Talked to my Republican Mother

[acmejack]

She professed ignorance about the DSM, so I explained what was happening. I mentioned that I felt that it was an impeachable offense and after all Clinton had been impeached for consensual sex. She leapt in on him with venom, but got mad and didn't want to talk any more when I pointed out no one died from that lie. She said she doesn't "believe everything" she reads and she "still supports Bush". I asked her what it would take to change that and would it been OK with Clinton then if he would have been a republican? She repeated that she didn't want to talk about it so I told her to keep her head in the sand then and be happy.

Damn that sort of shit just makes me crazy!

Thanx for giving me a place to vent.

[Skwmom]

1. You should ask her who she's loyal to-A political party or her country?

[GetTheRightVote]

2. I am glad my mother is not like yours, I hope she listen to you some day

to save herself if nothing else from being lied to.

:kick:

[FreedomAngel82]

13. I agree

My mother used to be republican but I talked to her a lot about everything and now she doesn't like the republican party. Some people can't turn around no matter what but some people can with time.

[SimpleMan]

3. My folks are the same way...

No matter what you say, they become more entrenched in their own beliefs. I have that problem with them with both politics (they're Repub) and religion (they're Mormon). So now we mostly talk about the weather and who died since the last time I called.

[Wapsie B]

4. Of course she didn't want to talk about it.

She was painted into a corner and didn't know how to get out of it.

[Liberal Veteran]

5. There are none so blind as those who will not see.

It's so very true.

[PsN2Wind]

6. Tell her you've come to agree with her

and to show your support you've decided to join the Marines and do your bit to fight dubya's "war on terrorism". See if her support of the prez is strong enough to be willing to possibly sacrifice you. The result could be brutal though if she says "go ahead".

[acmejack]

9. A flaw in that plan

I'm 52 and a disabled veteran. But it would be a pretty good idea if I were 30 years younger, except for mine is a military family and they would undoubtedly be proud. They certainly were back in 73.

[PsN2Wind]

11. No offense meant

and "Thanks for your service". I guess if your family was still supportive of the war in Viet Nam by '73 they wouldn't be upset by your enlisting now. You might though ask her how she feels about you going to do your bit, when almost all of Dubya's hawkish advisers managed not to fight the war of their generation but are thrilled to send someone Else's kid to fight, and possibly die, in this one. Also point out that she knows where you were in '73 and no one seems to know where Dubya was that year, including him.

[Webster Green]

7. Are you sure that wasn't my mother?

Thats exactly the conversation we would have if I brought up DSMs.

[shance]

8. Jack I understand and have had that same conversation

with family members and even some friends of my own on one too many occasions. Bless your heart. What is really interesting is that they seem to react with almost the exact same responses across the board.

It's either we talk about what an sex addict,unethical man Bill Clinton was as president, or all political discussion is off the table and onto the shelve.

At a cocktail party a couple of years ago, there was an older woman from Texas going off on Bill Clinton and after being polite for a few minutes, I chimed in with some response about the Bush Administration and the war. She looked at me like a deer caught in headlights, stopped and said, "we are not going to talk politics anymore". As soon as I had interrupted her rather deluded monologue on the evils of Bill Clinton and mentioned some actual facts about the current Administration and the invasion of Iraq, it was the end of the discussion for her and as far as she was concerned, for everyone else.

I think thats true for a lot of Republicans. Sadly it boils down to the fact they refuse to address anything outside of their limited structured belief system.

It's their way or the highway, especially in this area. And I used to be a Republican a while back, so I know that place and state of mind myself.

[BillZBubb]

10. "I used to be a Republican a while back"

Interesting. Could you give us an idea of what happened to change your viewpoint? Clearly you are a case where a Republican could see the light and get out of the rut. Maybe we can learn how to deal with similar Republicans based on your experience.

[shance]

15. You know it was a series of things. Going to a private womens college,

and having to take women's studies classes believe it or not woke me up alot!

It changed my perspectives on a lot of previously conceived notions I had assumed as being the absolute truth growing up, but I don't think the shift really was apparent to me until a year or so after I graduated and entered the real world, so to speak.

Coming back to Texas, I began noticing more clearly the hypocrisy I had not seen as much (or had the consciousness to see) before. The Iran Contra and the Anita Hill hearings were big indicators that there was one set of rules for the Republicans and another set of harsher rules for everyone else. Then I just kept turning further left from there. My father also died when I was nineteen which had a significant effect. I think I just began questioning alot of things that weren't making sense to me any more. And I wasnt comfortable accepting simplistic answers designed to make me not think. It happened in my religious/Christian background as well.

I feel for you Jack and what you are going through. It can be very painful at times and even a little lonely when family members and/or friends can't hear or consider what you are saying. I don't discuss politics anymore with my family. In our situation its become too tabu. Hopefully you have some friends and/or a few family members that are more like minded! Needless to say DU is a great refuge.

Thanks for posting**

[FreedomAngel82]

14. Yep

Either you agree with them or they don't care what you have to say. :mad:

[shance]

18. As you said, yep***

:)

[FreedomAngel82]

12. I just would've kept going and talking

I hate that shit as well. You should ask her what she thinks of Clinton being buddy-buddy with Poppy Bush and if she likes it since they all hate Clinton so much.

[The Straight Story]

16. I wish my mom was still alive so we could discuss such things

Thought about her a lot today and watched some old home movies with her when she was much younger.

The rw view about clinton (from talking to my dad when it was going on) was that clinton lied under oath and all he had to do was tell the truth. Mom always said all politicians lie - all of em. Lying under oath was seen as different, bush lying is/was expected.

An odd mindset perhaps, but most folks on the right I have discussed it with feel pretty much the same/ They did not care so much that he had sex, just that he lied under oath about it.

As far as Iraq and your mom - ask her if 9/11 was ok. The terrorists did it because we had wmd and other threats which they saw as an immenent threat to them and they attacked us over it. The iraq war has killed more civilians then 9/11 has - and for what?

[stevans_41902]

20. going to a womans college woke me up a lot too!

I was never a republican, but before I went I didn't know/care much about politics and it helped open my eyes and make me more progressive.

[Terran]

17. I have to give my aged mum a huge amount of credit.

She hated the Clintons and believed all the stupid crap she heard about them on Rush. But when it came down to Bush versus Gore in 2000, she told me she was voting for Al because Bush "scares me". In my naivete at the time, I sort of laughed and said, well, he's an idiot, but he doesn't scare me. Mother sure knew best in that case. And she detests him as much now as she did then.

[friesianrider]

19. Their favorite line...they ENJOY being ignorant.

Truly. I have fundie family members who get the same way "we can't talk about it." Why, because you can't defend your pea-brain hero? It's like they are afraid of being talked into reality...I'm convinced they enjoy being ignorant.

[kaitykaity]

21. If she's a homeowner, ask her about her property taxes.

If she buys prescription drugs, ask her how much
her drugs have gone up.

If she's worried about a teenage granchild, ask her
how she'll feel if Jonnie/Janie come back from Iraq
dead.

Of she has a pension, ask her how she'll feel when
that company declares bankruptcy and her pension check
gets cut in half.

There's all kinds of ways to bitch slap her awake that
are personal and in her pocket. Just find them and
then squeeze.

[Snotcicles]

22. Gently ask her what is she afraid of?

Then tell to open her mind and the truth is a lot safer then lies.

[Bouncy Ball]

23. So sorry about that.

Hey I enjoyed meeting you Saturday! You are super nice.