Hmmm. Well, I have one on my car and so far so good, but I live in California. I’d be a little worried about the South, though if you’re passing through it’s probably ok. We’ll see what some of the folks from that part of the country think.
I live in Toronto and the only comment I get is if the symbol represents Scientology.
Last time we drove to Florida we got lost somewhere in Georgia (unsuccessful shortcut) and after a scary incident we had to be escorted by the police back to the highway. And we didn’t even have the Fish on the car back then. My wife told me that I am either going to Florida with the Fish or her and the kids…
Like Brennen, I live in California (but southern), and about one car in twenty has the fish, and one in fifty has the Darwin fish or some variant of it. No one that I know of pays any attention to them, however, I’d probably feel much the same way your wife does if I were driving through the red states. While the probability of running into a problem is not too high, I think I’d invest in both a new emblem and some emblem remover. That way, I could drive through with less liklihood of running into a nut, and I could reinstall the emblem when I got home. However, knowing the paranoia of some of those back-woods types, they may even freak out at your Canadian license plates and think you are either terrorists or illegal aliens. Have fun on your vacation.
Occam
P.S. I should mention that I would never put one of those things on my car. Since I’m a terrible driver, I wouldn’t want to turn people off to atheism because they associated it with my driving.
Yeah, the worst thing about those sneaky Canadians is they look just like us!! Luckily, you can usually spot the “eh?” Or if desperate, try getting them to speak a language other than English. It’s a well-known fact that all Canadians are trained from birth to shout “Don’t shoot, I’m Canadian!” in many languages, so this will often slip out if you catch them off guard.
Hmmm. Well, I have one on my car and so far so good, but I live in California. I’d be a little worried about the South, though if you’re passing through it’s probably ok. We’ll see what some of the folks from that part of the country think.
I live in the Selma/Montgomery area of Alabama. The other day I saw a Darwin fish on a car here in town; it was being eaten by a larger fish called Truth. I don’t think the Darwin fish’s feet would have gone down that fish’s gullet.
Oh come on. You act like driving through a state whose Electors in the Electoral College didn’t vote the way you personally would have liked is equivalent to driving through a scene out of a combination of The Road Warrior and Deliverance!
People with philosophical and political differences 180 degrees from yours are not necessarily knuckle dragging troglodytes. You probably don’t like it when the fundamentalists falsely categorize you as an amoral, satan-worshipping heathen out to destroy all that is good in the world.
One of our biggest problems today is that people on all sides of issues tend to demonize, or at the very least, look down on those with whom they disagree. Most people are decent, upstanding folks who would go out of their way to help their fellow man – even if they disagree on big issues. Granted, there are unfortunate exceptions that tend to make the news. This skews our perception of the world as the vast majority of good news rarely gets reported.
Leave you fish on your car, lighten up and enjoy your vacation. Or better yet, cover the back bumper of your car with all the various fish that evolved (pun intended) from the original:
That ought to confuse anyone wishing to do you harm! :grin:
With respect, I don’t think it’s demonizing or stereotyping to suggest that evangelical religion and intolerance is more common, and perhaps more virulent, in some parts of the country than others. I’ve lived in So. Carolina and Texas, and my wife is a No. Carolina native with relatives we frequently visit in Alabama and Georgia, and while I wouldn’t suggest my personal experiences represent a scientific survey, I have found tolerance for religious and political diversity significantly lower in those places than where I live now. Granted most folks in all places are good natured, but proclaiming an unpopular ideology in some places can be hazardous. Heck, I almost got beaten up once just for supporting the visiting team at a pro football game! :grin: People are what they are.
That said, I like your evolutionary tree as an alternative!
With respect, I don’t think it’s demonizing or stereotyping to suggest that evangelical religion and intolerance is more common, and perhaps more virulent, in some parts of the country than others.
Of course. I don’t deny that. But the same goes the other way. I’m a libertarian. I could just as well get a rock thrown through my car’s window if I parked it in some areas of “enlightened” California or Boston for some of the bumper stickers I’ve had on my cars over the years. Only the most suicidal would dare attempt anything while I’m actually in the car! :grin:
mckenzievmd - 10 July 2007 07:55 PM
Heck, I almost got beaten up once just for supporting the visiting team at a pro football game! :grin: People are what they are.
I would submit that the irrationality of sports worship (and I don’t use that word lightly), might just surpass religious fundamentalism in both extremism and in the number of people caught up in it! The “wrong” sports team bumper sticker might just be more “dangerous” (literally) than a Darwin Fish!
But the same goes the other way. I’m a libertarian. I could just as well get a rock thrown through my car’s window if I parked it in some areas of “enlightened” California or Boston for some of the bumper stickers I’ve had on my cars over the years.
Sadly, you’re probably right. But I’m not saying CA is more “enlightened” than the South in any global way (though I think that argument could be made). All I’m saying is that it’s friendlier to us Darwin Fishers than the South.
I would submit that the irrationality of sports worship (and I don’t use that word lightly), might just surpass religious fundamentalism in both extremism and in the number of people caught up in it! The “wrong” sports team bumper sticker might just be more “dangerous” (literally) than a Darwin Fish!
Again agreed! It’s amazing what kind of nonsense people (ok, let’s be honest, mostly men) get all in a twist about.
