I had an experience lately that got me thinking about right-wingers and why they think they way they do. As some of you may know, I have a second job at a pizza place. One of my coworkers is a right-winger, and we get along despite this obvious character flaw. I had shown her the letter to the editor I had gotten published regarding drilling for oil, and she tried to correct my "misperceptions". Next to it was a letter regarding Michael Weiner Savage, and she said "I love him". I said he was an asshole and she said "that's why I love him". I mentioned his comments on autistic children and she said "he's right - I have a friend that runs a day care center and she said...". There was some crosstalk (and I had to leave to make a delivery), but then she said "I don't believe in ADD either".

I was livid. It reminded me of a neighbor I used to have who was a staunch Republican who hated Mexicans, was pro-war, and put her dog's food dish down for 10 minutes every day. If he didn't eat, she'd pick up the dish and he'd have to wait until the next day to eat. I never got an explanation from her for this unnecessary authoritarian approach, but she simply proclaimed that she didn't "free feed".

Notice the word "free".

These types seem to come in various flavors with various pet fanaticisms, but the one trait they all seem to have in common is that they are angry that someone somewhere is getting something they didn't earn or don't deserve. They are angry that someone is "getting away with it", getting a free ride, not being properly punished for their behavior.

Imagine a Mexican person standing by the side of the road in the middle of a workday. The Republican will look and think "that lazy bastard, using our system for free healthcare and foodstamps, and my hard-working tax dollars paying for it!" (have you ever met a Republican that wasn't "hard-working"? ). The Democrat will look and think "that poor bastard - so far from home and can't find work. I wonder how he gets by?".

You could substitute "black" for "Mexican" and get nearly the same reaction. A white person would probably generate an entirely different reaction (sadly, for both the Republican AND the Democrat, but that's a different essay for another day).

Republicans seem to be against abortion because "someone is getting away with sex for fun" as much as for religious reasons. They're against taxes because some are being used to help out the "lazy welfare queens" (so naturally they're against Welfare and food stamps). They're for the death penalty and harsh sentences. They're for bombing anyone that criticizes the U.S. They're likely against gay sex because they know gays can have as much sex as they want and not have to worry about pregnancy. They're for school vouchers and NCLB because "bad schools" aren't getting properly punished for poor performance.

It seems to essentially come down to deep-seated anger and dissatisfaction. Neither of the women I mentioned seem "happy". I know other Republicans, and they too seem grumpy all the time, complaining about this or that. The only smiles I see are dripping with sarcasm and cynicism. There's a smirky smile when one of their targets (immigrants, arabs, liberals, or the unemployed) gets their "comeuppance".

Most liberals I know are angry with the state of affairs in the country, but are nonetheless relentlessly upbeat, understanding, and forgiving. They smile easily.

Republicans want to be the stern mother with the paddle in her hand, lording it over the kids and threatening them with a beating should they step out of line. Democrats want to be the loving mother that keeps the kids happy, thriving and thus behaving.

Perhaps it's all about how we were raised... and how some of us overcame it anyway.

Just a thought...