Though my head really *isn't* in the sand.

mine either. It's just easier to say it that way.

What does slave mean? Why would they do that? - it is like dying a little bit.

Oy. That's an obviously hard part of interracial adoption, and when the kid isn't American I can't imagine the added complexity. Thinking about it makes me want to cry.

Msbelle, if you want my parents' reading list for raising a non-American kid with an awareness of American racial politics, just holler.

What does slave mean? Why would they do that?

Oh, noodle.

ION - hard parental thing for my moment - trying to explain African American history issues to mac. What does slave mean? Why would they do that? - it is like dying a little bit.

Oh wow. I can't even imagine.

followed by whining about how the Democrats co-opted the Populist platform back in the '30s.

Well, then, I guess his position is totally definsible.

t /sarcasm

hard parental thing for my moment - trying to explain African American history issues to mac. What does slave mean? Why would they do that? - it is like dying a little bit.

Oh, msbelle. You're a good, good mom. I'm glad mac is learning about it from you instead of school, where teachers might not be so patient with him.

ION - hard parental thing for my moment - trying to explain African American history issues to mac. What does slave mean? Why would they do that? - it is like dying a little bit.

Oh, msbelle. What an awful thing to have to explain.

eta: And, what ita said about all the additional layers of complexity in the case of the two of you, except I couldn't say it half so eloquently. And I'm sorry it's so wretched to explain us and all our messy frequently-evil history, but Mac is so lucky to be your son.

I don't really get this at all. He means instead of Obama?

Yep. He'll hold his nose and vote for Obama despite O's being a Democrat (because they are ideologically hopelessly compromised and corrupt), but Hillary is a D too far.

I'm just hoping I can make it through the caucus calmly tomorrow if our precinct turns out divided/emotional. I'll vote for whoever the Democrats nominate come November, but I couldn't be more strongly committed to Obama at this stage, and I had to walk away from political blogs again because reading them was bad for my blood pressure and my TMJ.

I was trying to explain the process to Annabel yesterday, and I said that voting was where you picked your favorite from a group of choices, and the one that most people voted for won. I said that her daddy and I were voting for Obama, and she said, "But I'm not?"

I told her she was still too young to be the youth vote...

I'm not competent to thoughtfully defend the stuff that matters bone-and-marrow deep with someone who's jokey and dismissive.

I don't think it's a matter of being competent so much as not wanting to be dismissed like that! Since he is a friend, and one you say is sweet, he was probably just trying to lighten the mood of the conversation and he needs to know it's something you do not want to joke about.

Oy, msbelle. I can't even imagine. Poor both of you.

I'm not competent to thoughtfully defend the stuff that matters bone-and-marrow deep with someone who's jokey and dismissive.

JZ, is it possible to write back with something like

"I feel very passionately about these issues and it's hard for me not to get upset when I discuss them and I feel like the other person is being jokey and dismissive. Because to me, we are discussing hopes and dreams and not punchlines."

Oh, assmole federal government! Have we discussed the proposed tax rebate here? I can't remember due to brain fog.

Accountant friend of mine just clarified what the "tax rebate" is going to mean, which is that on your 2009 taxes, you'll have to report how much of a rebate you got, and that amount will be deducted from your refund or added to the amount you owe.

That doesn't sound like a rebate. That sounds remarkably like a loan I didn't ask for.