This Thanksgiving, let's give thanks where it's due......

[senseandsensibility]

Just like Wes Clark, I'm happy to proclaim that I'm a liberal. I'm actually proud of it. I am in awe of the liberals that came before me. Thanks to them, we have social security, the forty hour work week, the vote for women, reproductive choice and family planning, civil rights, medicare, overtime pay, free public education, and so much more. These are things to be proud of,and yes, thankful for, as we approach Thanksgiving.

Now, I may need a shot of courage to do what I've planned next, but maybe the thought of the fearless liberals who came before me will give me inspiration. You see, I'm a proud liberal, but I come from a solid republican family. And this Thanksgiving, before they can even start in with the gloating about the election (would they dare?), I plan to point out a few things to my loved ones. My parents both retired early from government jobs, with healthy pensions. They enjoy medicare and social security benefits. They aren't financially responsible for my elderly grandmother because of her social security and medicare benefits. Everything, literally everything, they have financially they owe to liberal socially progressive policy. I am going to suggest that this Thanksgiving, they give thanks to the Democratic Party and to liberalism, and then I'm going to watch the fur fly. Anyone care to do the same this Thanksgiving?

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[Ekirh]

1. I too come from a entirely Republican family.

A very religious right Republican family. My Cousin is coming down to join us this year.. and it's her turn for the family prayer, she had claimed she was going to Thank God for the re-election of George W. Bush and forgiveness for those who oppose him. I pretty much inform my Grandma (Where the dinner is held) I will not attend Thanksgiving if said prayer was included. Basically politics will be banned from the table this year, since my Grandma doesn't want me to not show up.

Me and my Cousin for the most part get along, up until the day I found out she was a Republican and I told her I thought she had higher standards than that. So basically, if she does try to put George Bush in prayer, I might just do what you have suggest.

[senseandsensibility]

4. Let's hope your family keeps their promise

A prayer such as you describe would send me over the edge! I think it's time we liberals started standing up for ourselves!

[Ekirh]

5. I know...

My Grandma attends to keep her end of the bargain of no politics at the table. Heck me and her had a no gloat agreement (that she stuck to) on who wins the election. (My parents gave me one of those "sorry things didn't go your way type messages". So I believe she means to keep to her word.

Doesn't mean everyone else will go along.

[newyawker99]

7. Hi Ekirh!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[janx]

13. A blown opportunity! You should have let her say the prayer

and then reminded her why the Pilgrims came here in the first place!

;-)

(Separation of Church and State!)

[carpediem]

2. take this with you...

it's great.

http://www.canadiandemocraticmovement.ca/displayarticle481.html

A Day in the Life of Joe Republican

Joe gets up at 6 a.m. and fills his coffeepot with water to prepare his morning coffee. The water is clean and good because some tree-hugging liberal fought for minimum water-quality standards.

With his first swallow of water, he takes his daily medication. His medications are safe to take because some stupid commie liberal fought to ensure their safety and that they work as advertised.

All but $10 of his medications are paid for by his employer's medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance - now Joe gets it too.

He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs. Joe's bacon is safe to eat because some girly-man liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.

... more at link.

[senseandsensibility]

3. Yes!

I've read that before. Perfect!

[nashville_brook]

6. heck yeah!

all the best revolutions start with food. :)

this thanksgiving is a good start, and i'm going to keep the kettle burning by having monthly pot lucks. it's something we did in college and really kept our group together.

[Dem2theMax]

8. I'm with all Dems, thank God. But I do have a suggestion.

Actually, it's more of a plea.

FILM the whole thing and share it on here. LOL.
I imagine a LOT of people are going to need a few laughs after turkey day.

Good luck no matter what you do! :thumbsup:

[callous taoboy]

9. I'm boycotting family Thanksgiving:

Not that there will be any political discussion as a whole group (we usually break off into two groups and quietly bitch about politics).
I just don't have it in me. Both of my brothers used to be ultr-liberal, free thinkers but the lure of 6 figure salaries changed that very quickly. Plus, I'm a teacher and feel just a bit betrayed in light of the fact that most of the group voted bush despite what they hear me telling them about the devestating effect of NCLB.

Any one else really tired of sticking to topics like the weather and landscaping and sports when talking to the kool-aide set?

[proud_Kucitizen]

10. definitely

We did our Thanksgiving dinner early with the in-laws mostly because I knew that would exclude a portion of the fascist mindnumbies. But of course, since you can't really say what you really want to say or talk politics it's all trivial mindless talk about themselves. I say who cares. Anyway, after we left I told my husband that I hate these get togethers for the very fact of these types of conversations and I didn't exclude my own family either.

Then today I got an e-mail from my mother in law with a prayer "I hope this will be our walk" it included a stupid little prayer and a picture of a stairway to the clouds. I sent her a reply saying I'm not really concerned about my walk right now, I'm more concerned about my kids walk if/when they get drafted. I included a whole lot more of my feelings about this stupid election and Bush that was taboo at the dinner this weekend.

[callous taoboy]

11. Last time my folks were out

to visit my step-mom left me with some piece from National Review that basically stated that liberals love hearing that our soldiers are getting blown up in Iraq. That was over a year ago and they haven't been invited back.

I've started doing things like leaving little "God Bless" gushes on my answering machine and as a closer to e-mails to my RW family members. I signed up one brother to receive Jerry Falwell's newsletter. Next time they call I plan to engage them in a spirited debate over the merits of shag carpeting and why it needs to make a come back. They deserve as much.

[senseandsensibility]

12. Shag carpeting?

That's hilarious. My parents actually have shag carpeting too, so maybe we can kill fifteen minutes talking about that. :P