I go to our local senior center three times a week. I rarely take part in the activities, but I take my netbook to get online and catch up on overnight developments. It gets me out of the house and out of myself. I sit in the library just around the corner from the wireless hub, reading and greeting or harassing folks as they wander through. I've mentioned several times in comments the two Jesus guys who sit in the library and talk religion and politics. Yeah, it's always an interesting encounter.
Lately, I've stopped talking to one of the guys. He's an ignorant boor, a misogynist, racist, decidedly un-Christian fool. He goes to a non-denominational crazy church. (The other guy is intelligent and actually acts like a Christian. We've had reasonable conversations about both God and politics. We'll never agree but we can talk.) He has a little decal of a kid on the back window of his pick-up. Instead of the normal peeing kid, this one is kneeling in front of a cross. It's kind of cute, except for the fact that he also has a message across that window in four-inch letters: Wake up America. Replace the dumbass. Today, I was in the computer lab which adjoins the library, reading Dkos and commenting. I had my headphones on so that I could listen to videos without disturbing anyone. Even with the 'phones on, I could hear him talking to another crazy guy about politics, when that guy brought up the bishop who has told his flock that they will go to hell if they vote for Obama.
I kept my cool so long as they were just talking generically, but then I heard the Jesus guy start talking about “that lady in there” (me). My resolve to let things slide went out the window. I got up and went in and told them that if they were going to talk about me, at least talk loudly enough for me to hear it. Jesus guy leaned way forward, put his finger in my face and started ranting. He told me to shut up and some other stuff that didn't register. The other guy got into the act and told me that he couldn't believe how stupid I was not to know that Obama is a Muslim, etc. There was no winning this and I didn't want to get thrown out. I went back to the lab as Jesus guy was retelling a “joke” that he'd told a few minutes earlier. “Not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims.” Funny, right? No chance there could be any Muslims in the center who might just feel intimidated or humiliated. Gah!
Well, after I poked my head back in and asked what about Timothy McVeigh, I marched off to the front desk. The receptionist had already heard about the encounter. In fact, she'd heard it all the way up at the front desk! Evidently, the kitchen supervisor had been right outside the library when Jesus guy had his finger in my face. She looked totally shocked. The CEO wasn't in, so they got me the #2 guy. I told him what had happened. I said that I should be able to feel safe there. They've had complaints about this guy before, so with the eyewitness and his previous record, there was no question about who was at fault. I went out for a smoke while this guy went to talk to him. When I came back in, the CEO was there, so I repeated it to him. He said he'd talk to him and if he continued his crap, they'd “boot him.”
I am now famous (or maybe it's infamous). People were stopping me to make sure I was okay. The kitchen lady said she couldn't believe it when he had his finger in my face. I asked her if she saw me backing off and she said no. She was, however, not sure I wouldn't hurt the guy. :-) I don't like making waves. I don't want to get kicked out of the place because I enjoy the friends and acquaintances I've met there. This time, though, it was personal. Push me and push me and push me again, but look out when you go over the line.
So, I got my adrenaline going early today. I don't like to lose my temper, but this time it feels pretty good. If I can't change his mind or have a reasonable discussion, then at least he might think twice about spouting his malevolent crap in that public space. Now, I've got to go clean something. No point wasting all this energy. :-)