Recreating a conversation

Over the weekend we had an outdoor dinner at a neighbor’s back yard. I started conversing with the visiting Grandpa, here’s what I can recall (my language skill is 3 steps below his – so obviously I’m paraphrasing his statements):

(after some small-talk I already forgot)

Him: We live in Connecticut and Florida, we travel between.

Me: Have you always lived in Connecticut?

Him: I was born there, lived there all my life.

(short silence)

Me: You know, I’m not sure how to put it – but from what I heard, isn’t Connecticut – aren’t most people who live there – many rich people?

Him: Hmm... times are hard. We used to have it very good for so long, but things are really hard now. It has really changed.

(short conversation about my work, how often do I travel, and eventually leading to me stating that the Federal agencies are very good customers of ours. No slowdown in our business)

Him: Well, they’re spending a lot – but there’s no where from. Nothing left. Things are about to change. It’s just so horrible that there isn’t any real leader out there. All those politicians are there to keep their jobs. How did this country elect this man? He has no experience, no knowledge.

Me: I think he’s a Marxist.

(the man I was talking to was VERY MUCH NOT JEWISH)
Him: And the way he treated Benjamin Netanyahu?! It’s outrageous! Our only ally in that region. They all hate us there! Do you know that? They’re horrible. How did we put him? What was the alternative?!

Me (astonished): Hmm… I think the media tricked the nation. The nation was sold on him, people just didn’t know.

Him: You have an accent. Where are you from?

Me: Israel.

Him: Oh! I visited there, probably before you were born. It was 1956. I was a navy pilot stationed in Turkey and we visited. A major in the Israeli Air force invited me to visit the kibbutz. It was so different back then. Very vibrant. They did miracles over there. Amazing. Took that dried up land and grew it so well. Miracles.

Me (smiling): Yes, so different since then though. Very urban now, high rise skyline. Changed a lot.

Him (smiling): Like an American major city – isn’t it?

(short silence, or small talk I don’t recall)

Him: I don’t understand how come Jewish Americans still support him by these numbers. People I work with, people I know at home. The way he treated Netanyahu. Outrageous.

Me: I think, there are several reasons. First – many Jewish Americans - their grand -parents were communists…

Him: I’m amazed you’d say that. Sure some major American communists were Jewish but… they don’t even think of themselves as communists..

Me: Well – I’m saying their ancestors were, I mean – read Horowitz, you heard of him? (he nods) They lived in communes in New York. Many of them were communists – but today’s American Jews – they just accept these ideals.

Him: Liberalism. They believe in these things…

Me: Right, liberalism – it’s source are communists ideas – but they don’t even realize that. Second – they are very secular – some have no relations to Jews except a distant granddad. But when they are polled they answer as Jews. Third – even if what I just said is completely false and represents no one – there are many party people. They are owned by the Democrats.

Him: Yes – they support him just because he’s a Democrat. Party people.

Me: Another thing, many of them have been taught to believe that anything remotely right wing/conservative is inherently evil. The enemy. They’d never consider anything but their Democrat nominee.

(wife walks in – retelling kibbutz story)

Wife: Oh - Israel has changed a lot since then hasn’t it? Very ‘European’-ized.

Him: Hmm… Europe. They’re gone. They completely lost their way. Horrible. Look at France – they’re gone.

Me: (silent – but observing him for a clarification – obviously he had more to say…)

Him: With their 40% Muslim population. They’re gone.

Me & Wife: We think it’s 20%...

Him: It’s like they’ve taken over.

Wife: Well – it’s like Dearborn here – a small percentage of the population but such an impact.

Him: We have a town in Connecticut. About 100,000 people. Bush brought in some refugees from Albania – only about 8000. It immediately made a huge difference. They’ve build a huge mosque. You see women wrapped in all these covers.

(somehow, conversation changes direction again, we talk about Florida/Connecticut living arrangement, and I recall him saying something about the Jewish people he works with)

Me: So you still work?

Him: They tell us we should retire at 70, but as long as I can help.

Me: What do you do?

Him: I’m an appellate court judge. I help them there, I don’t sit at bench anymore.

(conversation wonders again, we discuss the horrors of Saudi Arabia and the culture there)

Me: Well – we know that there’s a problem with Muslims in the western countries. But what can these countries do? Just like Europe – we are open to immigration, the freedom of religion is in the constitution, what can western nations do to defend from what the Muslims bring?

Him: Just like we have limits on freedom of speech. There’s reason and there are limits. You can’t shout fire in a crowded theater. There’s a lot that can be done – but with all these bleeding heart liberals and their ACLU – they are ruining the nation. We can stop it – it needs to stop – I’m afraid we lost our direction, we’ll end up like France. There’s no real leadership these days. Statesmem. Men of honor to save America.

***

After further conversation – the man and his wife had to leave, I turned to my wife and said: WOW! Appellate court judge in Connecticut, hates ACLU, hates Obama, against the Muslim invasion! WOW! We were all smiles, my other neighbor joined in – and when we told him of that conversation he was as beaming as we were.

Smiles all around.

***

Now that’s quite a picnic conversation to have – won’t you say? Every moment of conversation revealed so much!