Get A Vasectomy

I had no sooner pulled onto the highway this a.m. when, oh shit, a Texas state police officer pulled us over. We stopped and after several minutes, a 30-something white male, tall, full-bodied, blond crew-cut, gradated shades, ambled over to the truck to drawl: “License and proof of insurance please.”

As I pulled the limp, wet insurance paper outta my back pocket (it's been hot as hell this trip - totally humid as well), I asked him if he was stopping me because I had left the back door open again. (yes, it had been a problem once when we first hit the road - we forgot to close the roll-up door and traveled for a few blocks like this - grrrrr). He said, no, he was stopping me because he didn't think I had my seatbelt on.

Okay. I did have my seatbelt on - I had taken it off when he stopped me and then didn't approach the truck for a few minutes.

He then asked me about the paint job on my truck, as in 'why'? I told him I felt so strongly that bush has got to be defeated in this election: “You know, like he was in the last election but only better this time”.

“Well, I’m former military” he growls, as he turned to go. “Wait” I call after him. “Former military vets are some of our strongest supporters.” I counter.

He pivots around and declares “I don’t know about that but what I do like is that bumper sticker - the one about abortion.”

He actually said he believes it is a womon's right to choose, but he really liked that “get a vasectomy” line - and he only blushed a little as he stumbled over that last word.

Rae was so thrilled with this, she dug into our codePINK stash and found a 'peaceful police officer' pin for him and told him we'd like to present him with it - even though it says 'NYC'.

He took it happily and then stated that I was mistaken about Iraq - that he had been stationed there in 1996. I asked him at least five times in as many different ways was he SURE he was stationed in Iraq? He insisted he was, at a u.s. military base and he was training Iraqi's how to be soldiers. He spoke of the immense poverty he witnessed, the oppression of wimmin, and the general disrepair of the country. Again, I reconfirmed the date, 1996, and the country, Iraq.

I tried to keep the incredulity to myself as I asked: “You mean the Iraq that we had invaded five years previous? The Iraq that we had a twelve year embargo against where we didn't even allow medicine to enter - but allowed you to enter? The Iraq that we are now invading?

Then he backtracked quickly and mused, without blushing, “It must have been Kuwait – not Iraq.”

“So in 1996 you were teaching young men in Kuwait how to kill their own people??

UFB - to think, here he is, a man that has actually lived and worked in another country and has no idea which country he was in.

He then asked what I thought about the economy. I was so pleased I'd listened to Molly Ivan’s book on tape (thanks to rae!) and knew that bush had begun his term as governor of Texas w/a 6 billion dollar surplus - only to leave w/a $10 billion deficit. So I could say to this officer, “Hey, you're a Texan, weren't you here when bush turned a Texas $6 billion surplus into a $10 billion deficit in 4 years - just like he's turned our national 287 billion dollar surplus into a deficit so big I cannot pronounce the trillions of dollars we're owing.”

Now he did turn bright red, acknowledging oh yes, he did know what bush did as governor, as he backed away. He bid us a hasty good day and wished us luck on our mission!

So we're off to Amarillo, where we intend to find a health food store and another organic soy latte!