What I Learned Tonight at Right Winger Inlaws Thanksgiving Dinner

[Pluvious]

Ugh, I'm still coming down from the forced Must Keep Calm Shakes...

1) The measles and chicken pox outbreaks are from "Global Warming" (said with air quotes) - which itself is a provable myth evidenced by the current cold snap back east.

2) Mueller's failed to find any "collusion" evidenced by the FACT there's been zero announcements.

3) Fully support embracing the Saudis because Israel needs their help to hold off Iran.

4) Everything said about Kavanaugh was total lies later recanted by Ford. It's Avenetti that should be prosecuted for punching a woman in the face.

5) "Donald Trump is the Greatest President since Abraham Lincoln!!"

Thank you for listening.

We will survive.

[Stallion]

1. As they say in Baseball-Wait 'till Next Year

[Cha]

2. I knew this was going to

be bad.. so sorry you had to endure it up close and personal.

[MarvinGardens]

3. We *almost* managed to keep it apolitical this year.

But Amazon is taking unfair advantage of the postal service, don't you know. I've read it several places.

Yeah, you read it in a Trump tweet. I bit my tongue.

Yours are better. I knew they'd be interesting when I saw the subject line.

[Merlot]

4. wow, you have my condolences. n/t

[RainCaster]

5. The RW doosh at our dinner got horribly sick and canceled at the last minute

It was so nice to not have such assholes in our house.

[LBM20]

6. Delusional Trumpenstein Cultists. So sad.

[ProudLib72]

7. I'm not sure how they arrive at their conclusion regarding #1

So global warming causes these outbreaks. Global warming is a hoax. It therefore follows that chicken pox and measles outbreaks are hoaxes as well.

You should have said, "Dammit all, this turkey is a hoax perpetrated by global warming!" Then you could have refused to eat said non-existent turkey. Serve them right!

[MLAA]

8. Glad you survived

Hopefully you don’t have to go back until next year. I have cut visits to evangelical brother to once per year and one birthday text. And no social engagement with any republicans.

[sinkingfeeling]

9. How could you eat? I'd have been on the floor, rolling in laughter.

[LuckyLib]

15. I'd have been making snide comments like

“Don’t you people read?” accompanied by much head shaking. I can’t imagine being that close to such stupidity. My sympathies!

[Xipe Totec]

10. I'm dealing with an 83 year old, senile, father in law.

Total mental dissociation. Aggressive, paranoid, delusional.

So I totally understand and empathize with your situation.

At least I only have to deal with one.

[hibbing]

11. No mention of Obama or Hillary? n/t

[Pluvious]

22. Yes...

"Obama is the reason we have so much division in our country now."

My attempted counter was to point out that after the Reagan administration had helped get removed the media rule on including counter opinions led the agenda driven corporate media to cultivate their niches.

I might as well been explaining it to the family dog.

The power of confirmation bias is strong with Fox-only fed people. It really can't be countered.

[FiveGoodMen]

59. Obama IS the reason we have so much division in our country now

Too many god damned racists just went berserk when a black man became the president.

And that made it easy for demagogues to rile up this base of ... well, deplorables is really too nice a word for them.

[Wintryjade]

61. "Obama is the reason we have so much division in our country now."

For being black while sitting in the oval office.

That would be my reply while I laughed.

I was blessed with working and being alone this Thanksgiving. Not everyone alone, is alone or sad.

[GP6971]

12. Thankfully

no political talk today. Other than my asking an active duty NCO what the troops thought of dotard. The young kids love him...the senior NCOs and officers not so much.

[Glimmer of Hope]

13. Wow. I am so sorry you had to endure this.

[underpants]

14. Saw my nephew* watching Info Wars videos

* brother in laws stepson

He said he liked to evaluate these type of political videos. In ny bookshelf there was a Trump dollar bill. On the fridge there was a rebel flag with TGE CHEATED! In yellow.

[Just a Weirdo]

38. Call on him on that BS

[JohnnyRingo]

16. I learned that Obama isn't even an American.

I laughed out loud.

I pointed out that the republicans have absolute proof the birth certificate is fake, but are just such a nice bunch of guys, they didn't want to cause any trouble for him. Then I laughed out loud again.

Didn't hear any more about that.

[Pluvious]

68. Nice ! Humor is a sweet tool, thanks for the inspiration.

Must channel my inner Colbert

[PaulX2]

17. I Like To Say Only On Foxworld

Not on Earth. They get it.

[Haggis for Breakfast]

18. Xanax

Handfuls of Xanax. Washed down with 15 year old single malt Glenmorangie.

[Jarqui]

19. I got Trump was still a better choice than Clinton today

from a family member.

I quickly changed the subject. No point going there.

[yuiyoshida]

20. I guess I am lucky not to have family

My folks live in Las Vegas. They have been, for as long as I known them Alcoholics and gamblers. It was their wish to leave San Francisco and their daughter behind to spend their retirement on what they have always wanted. To gamble away their savings and to get drunk on it. (And i got lectured about THE EVILNESS OF CANNABIS!!)

So tonight, I am thankful to still live in a great City (San Francisco) have my health (somewhat) a job, and the opportunity to smoke Cannabis for the health problems I do have. I no longer have to throw out empty Vodka bottles by the cart load, and enjoy my freedom to do the stuff that matters, like VOTE!

I have also a new girlfriend who is Japanese like me...who said she would help me continue with the Nihongo lessons! (Japanese) I am looking forward to a new Year, a New House of Representatives, supporting Kamala Harris (I just love her!)

and seeing, hopefully the down fall of the Republican Party and Donald J. Trump. I plan to stick around...and am glad I have my DU and Twitter family!

共有してくれてありがとう、ミナさん。
Yui..

[renate]

26. I'm glad you got away and are doing so splendidly

Good for you! I’m truly happy for you

[yuiyoshida]

27. I was thrown out of the house at 18 and lived with a high school friend and her family,

When I tried to go to College, My parents refused to support any decision I made. I did have to drop out my Junior year, because I refused to get a student loan, like many of my friends who will probably be paying for their education, for the rest of their lives. I got a job, and work at home. I don't even have to leave the house, if I don't want to, except once a month to buy groceries.

I became politically active when I accidently bumped into Gavin Newsom (our new Governor!) and have been since..on line in the city, working for the Democrats, going house to house passing out leaflets, (Which I can't anymore due to medical problems)... worked phone banks for a while during Barrack Obama's run for re-election.

I still talk to my mom once in a while, provided she is sober, when she is not, I hang up because she gets abusive. As for my father, I don't exist. I do have relatives in Hawaii, but my parents refuse to tell me anything about them or how to reach them. They consider themselves outcasts, and I was in that bargain...unwillingly. I do know some what about my family history but I don't know any of them personally. I wish I did...

But I have resigned to fact I will never know my Kahuna grandfather nor any of my aunts, uncles, cousins or nephews, nor will ever hear any personal history about my family. By the way, my real last name is not Yoshida. That's on my mother's side. My real last name is a Native Hawaiian name. I was teased about it growing up in San Francisco...so I have always called my self Yoshida.

anyway, nuff said, Happy Holidays!

[OnDoutside]

30. Congratulations.

Massive credit to you, for getting through to where you are now.

Just on the relations in Hawaii, have you tried Ancestry.com etc ?

[yuiyoshida]

31. i have but, I am not sure if it would

cover people living there today. There are also quite a few people with my last name but I am not sure we are all related. Its like Yoshida, many families in Japan with that name, but not all are related.. but seem to share the same last name.

[OnDoutside]

32. There's a good chance you'll get street addresses, where you can

narrow your search. Actually, even using Google right now can turn stuff up....it's amazing just how much is online. Finding an address a grandparent was born at or near, can then be used to search the likes of whitepages etc. I have found quite a few American relations that way eg a nephew of my great grandfather died in New York in 1940, but I found the address he had lived at, his children from the 1930 census, some of their bereavement notices, where living siblings were mentioned etc .... even phone numbers from whitepages. You would be surprised how much info you can get.

[yuiyoshida]

34. See that's it though

Its not like I can say, "Well there is Uncle Harry or Aunt May" cause I don't know first names. I don't even know my grand father's first name.. my parents refuse to tell me anything. I know our last name and my mom's maiden name (Yoshida) but that is all I have. I wouldn't have a clue where to start. No addresses, nothing. I know they live on the big Island, and I know our family originally came from Miyazaki Japan...other than that.. its all a big blank to me.

[Croney]

36. I was very skeptical of the DNA kits, before my daughter

insisted that I do one. The results showed a parent-child relationship with her; some cousins I knew about; and... drumroll... a man living where I grew up, who has a 99% probability of being my brother.

My mother's latest and best version of my biological father was that he was a one-night-stand in the French Quarter the night before they both left for the Navy. It makes sense that that man would have gone on to have other children.

He's probably dead since my mother is 95, but I'm considering contacting the maybe-brother. His Facebook page doesn't give me a clue as to his politics but he lives in Louisiana (as did I). I'm not going to waste my time on a Trumpster.

If you do a DNA kit, you will get names of people you are related to. You can find them on FB and see if they look like you. Good luck!

[True Blue American]

50. Check marriage licenses

Your bith certificate,even relatives. Put in your parents names, that could lead to grandparents.

[catchnrelease]

60. Don't give up!

There are more and more stories out there about people finding birth parents, children, relatives etc now days. I just read one recently about a young woman that found her birth mother and later father, even though her mother didn't even know the guys name!! (a one night stand after a super bowl party, lol) If I remember right she did it using the DNA tests, finding close relatives through that and back to the father.

As others here have said, there are so many things you can find online now. Do you know where your parents were married? If you want to give me their names and where married, I will look on Ancestry for their marriage certificate. Sometimes it will give the names of their parents. Possibly birth info if they were born in Hawaii, etc. I'm willing to give it a try if you want. (PM me with the info if you do) It's like a treasure hunt! Worst case is no luck.

[Brainstormy]

52. You've triumphed over a good deal

I'm mightily impressed. Good for you!

[homegirl]

53. Want to get

in touch with your relatives in Hawaii, try Ancestry or a similar agency. Good Luck.

[Doreen]

21. In some sort of sick way I am hoping fellow DU'ers will tell us about their holiday war

scares from their unfortunate exposure to any deplorables.

[Takket]

23. Honestly, do rethugs EVER shut up about politics and "being right about everything "?

My whole family are dems and even I get sick of talking about drumpf with PEOPLE I AGREE WITH. but rethugs NEVER shut up and if they know a Dem is listening they get even worse!!!

[wryter2000]

43. That's my experience

Dems/liberals are fine when you say, "no politics." But Republicans can't control themselves. They just have to say something nasty about the Obamas or the Clintons.

[Stellar]

24. LOL! So you suffered and still learned nothing. nt.

[pazzyanne]

25. Condolences, and good on you for perserviring.

It is so hard to listen to ignorant claptrap. I almost always excuse myself and walk away from people who are spewing Faux Entertainment talking points. On top of that, my number 1 pet peeve is people who lie. Being exposed to tRump has not taken the edge off that up to this point. I just turn off the sound whenever he is lying, which every time he open his mouth.

[greytdemocrat]

28. Meh...

Fools never change.

[Turbineguy]

29. When Dubya was prez I made up my mind

that I would not have him break up the family.

Trump is different.

[DFW]

33. Sounds like a routine thought up by Colbert or Bill Maher

I'm sure it will come as welcome news to the Israeils that they can count on their allies, the Saudis, to help them out

[bobGandolf]

35. OMG! Did you get hazardous duty pay for...

sitting through all those lies? I admire you, there is no way I could have kept silent listening to their babbling lies.

[spinbaby]

37. We managed to avoid politics

And had a good time.

However, a few days ago, a Trumper told me she was worried about traveling to Texas because of the invasion.

[Pluvious]

69. Wowzers, that is truly coo coo for coco puffs

Only an expert can deal with such levels of delusion

[Persondem]

39. Well if they got to talk, why didn't you? nt

[Gothmog]

40. From the Hoarse Whisperer

Link to tweet

[Pluvious]

42. Rotfl - excellent one !!

I did actually have the "Pelosi Trigger" primed and ready in case the BS got too deep, but when that moment finally arrived, my SO dropped the bomb with... "I'll just be glad when Mueller finally puts his report out!"

I found the unglued reaction actually comical. The RW talking points were unleashed like a cloud burst. It's all really kind of freaky, this will be haunting my thoughts for months to come, being face to face with is so much more impactful then the anecdotal bits one reads about.

Thanks for listening

[sellitman]

41. Luckily our family is 100% Liberal and Democratic

We actually were asked not to bring up "His" name at all.

It was a nice day.

Didn't miss him at all.

[Boomer]

44. No family can be a blessing

I've lost all my immediate family, and I've cut the ties I had with my half-sister's descendants, all of whom are Trumpers. Right-wing Evangelical Texans who fit all the stereotypes of rednecks. And here I am, their aunt, a liberal, gay atheist.

Blood was not strong enough to overcome that divide.

My hats off to people who can still socialize with family who hold diametrically opposite views, but when it comes to Trump I feel like it's more like socializing with "good Germans" who supported the rise of Hitler and the Nazis. How much longer is this family waiver going to be possible?

[Pluvious]

71. That's a sobering set of circumstances

Sorry you've been dealt such a difficult hand; it sure seems you've played as best ya might.

IIRC it was David Lindley that sang
"if your friend be a racist friend then you're a racist too"

Goes for being a Trumpster now too I guess.

:-/

[Boomer]

79. Thank you, but...

I should have provided some context. I'm in my mid-60s and losing parents and siblings is inevitable. So it's not like I'm an orphan, just that I'm old!

[SpankMe]

45. I hear similar things from my right-wing office mates

Recently, three stupefying statements within the same minute or so of a conversation thread:

1. Trump is the best president in my lifetime. <Not sarcasm. Spoken in a serious, earnest, almost tearful tone>

2. Trump isn’t a politician. He doesn’t tell people what they want to hear.

3. Can you imagine if Hillary was in there? We wouldn’t have a constitution; wouldn’t have a flag; the military might as well just go away.

I try and jot down these absurd statements as I hear them. But some are so shocking that my disbelief makes it difficult to write.

Another more recent one: People in California now have to register their pianos with the state government if it has ivory keys. ( Hint: This is false. A recent Cali Court of Appeals ruling upheld California's ban on the sale of elephant ivory or Rhino horn. It's pretty a restrictive law, but you don't have to register your previously owned ivory artifacts with the state. You just can't sell them any more - not even to private buyers.)

[B Stieg]

46. The United States Blues...

We're all confused, what's to lose?
You can call this song the United States Blues

Yeah, them old U.S. Blues...

[Pluvious]

73. Wave that flag !

Gesh, now I've got the earworm

o7

[B Stieg]

75. Sorry! (Love your avatar!) nt

[lunatica]

47. All that and you didn't scream?

No wonder you have the jitters!

[YOHABLO]

48. I guess I'm lucky. No one ever talks 'politics' at Thanksgiving. Something to be thankful for (?)

[davsand]

49. Spent the day in a hospital room with my mom and brother.

They are both tRumpers. She's 89 and facing a likely one-way trip to a nursing home along with a possible amputation, and he's a freaking sadistic abuser with a passion for weapons. Standing in line at a restaurant after we fled was a relief.

I have known for quite a while that my blood family will cease to play any role in my life once my mother passes. I have my own other family that I chose, and they are not toxic. Not going to lie, however, I continue to be amazed at the capacity for pain that my blood family can inflict.




Laura

[democratisphere]

51. Nothing like good ol' conspiracy dining to ruin your day of Thanks!

[lpbk2713]

54. The perfect way to ruin a good meal.

Sharing it with FauxBots.

[sharedvalues]

55. All straight from Fox and rightwing radio

We can’t fix the country until we weaken the hold of the conservative hack media.

What we all can do: watch “The Brainwashing of My Dad “.

[Awsi Dooger]

56. There was one attempt at our dinner table

As I visited relatives in the Orlando area. Let's just say I enjoyed it immensely. The right wing simplistic talking points don't fare well against me. Like the Roomba 960 earlier in the day, I can keep going and going. Their handful of sentences are exhausted early and then mostly bang into a wall.

My liberal sister pulled me aside later and gave me a big hug. She said, "I wish I knew all that stuff."

[klook]

67. LOL! They will keep banging into that wall! (nt)

[MiniMe]

57. How much indigestion meds did you take after the meal?

My stomach would be burning.

[Raven123]

58. Not enough wine for that dinner conversation

[The Genealogist]

62. I worked yesterday

I'd much rather work and get holiday rate pay than have to put up with my RW family, whose only two topics of interest are their far right politics and the superiority of their hyperconservative religious beliefs.

[Nitram]

63. I, too, have encountered the Inpenetrable Wall of Delusion behind which the right wing cowers.

[Midnight Writer]

64. Right wingers at our dinner were pretty quiet. One even spoke up against gerrymandering.

None offered any defense of Trump or Republican policies.

Not even tax cuts or deregulation.

The young man who last year announced conservatives would always be on top because "We own all the guns and we aren't afraid to use them" was particularly quiet and civil this year.

[Charlotte Little]

65. You must be a saint

I'd have ended up in the news for using the carving knife on anything but the turkey.

(And I kid - I'm not violent. However, I'd have likely lost my temper.)

[klook]

66. In our family, we have a tacit agreement to avoid politics at such gatherings.

I have a MAGAt brother-in-law who sometimes pushes that as far as he can get away with. This Thanksgiving he was pretty subdued (chastened), mostly normal even.

His wife, my sister, did bring up SpaceX and went on and on about how great it is that this *private* company was able to launch payloads into space more efficiently and cheaply than ever before. You know, like when the GOVERNMENT space program was the only game in town. (Even when things are civil, they like to score subtle points whenever possible.)

And of course there was some discussion of the California fires with his observation that “these happen every year... it’s just a little worse this year.”

Nothing flared up into open disagreement, though, mostly because the rest of us didn’t let it.

At a family gathering this past summer, somebody mentioned socks for some reason, and somebody else said homeless people can always use extra socks. Danger, Will Robinson!!

No topic is safe when they’re feeling their oats. Socks!!! Not even socks.


That one devolved into a testy exchange about refugees, “sanctuary cities,” and more (“Most homeless people are illegals.” “Uh, no, most of the homeless people I’ve met are American military veterans...”) before some welcome distraction thankfully diverted the group.

Sometimes it’s amusing, and sometimes I just have to shake my damn head.

Mostly it was a lovely time at Thanksgiving with the family, and I’m glad we can (mostly) ignore the turd in the punchbowl and enjoy the day together.

[Pluvious]

72. Sounds like you got a full dose

Thanks for sharing, your's might have a chance at least.

I also learned that the refugee kids have it SO good, new soccer fields and gymnasiums, nice clean lodging. They have it better now than many AMERICAN kids do.

And they're still ungrateful.

That was hard to pass engaging, I would have had trouble.

We are fated to pretend.

[klook]

74. The "illegals" BS was from the summer gathering,

and I did engage then (hence the testy exchange). I tend to ignore the idiocy when it’s not too overt, but when some of the younger generation are present, I don’t let backward comments stand unchallenged. Fortunately today everyone was restrained enough (and the blatant idiocy kept under wraps) that that didn’t become necessary.

It’s always a balancing act. I envy people who have only like-minded kinfolks.

[mvd]

70. A couple of my evangelical relatives came down to help out a bit

Politics luckily were largely avoided. Worst was a quick comment from the aunt that Independence Hall had become "black" ever since President Obama - even the uncle disagreed with her there.

[George II]

76. The last two years I showed up at my redneck gun-thumping in-laws armed with rebuttal ammunition....

....and nothing happened. I suspect even them are embarrassed by trump and the state of the union.

[Kablooie]

77. Boy, what's going to happen when all the criminal revelations come out next year from the House.

It's not going to be pretty with Trump screaming 'witch hunt' every day and denying everything even though the evidence will be right out in front where everyone can see it.

[Pluvious]

81. The funny thing is...

It gets played down and forgotten.

For example, after they'd admitted what a screwup Bush had been, aiding Iran by defanging their hostile neighbor Iraq, I reminded them how I'd warned this was happening at the time of our invasion. Over several argument sessions back then.

The topic was quickly changed.

Sigh.

We can't get no, satisfaction.

[dawg day]

78. My GOP in-laws said they were "proud" to have voted for Trump

They were both reporters (small town) for decades, so I asked, "How do you feel when he calls reporters the enemies of the people?"

They scoffed at me. "He never said that!"

"Yes, he did. Here-- see him say it in this video!"

They refused to look at the video. When I turned the volume up so they could hear, they turned away and started talking really loud to each other.

What I learned is that they actually are more dedicated to adoring him than they are to anything else. Anything, including truth. (And they were both journalists for DECADES.)
What's weird is, they're not "Trumpies." They voted for Jeb Bush in the primary. It's like they decided at some point that they'd support Trump, and they think that means being slavish-- refusing to hear anything he says, much less anything anyone says against him.

I don't know how they'll come back from that. How will they be able to admit, "Boy, was I a fool!"

[Pluvious]

80. I think you've nailed exactly what is the most infuriating...

It's the smug willful ignorance, and total close minded behavior.

The hypocrisy is the second most frustrating.
You try to put them to the "Obama Test," where you ask what if he'd done that.

We might as well be speaking Latin.