On the Bumper of My S.U.V.

I listen to country music. Not often, but every once in awhile. Just to keep my hand in it. I feel it somehow connects me with a vital part of America. And, from time to time, the shit cracks me up. Working late on Monday night, I heard this song while streaming a country station on iTunes:

Chely Wright - Bumper Of My S.U.V.

I've got a bright red sticker on the back of my car
Says United States Marines
And yesterday a lady in a mini-van held up a middle finger at me
Does she think she knows what I stand for
Or the things that I believe
Just by looking at a sticker for the US Marines
On The Bumper Of My SUV

See, my brother Chris, he's been in for more than 14 years now
Our dad was in the Navy during Vietnam
Did his duty then he got out
And my grandpa earned his purple heart
On the beach of Normandy
That's why I've got a sticker for the US Marines
On The Bumper Of SUV

But that doesn't mean that I want war
I'm not Republican or Democrat
But I've gone all around this crazy world
Just to try and better understand
Yes I do have questions I get to ask them because I'm free
That's why I've got a sticker for the US Marines
On the Bumper Of My SUV
Cause I've been to Hiroshima
And I've been to the DMZ
I've walked on the sand in Baghdad
Still don't have all of the answers I need
But I guess I wanna know where she's been
Before she judges and gestures to me
Cause she don't like my sticker
For the US Marines
On the bumper of my SUV

So I hope that lady in her mini-van
Turns on her radio and hears this from me
As she picks up her kids from their private school
And drives home safely on our city streets
Or to the building where her church group meets
Yeah, that's why I've got a sticker for the US Marines
On the bumper of my SUV

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My first thought, of course, was that perhaps it wasn't the bumper sticker that prompted the finger from the lady in the mini-van, and the singer was terribly quick to jump to a conclusion. I'm sure that thought occurred to nearly everyone. My second thought was doubt that this driver of the SUV had actually been to Hiroshima, DMZ, and walked the sands of Baghdad. (Unless the lady in the SUV is Condoleeza Rice.) So anyway, I got a kick out of the song and looked the lyrics up on-line. In so doing, I came across this discussion about the song. (I think Reviews #30, 32, and 33 are highlights). Now these are my country music loving people. Not surprisingly, the consistent theme of their posts is "LOVE America or LEAVE IT!" Someone really ought to school them on the complexities of immigration/emigration including visas, green cards, and just how incredibly difficult it is for Americans to obtain foreign work permits. I would try, of course, but I suspect they would simply give me the finger.