Rolling my eyes: some of My mother's generation

[Mari333]

I spoke with my mother today, shes 77. Just wanted to let her let my brother know what his kid will be facing in Iraq, and if he wanted to get in touch with me, I was there for him when he starts to face what we are facing.
My mother hates Bush, and she wont vote for him, but she still insists on using those old talking points:
1. she cant vote for Kerry because he is not Catholic enough. But she wont vote for Bush.
2. Homosexuals have a "mental problem" and its right there in the bible. I tried to ask her chapter and verse, but she has never read the bible, and I have, so I reiterated to her the chapter and verse from Corinthians and Leviticus and told her we needed to change the subject. Shes old, she wont change no matter how much the facts stare her in the face on everything, such as the fact that Jesus never said a word about gay folks. Nonetheless , when I mentioned to her that in 1968, 72% of the US public was against blacks and whites being married she said "Im still against that!"
I had to remind her that her first great grandchild is Asian-American. Oy.
3. Mel Gibson is a god, because he made us realize how sinful we all are. She wants to see his movie, I told her not to bring popcorn.
4. She calls Iraq another Vietnam. Well, thats something.


I also might have a 10 hr a week paid job with Senior Services in town here, which is all I could do considering that Michael in Iraq is sapping our energy worrying about him.
I was told by the lady who hired me (I would be a spokesperson at different churches, etc to get volunteers to help Seniors who are alone and poor)
that some of the seniors asked specifically "not to send any colored people" out to help them as volunteers.

I know not all people of my mother's generation have this mindset, but there seem to be puhlenty of them out there who are still stuck squarely in the 1950's.

These are the voters who worry me. The ones who are just as stuck as my mother concerning civil rights, the war in Iraq, etc, and who dont want change or social progress.

[JitterbugPerfume]

1. I do not think you should paint a whole generation

with such a broad brush

[Mari333]

2. I didnt

"I know not all people of my mother's generation have this mindset, but there seem to be puhlenty of them out there who are still stuck squarely in the 1950's"

www.grannyd.com

[sangh0]

3. Your mother's generation

This weekend I visited an elderly couple I am friends with. He was a highly-decorated soldier in Italy during WWII. He's 88 now. She's 82 and never reads the paper. They hate Bush*, and they hate his war. They have no problems with homosexuals or people of color.

[Mari333]

4. Right, a lot of people in their 70s and 80s are wonderful like grannyd

www.grannyd.com who is 94.
I mean some of them, and my 18 aunts and uncles are also enamored with the same mindset as my mother.

[Frances]

5. Good luck in your new job, Mari

I know that it's hard to deal with ingrained prejudices.

When my mother talks about race, she says very prejudiced things, but when an African American woman and her teen son moved next door to Mother, Mother baked a cake and took it them.

Mother sticks by the code she grew up with, but the code did have some good points (thank goodness!) as well as bad.

[trotsky]

6. Yep, many of them out there.

My grandmother is now 87 and she's at the point where she feels a lot more free to "speak her mind," as they say. Well, the fact that not only is one of my cousins about to marry a Catholic but CONVERT to Catholicism, prompted her to declare that it was the "worst thing to ever happen to the family." The death of her husband of 50+ years? Pish-posh. A couple of divorces? Nuttin. No, it's the Catholic scourge!

(She's also offered plenty of feedback about Jews, Mexicans, and African-Americans. So please, don't tell her that my other cousin is dating a Jew, OK?)

[cheezus]

7. That's the fitting punishment for these people

watching their children and grandchildren enter into interracial and/or homosexual relationships.

[trotsky]

9. But you know...

it just feels wrong to think of it as "punishment." So much of her attitudes are just plain and simple a product of the environment in which she was raised. She probably didn't even SEE a real live dark-skinned person until she was well into her 40s. There were obviously no Jews in the small town she grew up in, and the Catholic/Protestant thing, well that's been going on for awhile. :)

I feel sorry for her, that she can't enjoy the fact her grandson is getting married. It's sad.

[Toucano]

8. If she doesn't vote for Kerry

at least she won't vote for Bush. That's better than voting for him.

We must encourage apathy among the elderly voters! That's the plan. :)

[Mari333]

10. lol. thanks, I needed to laugh. n/t

[sangh0]

11. Tell them

"Black people and homosexuals use those voting machines too" and maybe they'll be too scared of catching something to vote.

[Mari333]

12. LOL n/t

[lumpy]

13. I am one of the... ahem... older generation

The difference between myself and some, just some, of my generation is that I have kept up with the changing of the times and have not been content to get stuck in the comfortable rut of not continuing to grow. Some people do quit educating themselves and remain stuck in the past, especially older men.

[Mari333]

16. agreed, most of the women I know who march against the war

with me are well into their 70s ..And many people my age, 53, are blind and dumb as a box of rocks , like my brothers. So its not just her generation that needs a wake up call.

[amazona]

14. the heck ?

Kerry is not Catholic enough? That's a bit unfair isn't it? How Catholic does he have to be? Mel Gibson is an Australian, don't think he'll be up for public office any time soon, at least I hope the heck he isn't.

My dad is your mom's age, and while he has his issues, especially with race, he knows he has to vote his pocketbook and get the thieves out. Start with where people are standing. The GOP is wanting to privatize Social Security -- this hits where it hurts. I wouldn't argue social issues with my elders. If life hasn't changed them, they aren't going to change. Just focus on the bottom line. The heating oil prices, the cost of gas, Social Security being raided, Medicare being in doubt, high prescription drug prices and the GOP trying to block cheaper medicines from Canada...that kind of thing.

[Mari333]

15. heh my mom is a pre Vatican 2 Catholic...she has a statue of St Joseph

buried in her front yard to keep her house safe. She is totally into superstition. I find it amusing. I just play along. She is set in her ways, and if that keeps her happy so be it. She wont vote for Bush, so thats a vote for Kerry.

[THATGIRL1]

17. St. Joseph sells houses!

I had to laugh about the St. Joe's statue.
My mother swears it's what helped sell our house once.
It only works as long as he's put into the ground upside down.
Us wacky Catholics! How nice of you to help with the Seniors
in your community. There are many seniors and disabled alone
and poor and too proud to ask for help.Cheers to you for caring!
:loveya:

[Darth_Ole]

18. My grandparents are 80...

They lived through the depression, and my g'pa fought in WWII.

They hate Bush and hate this war. Although, my grandpa makes a lot of stupid racy jokes... I don't know their feelings towards homosexuals, though, b/c I've never chatted with them about it. They aren't religious people, however, so I dunno..