Why can't I talk to my older relatives

[staticstopper]

and friends (the ones who are not comfortable with computers) about political affairs?

I can't bring up tons of points and references so I have begun to not even bother.

I knows it's because they get NONE of the news we get via the internet...but I'm just so sick of it!

I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to....ah forget it.

:argh:

[Dunvegan]

1. Print out short points...

...and slip it in their TV Guides?

[staticstopper]

3. no home printer right now, but thanks

Wish I had the money for printing.

Plus there seems to be much less authority without it coming out of the mouth of Wolf Blitzer types.

[MADem]

2. Start out by telling them what you KNOW is gonna be reported

Go with the mainstream stories that take a few days to a week to make it to the Tee Vee screen. Over time, they will think you are a friken genius, and be more likely to listen when you speak!

[staticstopper]

5. Good idea

Even my hard-core Christian Right grandparents are getting sick of backing this guy...my granddad says "you can't shove Democracy down people throats" and my grandma says "we need to get Democrats in to lower all these high prices" (I feel *'s numbers are lower than what is being reported, if they even distrust him) when they say things like this I wish so bad I could talk to them about what Juan Coles just said or what Paul Krugman said...

[Kindigger]

11. That's my experience also

My parents have to calm me down when I show up, and start getting all hyper about something that's breaking. Even though they eat a steady diet of MSNBC, Faux, and CNN they already know what's really going on. I swear they watch the "news", take the "down is up" and automatically turn it over. They're like animals that sense a storm in advance. They never cease to amaze me.

I've found a lot of elderly people like that, and I usually stop with the particulars when I find they understand the basics. It must come with wisdom and age.

[staticstopper]

14. That must be cool

I've needed that and get mostly rants against the "ACLU" lol

But sometimes we can joke about how I have to leave the room when someone just has to watch FOX.

[Journeyman]

4. We all have this problem. . .

even those of us who are the older relatives. What I find best is to not try to convert anyone in one conversation. Have a specific point you want to get across, try to make it something that will lead to the listener questioning other beliefs if you convince them of this one, and do your best to keep it lighthearted and upbeat. Jokes are good. Tell 'em if you got 'em.

You'll find, as time goes on and you're able to keep control of your emotions while continuously educating others, that though you may not be able to convince them of your point, they may become willing to accept that you have a valid opinion, something worthy of listening to as well as worthy of their respect.

And above everything, keep on loving them. The love of your family will outlast George W.

[staticstopper]

6. Good advise

I do take it easy with them partly because I can sort of understand them liking * since they are fundamentalist/evangleican Christian (non-religious supporters boggle my mind) and plus I normally don't like to talk politics with family, but the time are a changing.

[staticstopper]

7. I guess I should not

single out just my older love ones, I have young ones too who are not comfortable yet with the internet, but seeing my elders not having the same access to this info is extra frustrating to me for some reason...maybe it's because I feel they could do more about it than most of us.

The big media is doing such a poor job! I think it's getting sort of scary
I wish I could understand why it's like this. I used to love watching the news, now it's just heart rending. All the fearmongering and misplaced hyping.

[Maddy McCall]

10. Give your elders credit for the kind of wisdom that the internet cannot...

bestow.

[Maddy McCall]

9. "The love of your family will outlast George W."

Best advice in this whole thread. Sometimes families and politics just don't mix. I've often been saddened when reading DU about the many DUers who have dumped family members over political battles.

I have Republican and Democratic family members. If it looks like a topic that will bring about a familial skirmish, I just don't bring it up.

I've never understood the obsession that drives some DUers to first attempt to convent family members and later decide never to speak to them again. It's just stupid.

I love my family, and I'm not about to divorce myself from any of them just because they don't see eye-to-eye with me, politically. I can't imagine how much it would hurt if a family member decided never to speak to me again over politics.

There's so much more to my family relationships than politics...and I will not wager all of the other just for a gamble that I might be able to convert someone who would no more want to be converted than I would.

[staticstopper]

13. Yes, indeed

but I just want to talk to them...they have great insight but it's like we are on two diff planets.

[fasttense]

8. I got my Mom a subscription to Mother Jones Magazine

She use to get it when she was younger. She's been a liberal all her life but maybe they would actually read it before they threw it away.

[izzie]

12. Well I am one of the older ones and you can talk to me.

You just have to keep up with things and I do hate to miss anything. I was late getting on a PC but I had a husband that would not have one in the house and it almost drove me nuts. I once was part owner of a business and we were on a PC in the early 80's so I knew I wished to have one at home. I will tell you that I do not know any of the new movie stars. That I just can not keep up with. Give me a name and I would just give you a blank look.

[staticstopper]

15. Me too!

:)

[sirjohn]

16. Actually, you can consider it a great test...

of your ability to communicate your core principals directly, in your own words, without relying on the daily news stream. And maybe it will help you if you can express them in a language your relatives can understand - you probably have things in common with them, perhaps more than you know, which you might find out as you listen to them. You only really influence people around you by who you are (rather than what you know) and the way you live. Being respected for your personal qualities will help you advance your core beliefs. Being in a rage ("mad as hell") is counterproductive.

[SheilaT]

17. Perhaps you can try to get them

more comfortable with internet sources of information. Show them how to find good information. Here's an EXCELLENT url that links to many good sources. Only DU is not on that list. http://home.everestkc.net/geof.newman/

As someone else said, printing out various snippets, or entire articles, is a good idea. My husband prints out lots of stuff for me from websites he knows I don't go to.

Also, if Democracy Now is broadcast where you are, try to get them to start listening to it regularly.

And even listening only to MSM doesn't necessarily mean a person won't figure out what's really going on. A year or so back we were visiting a distant relative in NYC, and she didn't do internet, didn't do anything but MSM and she was fully aware of who truly awful Bush and his cabal are. It's not all that difficult to figure out we're being lied to by the administration on a daily basis.

[salin]

18. Funny thing happened to me recently

one of those who didn't like to listen - has started asking me a few questions for 'more background'. Keep gathering the information - let them know you have it - and that if/when they are interested print stuff up for them. For the biggest impact, use mainstream news coverage of stories. For years most of the news has been out there - just in very discreet chunks at different news sources - so a reader of a single news source (say, the Chicago Trib, the LA Times or the Washington Post) will not have read the full coverage. So as stories of interest pile up - print up items published in these mainstream sources (generally you can piece together most of the stories by going across major news sources). When asked - and over time more and more folks are starting to wonder 'what the heck is going on... something isn't right' and starting to ask - be ready.

[No Exit]

19. Don't worry... the new "medicare prescription drug plan" may just

do your talking for you, very soon.

I keep hearing that all the elderly people are up in arms about it. I know for a fact that even my republican-leaning friends who are in their 70's are mad about it. I'm thinking that very soon, they won't be leaning quite as strongly towards republicans. Because there is no one to blame for this travesty but republicans.

[spooky3]

20. unfortunately, some benefit at the rest of the taxpayers' expense

My parents (fundies) say they will save $2000 on this new plan, which is not surprising since it is costing taxpayers a fortune--someone besides the pharmaceuticals will benefit at least a little. So of course they credit * with this.

[No Exit]

21. I'll be darned

You mean one of those plans is actually working... helping the people it purports to benefit??

Someone in the Bush rape-and-pillage machine must've slipped up!:)