What was your awakening?

[Postman]

I used to be a republican.

I bought into the propaganda, flag-waving, reactionary, the US does no wrong BS.

I served in the US military during the Reagan years.

I had no analytical, critical thinking skills about US policy in the world and US history until I started reading Howard Zinn, Michael Parenti, Noam Chomsky and others.

[CatWoman]

1. *you* used to be a republican????

:wow:

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

2. What prompted you to read those books though?

Have you had any success getting people who think like you used to, to read the same ones?

[Postman]

11. A liberal friend at my workplace turned me onto Howard Zinn...

I picked up "A People's History Of The United States" and found it fascinating, the history I wasn't taught in school.

After reading Zinn, I discovered how twisted my world-view had been. It was like a door to understanding the world had been opened.

[mongo]

28. We homeshcooled our daughter

Zinn's Peoples History was her US history textbook.

Raised a fine subversive, we did...

[Postman]

35. I know you're kidding using the word "subversive" but...

it's not subversive to know the truth.

You're only a subversive to those who don't know any better or who have been indoctrinated into understanding "safe" history.

[bobbieinok]

32. apparently this is the text at Drake...my bro and nephew ridiculed the cho

choice.....saw it as 'proof' that most colleges try to brainwash their students into being liberal....they were so glad it didn't work with nephew

[LiberalAndProud]

3. Reading -- isn't that considered subversive now?

My wake up -- I had the good fortune to be borne and reared by two Dems of the Greatest Generation.

I had wandered to the right, but our invasion of Iraq brought me back home.

[salin]

9. Raised by depression era FDR Democrats

one who was a WWII vet. Economic liberals, civil rights liberals, peace and justice Christian liberals. Attended a very conservative college in the early Reagan years - and whle I was pretty quiet at the time (surrounding by rw) - I was never persuaded by the self-serving and at times self-deluding theories/philosophies. Trickle down economics made no sense. Privatization just for the sake of privatization (under the belief that the private sector ALWAYS is more efficient than the public sector - with no analysis of a case to case basis) - makings of a disaster.

I don't mean to sound smug - just very fortunate, imo.

[Inspired]

4. Congratulations...eom

[ewagner]

5. I was also a Republican

back in Florida during the late '60s....remember Repubs were the "party of change" back then in the South....by 1973, I started to see Nixon's "Souther Strategy" up close and personal...Dems were becoming Repubs and the face of the party was changing...drastically.

I moved to the midwest and met some of the first true, honest progressives I had ever met....changed registrations on the spot.

[LiviaOlivia]

6. Funny thing, I 've changed religions but never political parties.

Being a liberal is sacrosanct in my life.

[orpupilofnature57]

7. When i saw trickie dick waving good-bye, as a 10th grader!!

[cynatnite]

8. I used to be a republican

The contract with america woke me up. It was so offensive to me that I had to quit.

I served from 86' to '90. I was about the same and didn't really start thinking about our country and where it was headed until just prior to bush's thievery in 2000

I felt rather alone in much of my thinking since I wasn't sure about voicing it. That all changed when I read Franken's last book.

[Paula Sims]

10. The love of a good man. . .

I remember the '88 election and I called my fiancee (now husband) in glee over the election of Bush vs. Dukakis, saying what a good thing it was. He hung up on me and then called and said if I ever did that again, the marriage was over. Please note that I'm a selfish child of the '80 and did not know any better.

Slowly, after we got married (I learned to shut up), my husband showed me the light. That and as I took some ethics courses during my MBA I realized that we are our brother's keeper and we should look out for one another, and that many corporations are out to screw not just our citizens but everyone in the world. I look back and realize how rare and responsible it was for Tylenol to do what they did.

I have been born again, stopped drinking the Koo-Aid, and took the red pill (ironic color choice -- isn't it?).

I remain humbly converted.

Paula

[LiberalAndProud]

25. Ethics courses? no kidding

-- duz not compute --
ethics <> republican party?

Did you take some logic/philosophy courses as well?

[longship]

12. After the 1964 Presidential Campaign and Election.

I was in high school and thought Goldwater was a complete nutcase. My father was a Ike Republican; my mother was an FDR Democrat. I never looked back after that election. Since I turned voting age (21 at that time) I have consistently voted Democrat (with some minor exceptions, e.g., Senator Nancy Landon Kassebaum).

[polmaven]

13. Birth!

I was born a Democrat, and I will die a Democrat. It is in my gene pool.

[dddem]

66. Not to mention the fact that you live in Massachusetts.

I think it's the law here, isn't it? One of the many reasons I love my state.

[pstans]

14. Dude, Where's my Country

My awakening was reading Dude, Where's my Country by Michael Moore. One of the first chapters is called 8 questions for George W. Bu$h or something like that. I couldn't believe all of the connections and contradictions wiht the Bu$h Crime Family. It wasn't long after this that I saw Howard Dean at a Campaign Rally on CSPAN and I was hooked.

[CatWoman]

15. I am learning so much on this thread

the people who used to be Republicans are really shocking me.

I would NEVER have imagined.

[Postman]

26. I think our culture indoctrinates young people to be republicans....

You aren't taught any critical thinking skills in school. You're not encouraged to question authority.

Its all about obedience.

[CatWoman]

30. look into my eyes, Postman. You are getting very sleepy.

you WILL question *.

you WILL question *.



:D

[MountainLaurel]

49. You're dead on

If you look about the history of public education in this country, you find that it was developed to create factory workers who knew enough to operate their machines (as well as sit still for hours on end and respond to bells like Pavlov's dogs), but not enough to question the inequalities of the social structure.

[Imagevision]

54. I think it's all about money postman

[BlueStateGirl]

59. I was born a Democrat into a family of Democrats. My family have

always been Democrats back to my great great grandfather.

[Ariana Celeste]

16. Highschool, made friends with

a couple of guys who were real druggies, partied with them, talked a lot about drugs, then we started talking politics and they got me really interested- opened my eyes to what was going on around me. This was around when Bush first got elected. (I'm 20)

[nevergiveup]

17. White southern ministers preaching

racism in the name of Christianity and the war in Vietnam made me a liberal forever. In college I was a Goldwater Republican.

[Arugula Latte]

18. Reagan's election

I was 14. He disgusted me to no end. I hated his anti-environmental, anti-women, and anti-choice positions, and even as a young teen I could see the guy was a simpleton mouthing lowest-common-denominator slogans and reading cue cards -- "The Great Communicator" my ass.

I'd been mildly Republican as a child 'cuz my parents voted for Nixon and Ford. They were social liberals but voted for Reagan. However, the rise of the nutcase religious right pushed them over to the Democrats and Clinton got their votes. My mom is actually registered as a Green now.

[hobbit709]

19. My earliest memories

are of seeing Soviet occupation troops on the streets of my home town, I've had an attitude ever since.

[Snotcicles]

20. Matters not where you come from

It's from this point forward that counts, now that you have been enlightened.

[jody]

21. I've never been a Republican.

I served in the military and would do so again to protect the future of the longest experiment in government of the people, by the people, for the people.

I believe in natural, inherent, inalienable rights and marvel at the potential we have as a society of individuals for creating a utopia on this infinitesimal physical part of infinity for a brief moment of eternity.

All power to the people, the only power that can make dreams come true and Democrats are the purest expression of that power! :toast:

[KharmaTrain]

22. A Century Of Proud Democrats

My grandparents came from Russia and soon became involved in the labor movement and, through it, lifelong Democrats and New Dealers. My parents were of the "Greatest Generation" and idolized JFK...passed along the values of compassion and fairness. My wife comes from a similar background and now our children are committed Democrats; keeping the family tradition strong into a second century. I know my parents and grandparents would be proud.

I congratulate Republicans who have "crossed-over" and the soul-searching one must go through to have that happen. Seeing my lifelong values turned upside down would be a real eye-opener and I appreciate reading the testimonials here from those who've walked these miles.

Unfortunately, I've seen many of my "liberal" or "progressive" friends stray in the other direction. People who marched with me against Vietnam and didn't trust "the establishment" became aborbed with their own net worth and creature comforts. Values mean who made them more money and these are the parents of a lot of these wingnut kids that have grown up in a very myopic and spoiled world.

Cheers.

[ThomWV]

23. Born and Raised

But it never rang home until the '68 election, which was the first I ever voted in. I was doing my second tour in Viet Nam at the time, on the ground, just another grunt up in the Central Highlands wishing I was somewhere else.

[LaurenG]

24. I too Was a republican

Raised by republicans. Stopped voting in 92 because I couldn't vote for the republican. Finally voted for Nader in 2000, after that disaster I went full on Democrat and I've never looked back. I had an awakening in the early 90's and I thought politics just sucked, I thought politicians were self serving people but when Bush slimed everyone in 99 running up to 2000 I had to vote against that demon. Nothing in my mind was worse than gwb. I believe it to this day. A horrible person with horrible side kicks as friends. (evil evil evil) whew ..

[mongo]

27. Haven't voted for a 'pub since Reagan in '80

but I was 18 and stupid then - the country was in a mess with the oil crises and the Iranian hostages, and it just seemed like Carter was totally inefective at getting anything done.

I admire Jimmy Carter now. Last honest, decent person our country has had for a president.

[DanCa]

29. The red god chan chandler ditto heads

Up until last year I was a two party voter and I would split ticket my ballot. While I have voted for republicans in the past I can no longer do so. I dont like the way they proclaim that they alone know the gospel. Heres my story of how i became a die hard democrat.

I always believed in Jesus still do I dont know what kind of freak the republicans worships but its not my god. It started harmless enough when I began trainning as a deacon than the cult at my very small hick parish wanted me to take pictures of women entering abortion clinics. When I resisted they through a hissy fit and kicked me out. The experience was so emotionally tough on me that I couldn't talk for three day and suffered a stroke.

Funny thing is I am still fighting with these "culture of life" hypocrites. You see last year i was dxd with young onset parkinsons disease, and they call me everything from an embryo farmer to a toddler killer. All because i want to cure people of such delibating disease like parkinsons diabetes and hemophillia.

I finally found a home in my episcopal church and serve on the board too make the ditto heads never put anyone thru that horrible expeirence. However the red god has a very powerful voice and it seems am getting constantly hit by messages of how I should believe.
All because I believe in reproductive freedom, stem cell research, and equality for gay people, and I think its ignorant to push religion on people and believe in seperation of church and state. Some days it dont come easy but I refuse to concede the flag or my god to these people.

Dont hate me I tried to leave the name of my first church out of it because I know theyre are good people on these boards who are from that church and that they had nothing to do with it. Any how thats my story be good to each other people were all we got right now.

[annabanana]

50. You did a courageous turn-around

in your life. I'm glad you found a nurturing spiritual home and escaped from those who would chain God to a narrow, mean, unhappy path. The Episcopal church is not a judge mental place at all, Nationally.. although there are some diocese that are stewing in some fundie sauce right now.

I'm glad you're here at DU...

[DanCa]

52. Your welcome

It wasnt easy but nothing thats worthwhile is. Thank you for your support.

[EVDebs]

31. The murder of Lee Harvey Oswald in the Dallas jailhouse garage.

This stank to high heaven...and then the stolen cables by Ambassador Graham A. Martin from S.Vietnam, stashed in a DOJ safe in Rome and then brought home to N. Carolina and 'stolen'...only to be stashed in former President Gerald Ford's library.

"SAIGON EMBASSY FILES KEPT BY AMBASSADOR GRAHAM MARTIN: Copies made for the NSC, 1963-1975 (1976) (4 feet)"

" In January 1978, the North Carolina State Police found a cache of classified documents in the trunk of a car that had been stolen from former U.S. ambassador to South Vietnam Graham A. Martin. They turned the documents over to the FBI. The documents were embassy files Martin had taken with him when he evacuated Saigon on April 29, 1975, just hours before the city fell to the Communists. The Justice Department, in considering prosecuting Martin for misuse of classified documents, sent copies of the files to the National Security Council for a damage assessment. The copies remained in NSC files until 1982, when the NSC determined that they should have been considered presidential papers and sent them to the Ford Library.

http://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/guides/Finding%20Aids/Saigon%20Embassy%20Files%20Kept%20by%20Ambassador%20Graham%20Martin.htm

The files were 'stashed' for 3 years in Rome, then returned home and stolen ? What's up with that ? The Univ of TX and the library in Ann Arbor, Michigan may have access to these documents.

Verrrrry squirrelly.

[orpupilofnature57]

40. That and seeing the Viet Cong spy shot on Cronkite ,shaped my view of the

world, and as a 7 yr old, i was also ,without knowing becoming the"Narcissistic fibrosis" generation.

[More Than A Feeling]

33. Reading the feminist blogs out there has been a real eye-opener

I haven't thought of myself as a feminist since junior high, but I am slowly moving back there. At one point, I supported the war until it became clear that it was going to kill more Iraqis than the sanctions did. That was before I found this place. I guess you could say those are the two big awakenings I have/am going through. I have never self-identified as a Republican, though.

[TexasLady]

34. mine was being politically dead, and then

freaking out when Bush decided to run for prez. I even had to ask everyone here how to vote. Education was my awakening. But Bush? I remember looking at my husband and saying, omg, if he wins, he will be the Armageddon President.

[TomClash]

36. What is this? The Republicans Anonymous Thread nt

RA meeting next Thursday at 8 p.m. I'll bring the drugs and alcohol.

I was never a Republican.

[annabanana]

51. It's useful to know what turned people around...

.. helps us "get under their skin" and affect some more defections...

[Postman]

61. I would call it "enlightenment" not "defections"....

"defection" is not a neutral word.

[FreedomAngel82]

37. Michael Moore

My parents and a lot of my family are republicans. I used to want to be one as well. I remember being younger and my parents would watch the RNC convention and I would watch too. I loved Clinton and Gore though and wanted to vote for Gore even though I wasn't old enough to vote yet. I was disappointed he didn't "win" and then I saw F911 and Greg Palast's film "The Bush Family Fortunes." For a few years I've been interested in the JFK assisination and all that. So just a combination really. But Moore and F911 and Palast and other docs helped me to learn more about everything and I'm a democrat.

[RC]

38. Between the time Bill Clinton won the election and was sworn in,

Whitewater came out. It raised a big red flag for me. If there was really was anything to White water, why did it not come out DURING the campaign? Why wait till it was over to drag it out?

The Republican party has been commandeered by criminals and the criminals get away with it because people think of politics as being naturally dirty. The conservative element has never been real strong on critical thinking and just accept what their party says, right or wrong.

The echo chamber VS the heard of cats scenario.

[LiberallyInclined]

39. i've always been a liberal-

my "awakening" was to the fact that not everyone else held the same views- probably the election of ronnie raygun opened my eyes to conservatism & repuglicans

[Carni]

41. When I heard another Bush was running

That lit a real fire under my ass...

I didn't know there WAS a George JR and was very freaked out to find out there was.

[tyedyeto]

42. Raised by Repugs, but was never one.

I was in high school during the Vietnam War. Even went to a few rallies in Berkely in the late 60's-early 70's. I graduated in 1970, voted for the first time for McGovern in 1972 and never looked at Repugs again.

[Mythsaje]

43. It's funny

I was brought over by reading Libertarian and Conservative authors. Isn't that strange?

Heinlein definitely had a Libertarian philosophy...fiscally conservative, but socially liberal.

Herbert (as apparent in his Dune series) had a conservative ideology but distrusted accumulation of power in ANY hands. He also challenged a lot of accepted thought, both liberal and conservative. Most people may have read the FIRST book, but, in my opinion, the last two are the best of the series.

My own liberalism, I think, rises from my empathy. I am naturally compassionate. I can't help it. I always try to see things from every possible perspective. I know how real conservatives think, and I even agree with them on some things (limiting the power of government IS a worthwhile goal--one of my primary disagreements with them is the idea that it's better to allow corporations to amass power than to allow it to the State. I think BOTH paths are frought with peril, personally.

Neocons, as we all know, aren't really conservatives. They're fascists masquerading as conservatives. They're building BOTH government and corporate power at the same time, each growing more dependent on the other to function.

Bad juju.

[H2O Man]

44. My family

on my father's side are Irish immigrants who worked as stone-cutters on the railroads and canals. They had some pretty strong opinions when they came here, and these took root on American soil. In my own case, I can remember when a young heavyweight contender named Cassius Clay was getting ready to challenge Charles "Sonny" Liston for the title. My brother had bought a fantastic LP by young Clay, called, "I Am The Greatest." (I still have the album.) As older DUers will recall, Cassius had a fellow named Malcolm X at his training camp in Florida, as he prepared for Liston. The press began making a fuss about Malcolm, and the day after Cassius won the title, he told the press that he was a member of the Nation of Islam. It caught my attention, and I began paying attention to Malcolm X. And I believe that anyone who really listened to Malcolm never viewed the world the same again.

[Nite Owl]

45. Always been a liberal

My parents were Republicans though and maybe it started out as being rebellious, wanting to be different from them but it hasn't changed. 30+ years and never thought of switching.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

46. Long process

My parents were liberal Republicans, because my father was from a small town and my mother was half-Latvian. They believed that the Republicans were better at "standing up to the Communists."

For that reason, I was for the Vietnam War at first. After all, it was anti-Communist, wasn't it?

Then I went to college and found people I respected, both students and professors, who were against the war. Not only that--it was the years 1968-1972, and the whole college atmosphere was suffused with anti-racism and feminism. I'd always been an instinctive feminist, so that's where I first gravitated, but it soon became clear that everything was connected.

Meanwhile, my parents gradually turned anti-war and anti-Republican as my brothers reached draft age (neither had to go) and Nixon's crookedness became more apparent.

There were other light bulb experiences, which I won't go into here.

Suffice it to say that I knew enough to be totally disgusted when Reagan was elected in 1980.

However, I also became increasingly disgusted with the acquiescence of so many Democrats in the destruction of the American dream.

Some may criticize me for slamming DINOs more than Republicans, but look at it this way: the current Republican leadership is made up of slimeballs and sociopaths, and we all know it. That's why it is especially irritating when members of the alleged opposition party enable the slimeballs and sociopaths in the name of "moderation."

[La Coliniere]

47. Never really had an awakening but a major reawakening.

Raised by solid working class Democrats. They weren't highly educated folks but they had unwavering support for the underdog and a quest for social justice. I remember both of them weeping when Nixon beat Humphrey in 1968.
For the first 20 years of my voting life I always voted Democratic, always felt the party represented my values and political philosophy. As I matured I realized that the Democratic Party had, in many ways, become agents of the military-industrial-corporate structure. Although not as brazen about it, they were letting themselves be manipulated by money and power over the true needs of the working class. The party was shedding its FDR Democratic-Socialist aspects and was starting to resemble the party I grew up loathing. I started to vote for Green Party members in local elections but continued to pull Democratic levers most of the time even though I was disillusioned with who they were becoming.
The chimp's selection in 2000 was the first stage of my reawakening. After he took office, the chimp started dismantling Freedom of Information Act provisions that would prohibit the public from knowing what nefarious dealings might have been going on in our name under Raygun and Poppy's badministrations. That was the second red flag. Then the first round of tax cuts for the wealthy that started to erode Clinton's surplus. Then 911 and, well you know the rest. Red flags, danger sirens, EMERGENCY EMERGENCY!!!
I'm now an Independent who continues to vote for Dems, who I consider at least salvageable and perhaps at the cusp of a new found populist identity. As a result of being totally fed up and alarmed by the present political reality in this country, I became politically active for the first time in my life and I spent 2 weeks campaigning for Kerry/Edwards in Ohio last summer. Although I wasn't 100% trusting of Kerry, I was of the ABBA persuasion and I have no regrets about stumping for him. Look at the alternative.
I wish the Democrats could recapture the spirit and action oriented populist liberalism of the past. You know, when they had BALLS!!!!!!

[nonconformist]

48. Mine came in phases

Phase 1 - birth. I was raised in a blue collar, union-supporting, yellow dog, politically active family. They always encouraged reading, awareness, and knowledge despite the fact that they were formally 'uneducated'.

Phase 2 - The 2000 "election". A real eye-opener.

Phase 3 - 9/11 attacks. This is when my real 'knowledge quest' began. I learned a lot after this - about the world, about the U.S. and about myself. I faced reality and my own issues, and I grew dramatically as a person because of it.

Phase 4 - Lead-up to Iraq war. This destroyed what little complicity I had left.

Even without those significant events, I have to give some credit to just growing up. I have "come into my own" so to speak as I've gotten into my 30's. I've become very secure in my beliefs and ideology. I'm able to bring a little bit of life experience into my philosophy. Most importantly, my desire and responsibility to raise my children to be politically aware, morally and ethically sound individuals that will always seek out information drives me.

[SammyWinstonJack]

53. I was raised a Liberal and a Democrat.

Thankfully so! I never questioned what I knew in my heart was the correct way to be.

[progressivebydesign]

55. Born liberal in '59. Know all the good anti-war songs of the 60's. n/t

[Beam Me Up]

56. I'm from some other planet.

I don't know which one and I don't know where. But where I come from most of the things that makes life "interesting" for human beings was left behind long ago. "War," "money," "work" as something separate from one's life focus--all this was superseded long ago. THE primary focus of interest on the planet I belong on is CONSCIOUSNESS and the energies of consciousness and how they effect strictly material reality. Some how a "mistake" was made in some experiment and I got beamed somatically to this planet where I've been ever since. It is fascinating in a gruesome kind of way but I'm ready to go home.

How about yourself?

[corbett]

57. I Voted For Bush In 1988 And Perot In 1992

Although he helped make Saddam a tyrant, I gladly voted for George H.W. Bush in 1988 and don't regret my decision to this day. Sure, he has gone on to be a major player in the Carlyle Group and defended his namesake son against charges of being a war criminal but he was just what we needed to stand up to Gorby at that time. My turning point of not voting for George in 1992 and changing my voter registration to independent was the way Bush 41 left domestic policy way on the back burner. He refused to recognize that most aspects of Reaganomics failed the middle class and the poor. That was it for me!

Kerry For President In 2008!

[sweetheart]

58. hmmm.. several

1980 - indoctrinated reagan believer... "carter was weak"
1982 - learned from LSD that life is profound and magical, and that
everything i though i knew was wrong. Stopped participating and voting
for 20 years. (gore won where i would have voted in 2000). Stayed
as a latently-registered republican without remembering that until
a DU conversation brought it up and i registered democratic like my
views since 82.

So, hmmm, i thank LSD, Richard Alpert- Ram Das, Stewart Emery and
Rama- Dr. Frederick Lenz for their profound guidance in awakening.

[deadparrot]

60. Age five.

Saw Governor John Ashcroft on TV. Scared the holy hell outta me.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

62. Marine boot camp. Summer 1961.

In one of those "Why We Fight" lectures, a square jawed, poster-boy, Captain told us adolescents that we should be ready to kill Cubans (the enemy flavor of the week) because Castro was a commie and had a dirty beard.

Even then, I was a nascent socialist and kind of liked Fidel (as opposed to Batista) and thought that killing people that overthrew corrupt, murderous dictators, posed no danger to our country (I was an ignorant adolescent and believed "patriotism" was a valid emotion) and had beards was a pretty thin rationale for murder.

The Marine Crotch was a great teacher on the way the military is used to back up politicians and corporations with brute force in the name of "defense".

[Cats Against Frist]

63. Nonwestern Politics -- Dr. Nassar, 1994

This would give David Horowitz wet dreams. My perspective of America and the world changed, when I took a "Nonwestern Politics" class, from a Middle-Easterner.

Thing was -- he had converted to Christianity. At any rate, he opened up a lot of eyes in that room, and does so, every year. Introduced me to Michael Parenti, told the stories of Allende, Mossadegh, the El Nino Famines, European Imperialism, the Decimation of the Americas.

IMHO, the good Dr. is an American Hero.

My second awakening came last April, when I changed from a state socialist, into a (liberal) libertarian. The catalyst? Why, right-wing authoritarianism, of course, and the religious right.

***on edit: I should make clear that I was never a Republican, but always a Democrat. However, I was raised by centrist, Yellow Dog, pro-union, racist, homophobic, jingoistic Democrats. I consider my awakening in 1994, to be my awakening to true liberalism.

[rabbit2484]

64. "Shock and Awe"

I am 24 and have two little girls and I couldn't imagine what the children of Iraq were going through. Then I wanted to find real news about what was going on. I stumbled upon the hereinreality website and they had a breaking news link which led me to DU. I've had two DU tabs on my home page ever since.

Although I'd never followed politics, I probably voted for * if I had voted in 2000 just because my family was pretty republican. I must thank everyone here for informing me. I now often email my senators and inform others what is really going on. My brother and I even turned our parents into to democrats.

Thank you everyone for making me a better human.

[RetroLounge]

65. I have always been a Democrat

although I voted independent in 1980, but I don't remember why. I come from a blue-collar Dem family, father was a union printer, his father was a union printer, other relatives were railroad workers, truck drivers, etc.

Better question is how did my two brothers turn repuke? Hope they have an awakening soon...

RL