love. The fish was also the Roman symbol for Venus. The fish symbol was used in other ancient cultures, too.

If anything, it was the Christians who borrowed (adapted?) a previously-existing symbol for their own purposes. "

wildflower wrote on May 20, 2009 6:15 AM:

" ...but of course. Madison, how could you not see that neither of those 'ancient cultures' failed to acknowledge -and glorify- the existence of a SUPREME being?

The "borrowed (adapted?)" symbol was used, not ridiculized, and that is exactly the point. "

alucawanza wrote on May 20, 2009 4:46 PM:

" Jesus was a fisher of men, spreading the word, thus the symbol. "

Sandra wrote on May 20, 2009 7:28 PM:

" regarding, "alucawanza wrote on May 19, 2009 3:40 PM:

" Sandra,
There's no way to know. Do you think there's a level of civility that makes a difference?"

Absolutely....and there is a away to know, by logical reasoning and deduction. Ghandi's peaceful methods would only work with an adversary that respected the sanctity of all human life. An enemy that wants all infidels dead would have happily chopped off his head before anyone even noticed Ghandi was protesting.
And for those who feel the need to be superior in their attitudes, please do not speak down to Angelina, she is a very bright girl who can hold her own better than many that post here. "

anticommie wrote on May 21, 2009 4:45 AM:

" alucawanza wrote on May 18, 2009 5:33 PM:

" Angelina:
Bush was given intelligence memos that an air attack was imminent. He didn't do anything. When it happened he was reading a book in a classroom of small children. An aide came in and whispered in his ear that we were under attack. He sat there for 7 minutes before leaving. No one was given any direction by him for 7 minutes. He continued reading the children's book. He didn't know what to do...What should a president do when the country is under attack??? "

Nice try, but I can see you have never worked in any form of security detail. What did you want Bush to do, stand up and run out the door? At the time the government did not know what other attacks were going on, where it was coming from, who was doing it, who was at risk. To me 7 minutes is an amazing amount of time to orchestrate the safe dispatch of the President of the US to be moved and relocated to a secure area. This argument is straight our of Michael Moore's "Fareinheit 9/11." Nice try though, I've watched that film too, but have you seen "FareinHYPE 9/11" by Mr. Morris?(The register wouldnt let me use his first name, but it is short for Richard) If you want to be far and balanced I recommend that film. "

anticommie wrote on May 21, 2009 4:52 AM:

" Pharper:

"As to the Vietnam War, I stand by what I said. There are many opposing views on it, but to me it is clear as day that not only did the US have no business being there, but that our presence only made things worse, and resulted in the death of thousands of our young soldiers. "

And do you know what happened to those people when we left? Or did your teachers not discuss what happened? Do you know anything about Saloth Sar or Minh Hai aka Pol Pot? Do some research on this man, and see what happened when the US left Vietnam region, and what socialism and communism are about. "

anticommie wrote on May 21, 2009 4:58 AM:

" Angelina:

Once again I love your postings! It is so wonderful to see a young conservative standing up to the "status quo" of the liberals of this country, state, and locality. Keep up the good work.

The "Coexist" one is the one that makes me shake my head and laugh. These people are living in a nonrealistic dimension of some sort. And the old campaign stickers, come on! "

Angelina Gervasio wrote on May 21, 2009 6:08 AM:

" Thank You Sandra... Great post too... "

pharper wrote on May 21, 2009 8:40 AM:

" anticommie, clearly our presence in Vietnam did nothing to help the people of the country - if anything, we hurt them. How do you justify that?

And sorry, but that's not what socialism and communism are about; it's an example of what power-hungry, sadistic, insane world leaders are about. That's like using Jeremiah Wright to say that all black people are religious zealots, which we all know is not true. Just because some people use communism and socialism as a way of furthering their own power-mad agenda doesn't mean that communism and socialism in themselves are bad. "

sandra wrote on May 21, 2009 9:01 AM:

" Angelina,
You are most welcome. I think you and Pharper are both amazing. Keep up the good work! "

dellasumbrella wrote on May 21, 2009 11:43 AM:

" Loved the humor in this piece -- bumper stickers are silly, but sometimes fun to read as well. My favorite is "Trees don't grow on money, either." But I also like the "Darwin" fish with legs, because it plays off the Christian "anti-evolution theory" movement by showing evolution in play. Very clever.

And yes, Angelina, I'd love a banana, thank you. Probably a survival mechanism (potassium) we should be glad the apes passed along to us.

One benefit, for me, of keeping my Obama sticker on my car is to keep me from doing what Angelina observed in the Peace n' Love car. If I remember I have it on my car, I'm less likely to show my reckless or inconsiderate driver side. I'd hate for people to associate someone who refuses to use the turnouts on a windy road when someone wants to go faster, or who slams their brakes on in response to a tailgater, with the Obama Administration.

Okay, those aren't really my bad driver behaviors.

The real reason I keep it on is I don't know how to take a bumper sticker off without leaving a nasty, rectangular scar on my bumper. Any suggestions? "

alucawanza wrote on May 21, 2009 1:18 PM:

" Sandra:
Thank you for the logical reasoning and deduction Thank you also for the guidance in how to write a post to Angelina. Perhaps you could return the same courtesy to your peers. "

Raven wrote on May 21, 2009 2:39 PM:

" della...sometimes nail polish remover will help in removing the glue residue but I haven't tried that solution for years, not sure how modern finishes will react to the acetone. "

alucawanza wrote on May 21, 2009 4:29 PM:

" Della and Raven:
Test the remover in a spot first that can't be seen, maybe under the bumper, and see what the reaction is. Good Luck. "

PlasticPinkFlamingo wrote on May 21, 2009 8:56 PM:

" To remove bumper or window stickers, use a hair dryer on the low or medium setting (the high setting may harm paint or plastic) and work them off with a mild automotive solvent like a 'bug and tar remover' - available in auto parts stores. Good idea to test any solvent in a non-noticeable place first. If it is an inside window sticker you can use a safety razor blade, but be very careful if its on a heated rear window - you can easily cut the element line.

You have to take it gently but the sticker and the glue will come off. I just removed some stickers that had been on a car for several years.

I'm surprised no one asked me what bumper sticker I last put on my car (in 1964). But since I can't stand the suspense I'll tell you anyway . . . whether you like it or not! . . . it was a Barry Goldwater for President sticker. Sad how LBJ slimed Barry with the 'warmonger' scare tactic, especially since after the election LBJ proceeded to send hundreds of thousands of our best to Viet Nam. "

anticommie wrote on May 21, 2009 9:45 PM:

" pharper wrote on May 21, 2009 8:40 AM:

" anticommie, clearly our presence in Vietnam did nothing to help the people of the country - if anything, we hurt them. How do you justify that?"

General Patton said it best:

"War is Hell" "

Sandra wrote on May 21, 2009 10:56 PM:

" alucawanza,
Regarding "Thank you also for the guidance in how to write a post to Angelina. Perhaps you could return the same courtesy to your peers."
Excuse me? I am always polite to my peers. Perhaps when dealing with sarcastic adults I can give as good as I get, but I never instigate that type of behavior. I also do not lay down and allow someone to stomp on my head. Hence this post to you.
And I also see that it never occurred to you that perhaps the last part of the post was directed to someone else? I thought crymearivers response of " And the Napa Register gives a 12 year old middle school girl a politcal blog why??? This paper nevers fails to amaze me with their lack of journalism. ", was an underhanded hit at Angelina. Perhaps you saw yourself in what I said? Well if you think the shoe fits, it must fit. But sarcasm is in this instance only reflects upon you. "

Angelina Gervasio wrote on May 22, 2009 6:22 AM:

" pharper and any anti-war people-

"It's sour before it's sweet"

"It's darkest before Dawn"

Now put those into context. "

a teacher wrote on May 22, 2009 6:27 AM:

" "General Patton said it best:

"War is Hell" "

Actually, that was General William Sherman, but I doubt he was the first to make that observation. "

Cadence wrote on May 22, 2009 7:55 AM:

" An interesting study done at Colorado State U last year showed that both number of territory markers (e.g., bumper stickers, decals) and attachment to the vehicle were
significant predictors of aggressive driving. Mere presence of a territory marker predicts increased use of the vehicle to express anger.
The article explains the association of personal car markings and road rage as a way by those drivers to protect their territory.
Don't tailgate the guy with the fish - he might surprise you! "

Raven wrote on May 22, 2009 9:02 AM:

" Antio, try general sherman...if patton said it it was stolen from him,

"I’ve been through two wars and I know. I’ve seen cities and homes in ashes. I’ve seen thousands of men lying on the ground, their dead faces looking up at the skies. I tell you, war is Hell!
Sherman's speech to the Michigan Military Institute, 1879..

Sandra I thought alu was saying that maybe you could give the same guidance to your peers.

But the question she asked is a legitimate one..... "

pharper wrote on May 22, 2009 10:29 AM:

" Yes, Angelina, those sayings have their time and place, but that doesn't mean the automatic solution to any diplomatic problems is war. War is hell, and whoever said it was absolutely right, so why we would put our young women and men in that sort of situation for reasons that are unclear and without first trying other measures is beyond me.

Simply resigning oneself to saying, "well, it's bad now but eventually it'll get better!" means to give up all accountability. In doing so, we act as though we have no control over it, when we very definitely do. "

funnyme wrote on May 22, 2009 11:03 AM:

" Cadence,
That is an interesting finding...I wonder if it applies to 'vanity plates' as well.
The vanity plates are a big distraction to me because while driving I'm trying to decipher the 'message' and a lot of times I don't get it and I wish I could pull the driver over and 'demand' an explanation!

Would BHO's bow be an example of "trying other measures", pharper? "

a teacher wrote on May 22, 2009 11:13 AM:

" "It's sour before it's sweet"

"It's darkest before Dawn"

Now put those into context. "

Huh? "

funnyme wrote on May 22, 2009 11:27 AM:

" teacher,
I believe the translation is "No pain, no gain"...but you knew that. "

Sandra wrote on May 22, 2009 12:10 PM:

" Raven,
In the post Alu is reacting to I said, "And for those who feel the need to be superior in their attitudes, please do not speak down to Angelina, she is a very bright girl who can hold her own better than many that post here."
You still think that requested guidance for my peers is what was meant by Alu's comment? How so? Am I not already addressing this to my peers?
What Alu was alledging was that I took a superior attitude to my peers, and should follow my own advice.
I do not feel that I do that. I state what I think as clearly as I can. How others react to this is out of my control. There are times I feel I have been misunderstood, so I attempt to restate what I am saying in a way that could possibly be better understood. I strive not to be rude, but am human like everyone else. If someone is sarcastic or rude to me, I can react in kind. "

pharper wrote on May 22, 2009 2:24 PM:

" funnyme, it was a sign of respect. In meeting with the Queen of England, would you walk up to her, shake her hand enthusiastically, and say, "Hey, Queenie!"? No. You'd curtsy or bow. It's a custom and a sign of respect. It doesn't mean you're submitting to her authority or admitting any weakness. The same goes for meeting any world leader or prominent figure. You'd greet them according to their custom.

And, frankly, one physical greeting has very little, if anything to do with diplomacy or the issue at hand. "

funnyme wrote on May 22, 2009 3:27 PM:

" pharper,
Maybe you should advise Mrs. BHO of the customary greetings, she seems to think she can hug and kiss The Queen of England.

Dual interpretations. I probably don't want to know what The Queen of England and the Saudis interpretation IS.

Submission and weakness signs can be detrimental at a time of war. "

Raven wrote on May 22, 2009 5:24 PM:

" Sandra I don't think that was what being said...I think that this section should be spread among others ...."And for those who feel the need to be superior in their attitudes, please do not speak down .... "

But if you disagree, so be it. Life goes on. "

anticommie wrote on May 22, 2009 7:01 PM:

" Raven and Teacher:

thanks for the correction. General Sherman is another great hero and American, and to not give him that credit would be an insult. I stand corrected.

But the meaning is still there! "

pharper wrote on May 22, 2009 7:23 PM:

" Luckily, funnyme, we're not at war with either England or Saudi Arabia, are we? Maybe if President Obama had bowed to Osama bin Laden or Saddam Hussein, or even Vladimir Putin, but he didn't, did he? He gave a customary bow to two people whose respect both he deserved and to whom he owed respect. I hardly think that it's even relevant.

As for Mrs. Obama and the Queen? A representative of Buckingham Palace said that he has rarely seen the Queen be so affectionate with another person, and that "It was a mutual and spontaneous display of affection." "

alucawanza wrote on May 22, 2009 8:04 PM:

" Sandra:
I thought you were specifically speaking to me. Your post was set up as a response to me. Looking back at it I can see that the two concepts are divided into separate sentences/paragraphs. Perhaps your intention was to address everyone in the second part. Doesn't matter. It is what it is. "

Sandra wrote on May 22, 2009 10:08 PM:

" Raven,
You were not even in the conversation. Alu knows what Alu meant, and I know what Alu meant, and also what I meant. You misunderstood. I do have difficuties communicating with you, as you seem to misunderstand quite often.

And Alu, you are correct, it was a general statement to everyone who talks down to people younger than themselves, as I said , "For those who feel the need...".
It was not my attention to attack you, but to defend the younger posters from being bullied by insensitive statements from the supposed adults.. "

Sandra wrote on May 22, 2009 11:08 PM:

" Pharper,
Look into the Saudi Arabia royal family and then see how you feel about our relations with them. They have a lot of oil money and are huge suporters of terrorism. The maintain their rule by maintaining turmoil in the middle east. We stayed tied to them for one thing only....OIL. "

a teacher wrote on May 23, 2009 7:57 PM:

" Are we going to go on about "the bow". How short memories are. Who can forget that wonderful picture of President Bush holding hands with Prince Abudullah at Bush's ranch in Crawford.

What's the point, your guy can't bow, but our guy can go steady? "

funnyme wrote on May 23, 2009 9:02 PM:

" The thing is, teacher, Bush ain't the prez no mo'..."your guy" is here to make a change, and "we" don't like that particular change...that's all! "

Raven wrote on May 24, 2009 12:15 AM:

" It has been said if one doesn't wish comments from everyone on something one posts, perhaps one should make the comments in private.

So be it. Life goes on. "

a teacher wrote on May 24, 2009 9:48 AM:

" Funnyme- you must have missed this one. It was in 2006. While it did not go unremarked, it was certainly fodder for the TV wise guys, the faux outrage was absent. "

Sandra wrote on May 24, 2009 9:50 AM:

" "What's the point, your guy can't bow, but our guy can go steady?"
Let me explain the point to you. The point is that no leader of our country should be bowing down to, going steady, or doing anything that would further the cause of terrorism. Buying oil from Saudi Arabia furthers this cause. We should be finding other ways to supply oil to ourselves, and cutting economic ties to any country that supports terrorism, period. "

Sandra wrote on May 24, 2009 9:51 AM:

" Raven, you slay me. "

ampsthelena wrote on May 24, 2009 1:11 PM:

" pharper,
Good posts. Keep up the good work. You bring an historically informed voice to the conversation. Yes, the cold war was very bloody indeed. The only difference was, the battleground was the third world.

Angelina,
Great letter. Very funny. And very well written. Not sure how the discussions turned down the paths they did.... "

gladtobgone wrote on May 24, 2009 3:27 PM:

" Want to get your bumper sticker off??? use a hair dryer. Just heat it up and it will come off then use a solvent of some kind to clean off any left over glue. "

napkan wrote on May 24, 2009 5:02 PM:

" Angelina, that was both entertaining and intelligent! The rest of you (well most) that chose to pontificate and attempt to wax politico, you were just as entertaining, but in a ridiculous manner.

This is about bumper stickers and the sentiment and intent behind them. Period.

I myself prefer one that read, "Don't steal. The government hates competition."

To you "waxers," I am not jonesing for your political lessons, or comments, I'm just saying that one entertained me. "

tar and feathers wrote on May 29, 2009 8:06 PM:

" You people who think we shake hands or bow to the Saudi's are so terribly naive.
Our government, that is our presidents, senators, congressmen, and all the usual suspects are being paid by the Saudi's to keep us buying their oil. The Sierra club and their cohorts only are a front group to make this possible under the guise of environmentalism. A perfect excuse for our leaders to keep the money flowing into their pockets. Please wake-up to the total corruption surrounding us even to the level of our city governments. Actually I have a better chance of praying to God to wake you up.
The slaughter continues across the world.
California still has double digit unemployment. How is that for two bumper stickers. "

Jane Eyrehead wrote on Jun 5, 2009 5:49 AM:

" I'm a little late getting in, but I wanted to comment on "Visualize Whirled Peas." It is one of the most successful bumper stickers ever, premiering during the Reagan administration. The company that produced it was based in Bayside, California (still might be there for all I know) and called itself the Peace Research Project. The owner had quite a sense of humor. I once commmented to him on how irritating that sticker was, as it often adorned late model Volvos driven by aerobically inclined women who wouldn't walk precincts, do get out the vote, or volunteer anywhere. He replied, "Hey, it's still the 'eighties. I'm not getting a lot of calls for 'Visualize Armed Revolution.'" "

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