Jamie's Blog

Oh, We Did Not Steal Your Sign....Um, Okay?

October 17, 2012.

To steal from one person is theft.  To steal from many is taxation.

                                                                                                                ~Daielle’s Law (take off of Felson’s Law)

It is interesting to me how most things in my life always come full circle.  When bad things happen I am sort of not surprised – I usually see it coming.  I think we all have this sort of inane sixth sense, especially women.  I have found this helpful with almost 99% of the times my children have gotten in….ahem, trouble or had an emotional breakdown.  It is like when my husband is stressed with work, the tension and electricity in the air is different.  The calm of our household is all screwed up and I can sense it going to boil over at some point.  I do not think I am special or psychic (but don’t tell my children that), I just think that I can tell when things are not right.

It’s Friday, Friday, Gotta Get Down On Friday

My husband and I decided to go out for a few drinks with some good friends this past Friday.  The local watering hole (I am being kind, it is a bar) was close by and we could leave our four children at home for a short time.  After ordering the kids a pizza we headed out.  It is not a fancy place, but the food and drinks are good and sometimes I get to see a grandmother with a tattoo on her boob do some shots and dance..…but I digress.

We were on a short time frame due to the fact that we had never left our four children alone together and we had the dreaded wonderful soccer games the following morning.  Oh, and the fact that we do not frequent bars that often, we were all watching our watches.  After an hour, a few drinks & a delicious plate of hot wings, my husband mentioned our neighbors were there.  And by neighbors I mean the Tea Party Lady who said, “I am sort of a big deal, yet can’t wear a bra” neighbor.  He (not me) sent them over drinks and they waved him over.  Here is how the conversation started and deteriorated without me (shocking I know):

“Thanks for the drinks”, Tea Party Neighbors said

Darin, “You are welcome”.

“You know when you put up that sign I said to my husband, I like our neighbors and all but how could they?  How could they dare put up that sign?  I was just shocked….” Tea Party Wife

Darin,“ You put up a Mitt Romney sign. Why can’t we put up an Obama sign?  And for the record,  I do not trust Romney.”

Tea Party Neighbor, “I don’t like Romney, but I can NOT vote for a Muslim.”

Silence……Darin smiled and walked away.  You can not fight with stupid.

And Then That (sort of) Happened Again

Darin walked back to our table and tried to explain what had just happened to him.  I was still mid-speech/sputter/laughter as he described our neighbors to our friends (and to note I have NO idea their political affiliation), and then this happened…..  from the corner of my eye I could see my neighbors approaching our table.  Being a non-paid expert on drunks, I observed my neighbor moving from side to side, while her glass of wine(that we paid for) precariously sloshing out of her glass.  When she approached our table, she thanked us for the drinks….and then this happened;

“So, thank you for the drinks….” Tea Party Neighbor slurred as she sloshed wine from side to side.

“You are welcome.  We are neighbors.” Darin said

Her husband stood behind her and she looked me in the eye and said, “You know I can’t vote for a Muslim, but I can vote for a Mormon.  Oh, I did not steal your sign by the way.”

I am not sure if I am proud or sad, but I was speechless.  I said nothing.  I mean, ask my High School friends, I am not one to be in a fight with – I say something sarcastic then duck when punches are thrown.  Her lack of education and the fact that President Obama is an a African American & a Christian is probably not going to change her mind. And, if I may - I would vote for him even if he was Muslim.....crazy woman please!  As her husband dragged/pushed her out of the bar without uttering a word I just stared at them.  But I also started to add up my own statistics on the 2012 Election.

If My Campaign was Dictated by Facts:

• I never told my neighbor our sign was stolen
• We replaced it within 12 hours
• I will never let my husband buy possibly hostile neighbors cocktails again
• President Obama is NOT a Muslim, he is a Christian….but if he was Muslim it would not matter
• I need a “I am Kind of Big Deal” T-Shirt

Never Trust a Woman who Doesn’t Wear A Bra

At the end of the day I am super (as is my husband) proud that I did not say anything to this woman.  For once I am thinking that silence is the best enemy.  I mean, she pretty much became the punch line of every story I told all weekend, and every day until Election day approaches, the story I will keep telling.  

She will continue to be the butt of all my jokes as October turns into November.  I would like to know when the Freedom of Speech became a joke or reason to ridicule neighbors or individuals that live near you acceptable?  Did I miss something in History? Was I asleep in Civics?  I was a straight A student in English & History, unless there was some Math test snuck in.  When did it NOT become OK to put up a political sign? 

Now as I write this the Lentzner Militia is in full effect.  My children have trained the dogs to sit by the front door and bark if someone as much as looks at our house.  Our front light is left on all night day long.  We expect our new (Bigger) sign to be stolen, but if it is, we won’t go down not trying to catch the thief.  In fact, just today my daughter overheard a heated discussion on the junior high playground that made her pause and listen;

“I would vote Romney.” So said a girl

“Not me, I am voting for Obama.” Said, a boy.

“Obama is going to LOSE!” Said, a random boy & a girl.

Abby was quite upset by the conversation, but smart enough to realize these children were NOT old enough to vote (she is sort of smart like that).  Not the conversation by content, but by the fact that she felt she could not volunteer her opinion.  She was silenced, by her fear of what her oppinion would have done to the conversation.  She kept the fact that her family had an Obama sign to herself and walked away - which is sad in so many ways.  It is 2012 for Christ's Sake!   To the haters I have my own quote, my kids and I put it all together on our own;

The thought that every vote counts is not always true.   To our and neighbor who thinks our President is a Muslim….get an Education and stop letting your bigotry dictate your uneducated vote - he is Christian.  You are angry because the world you once lived in has changed. Deal with it.  Don’t lash out at those that have nothing to do with your hatred.  The world is changing.  Stealing a Political sign does nothing to push your agenda forward – it pushes it backwards.  Your hatred angers the opposition and especially their children.  Be careful what you do, our my children are watching.

                                                                                            ~ Jamie Risdon Lentzner (I’m kind of a big deal….)

So, Then That Happened

October 10, 2012

The night of the first 2012 presidential debate my Obama for President was stolen from my front yard, and by yard I mean right in front of my front door.  I really do not care what your political affiliation is, but stealing is stealing.....um wrong and illegal.  I was told it is a federal offense in some states....but not in California.   Not to throw stones while living in a glass house, but my two neighbors with Romney Signs, those were not stolen.

The Tea Party Exists in California

To give this post some background I must note that the few interactions I have had with my one neighbor.  She was a plenty with information when we first moved into El Dorado Hills.  I was forced to look past her hatred of braziers when we spoke, something my husband could not do.  That all changed this past Summer when she accosted confronted approached me on my front porch to discuss local politics.  The conversation was one sided as I nodded and listened to her discuss what was wrong with our city, school district and home owners association's rules.  After we exhausted those topics things went from bad to worse.  

Apparently the high school we were going to send our children to was awful, horrible and terrible.  Her daughter was leaving and going to the nearby town's school because it was SO much better.  My school of choice was the worst, she said, the worst.  But, take away was this line (and I quote);

"I am in the Tea Party and I am kind of a big deal (Hey? that is my line I thought).  I went to a  meeting last night and did you know they are putting Section 8 housing in Serrano (a huge number of different gated communities in El Dorado Hills)?  It's true.  I heard it at the meeting."

I was pretty much taken aback by so many things that I could not respond.  A real Tea Partier....next door?  I was starting to realize how Conservative my neighborhood was.  I blinked a few times and nodded my head.  At least at this encounter she was wearing a bra.  As the weeks and months got us closer to the election I started to notice a weekly Tea Party sign posted at different parts of our neighborhood.  I started to see bummer stickers that border lined on racist/mysogonist and downright offensive to this Bay Area (proud of it) native.  We were not in Kansas, Foster City any more.

The irony is a friend (who used to live in the Bay Area) came over for a glass (or two...don't judge) of wine the week before and she commented on my sign.  She walked in my front door and announced she was so happy to be hanging with a Democrat and then told a disturbing story of a one-sided fight she had with a neighbor that disagreed with her political stance.  I asked if she thought I would lose friends over the sign, her response.;

"Probably"

A Fallen Hero

This is a small town and a tight town.  Things here happen and everyone finds out.  It the good parts of being so close knit that make me happy to live here.  Sadly, two teachers that teach at a junior high lost their son in the Afganistan war about a month ago.  The community ralied around them to support the family and to help them through this most awful time.  It was amazing and humbling to see most of El Dorado Hills line up on a main road as the procession drove to his funeral.  We had schools, parents, teachers, teams, and then there was my neighbor.  She felt it totally appropriate to wear her t-shirt that said, "I am a Tea Party Patriot".  

So, a few days later when I noticed she placed her Romney sign in her yard with the American flag (because nothing says I am a true Amerian than a house with a flag), I decided I could let my neighbors know my political affiliation.  I ordered the political sign one night (first one I have EVER ordered) and sat on it for a few days once it arrived.  I really did not want any controversy, or maybe I did...finally my kids were the ones who convinced me to put it up.

Rise Above the Frey

As a wiser friend has said, this was a teachable moment for my children.  It has also been sort of amusing, for this sarcastic Mom that enjoys pranks, April Fools and even the TP'ed home.  My daughter and I drove to get our second sign (oh yes WE CAN and it is bigger), when  I told her it would have been funnier if it had been replaced with a Romney sign.  That would have been funny, but I paid for my sign(s).  

Here a few things that were not lost on me and my children, who wanted the sign more than I did :

• This act of theft does not change who I am planning on voting for 
• It would be funny if I had not paid for both signs
• Stealing is so....1984 (translate that to Juvenile) 
• It just makes me want to buy bigger signs
• It reminds me that we do not live in a free country and my voice is not always heard
• The discussion of "Booby Trap" has never been a topic of dinner conversation....until now
• 100% electoral votes are going for Obama....ya there is that.

I still love where I live, I love my children's friends and the schools they go to.  I am forever thankful for my new and old friends I have made here.  However, it has put a little bit of bitter taste in my mouth for my neighbors/teenagers/anyone who could have stolen the sign.  And for the record I do not know who stole my sign.  I don't care what their political affiliation is - they stole something that was mine and that is the message I am trying to reiterate to my children.   Sadly, for this person who felt the need to silence my freedom of speech, it has only re-energized my children's distaste for the other party, so mission accomplished angry Republican/Tea Party Activist/Deer....in about five years my side just got two more Democrats.