She is interesting in that, given she has moderate dementia, she can't quite get some things right but her emotional understanding of the current environment seems to still ring true.

So when we were talking about healthcare today, and the vote yesterday (she asked a lot of questions each of which I actually could answer in great detail... though I just iterated the big picture), I talked a little about the Teabag types and the open hostility of the GOP to everything American and most certainly our president.

The threats against our President and shouting in Congress against him (in both the State of the Union and yesterday during Stupak's talk), and talked about how the news isn't Cronkite news anymore and how that flames the fires of hate.

She finally asked me what happened to the Republican Party. I explained that the party she understood as the GOP was long gone, taken over by the anti-abortion/anti-choice religious right which shifted the party WAY to the right. Mom's pro-choice, so she gets that.

Then she said a really interesting thing.

She said that at first she didn't like President Obama at all. Now she does. She thinks he's smart and nice. She added that given the burden he picked up, he walked into a terrible situation. I added that that situation was caused by eight years of someone she voted for, a Republican, GB2, and that it will take decades to fully undo what has been done and what a shame because everyone now alive will carry that financial burden for their lifetimes.

Then she asked who the really crazy people were the ones that spit on people and call names. I told her this: These are people that would have done the same to you if they knew you were pro-choice. The same ones that would call you a faggot-lover if you defend lgbt people. These are ugly, mean people that hate our President, in part, because he is black.

Then she asked the fatal question: What does one's skin color have to do with whether they are smart and capable?

And to that, I smiled and said, nothing.

***

As an aside, as many of you know, I am a dog/cat rescuer. While we were having this conversation, the frequently crazy and very scared Siberian husky recently abandoned here in a neighbor's backyard, sat quietly and lovingly next to her as her tiny very thin-skinned hand scratched his head and her voice reassured him.

She looked up, finally and said, "I am so glad you do this."

After 30 years of doing this, this was the first time she has ever acknowledged my work.

So maybe I don't seem so crazy given the current national context after all.

Update: Thanks everyone. I had no idea I was even on the recc list until my server dropped and, well... there I was. Thanks for supporting me and my mom.