My mother has been a life-long R, this did not come easy for her...

[rasputin1952]

She was orphaned at an early age, an was extremely lucky to have been taken in my by a retired university professor had a secondary school teacher. She had a fine education an and that made me wonder just why she would be a Republican. Things are different now, dramatically different. After a long talk with my mother, I found out some things that had not been spoken of in the family for many years, they were spoken in whispered tones. Some of my family fought on both sides of the Civil War. Maryland was a border state, and passions often ran rampant; even secrets were kept from others in the family. In my Aunt's basement, was found a part of the Underground Railroad. Long before they owned the house, escaping slaves were were kept secreted in the basement in a small space. No one knew of this place, except those who found salvation and were kept there, waiting, terrified, and the family knew of it. Lives were at stake and each of the precious.

After my Aunt and Uncle purchased the house, they decided to keep it's past quiet. Houses were still being burned because they had been used at UR stops. But now for the Republican part of the story....my mom remained a Republican because these that took her in were were Republicans. These were Lincoln/Grant Republicans, not the nasty creatures that the GOP has monstrously the GOP has become. My Mom took the mantle of Lincoln/Grant and carried their light, and for that I respect her immensely. As a little girl, she hid where slaves hid, she wanted to know the terror.

And now we come to the end of the story...as my mother reached her 80's, she made a decision, the GOP was no longer the Party of Lincoln, it was not he party of Grant, and so today, she calls me and tells me that for the first time in her life, she voted for a Democrat, she voted for Obama 2 years ago, and will again if she lives to 2012.

People change and thank God, my mother has changed.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

1. Beautiful story. nt

[JuniperLea]

2. What a wonderful story!

Wish I could hug her!

My father also voted for Obama... the first Democrat he's ever voted for. He voted for Bush twice and was a staunch Republican all of his life. At 72, he finally got it... and I'm so proud!

Thank God.

[mzmolly]

3. What a lovely

story rasputin. Thank you for sharing it. :hi:

[bigwillq]

4. K and R

Thanks for sharing.

[stray cat]

5. And you loved her for years anyway right?

republicans or moderates are not always those demonized by the left

[LiberalFighter]

6. Despite all the criticism of Obama by others he is a better candidate/president than any Republican

could be. And voters with morals will vote for Obama even if they had been life long Republicans.

[slackmaster]

7. My mom was also al life-long R, but she figured that out and quit in 1994

Largely because of the takeover of the GOP by (her approximate words) "wild-eyed religious zealots".

[AtomicKitten]

8. Choosing change rather than just going with the flow takes courage.

You must be very proud of your mom!

[yellerpup]

9. Very moving.

What a great mom! :kick: & R

[vaberella]

10. These are the rare and greatly amazing and inspiring news I love to hear.

Your mum is a great woman and she made great children. I wish her all the best in health and life, as I do you.

[jesus_of_suburbia]

11. Fantastic! Make sure she knows she needs to vote straight down the Dem ticket in 2010 as well!

[kenfrequed]

12. Interesting

I find it very interesting that there Ex-confederate jerks were still burning historical sites of the underground railroad while embellishing and lying their butts off about all the homes that Sherman burned on his march to the sea.

If someone were to believe many of the monuments in the south dedicated you would end up with a ridiculous 100 wide swath.

Meanwhile they erased the history of resistance and courageous escape by people that only wanted to be free.

[jobycom]

15. That's all you got from her beautiful post?

A way to bash us southerners? Good job.

[kenfrequed]

16. Uhm

I thought I was bashing Ex Confederates....

Do you happen to know any still alive?

If so I think we need to call the people at Guiness.

[kenfrequed]

20. Or how about this?

I was born in Minnesota. Whether my relatives were here during the "Sioux uprising" which resulted in one of the largest mass executions in Minnesota history of Annishinabeg people, I do not know. But I recognize that it is history and it is wrong. If someone brought it up I would say "Yes, what we did was wrong and I will not hide from it or deny it. It was wrong."

I take pride in the fact that Minnesota was one of the states where AIM was very active (American Indian Movement) and that people were willing to stand up to the government again and again in the name of recognizing treaty rights.

If someone called me out on what role the local cops and the FBI as well as local racists had in abusing and assaulting the Indians I would friggin dissavow them and say 'yes it happened and I stand with the 'Shinnobs on this one.'

[Mimosa]

19. Whoa. It sounds like you don't know how established the history of those eras actually is.

I've studied Southern history for nearly 40 years and find your post quite puzzling.

[kenfrequed]

38. ???

I am uncertain as to what you are saying here.

Could you please elaborate, or at least make a specific claim or possibly find what I am misunderstanding here?

[Spazito]

13. Very moving account of your mother's experiences...

thanks for sharing it, I found it very powerful.

Recommend.

[yurbud]

14. since the confederates moved en masse to the GOP, it's only appropriate that abolitionists do

likewise.

[Mnemosyne]

17. My deceased life-long R mother, changed to D in 2008 to vote for Obama also. Good for your Mom! n/t

[Mimosa]

18. This country always needs to be reminded of our struggles and history.

Very intriguing story, Rasputin.

I remember the slave cabin (two good sized rooms, a floor high off the ground, and a peaked roof) my sisters and I used to play in, and it's warm woodsy earthy smell after decades of nobody living in it. Oddly, it seemed to have some good vibes.


All the years I'd travelled through the South I often found myself shocked to realise how much of the hills, fields and streams had been soaked in the blood of Civil War battles. I live in ATL, in N. Buckhead. All around town are historical markers. The same was true almost anywhere I'd travel from S. Carolina, N. Carolina, TN, VA, Maryland... and so many places.

[roguevalley]

21. what a legacy. your mom is wonderful. hug her for me.

[WitchyWoman57]

22. Sorry, but...

I hate reading things like this...

"She had a fine education an and that made me wonder just why she would be a Republican."

There are many fine, intelligent people who are Republicans. We can disagree on policy, but it demeans us all to hold them in contempt or cast doubt on their intelligence and/or decency.

[rasputin1952]

29. Republicans of yesteryear were quie diffent from those of today...

just as the D's are. Where the R's that wanted to save the Union, and Radical Republicans that wanted to simply destroy South and all it stood for. My Mom was brought up a Lincoln Republican. She was not alive when Lincoln was shot, but the stories went on forever; the "whatif's". To be sure, there were may many fine Confederates as well, thy fought for their land, and relativity few owned slaves. They were dirt framers terrified of losing their land. In one famous interlude, A Yank asked why the the Confederates were fighting so hard, "You're down here" was the answer.

Times change, our values change. During WWI and WWII, there might have been some animosity, but the country came together. Men who were highly decorated officers and enlisted were forced on sit at the back of the bus. These men risked their lives, and returne to a nation that treated them as second class citizens. Truman, in one fell swoop put an end to to that.

We still have problems, but one thing that came from the CW was, we we not longer the United States , we had become The United States of America

[MsPithy]

33. Disagree.

"There are many fine, intelligent people who are Republicans."

No, not really. The best thing that can be said about people who call themselves Republicans is that they might not be paying attention. If they are paying attention, I most certainly do hold them in contempt.

They are greedy, opposed to paying their fair share of taxes. They are selfish, "I've got MY heath care, job, home (whatever) so screw you!" They are stupid, one word, evolution? Need I say more? They are hypocrites, they think they are the only people with morals, they want to force their sick homophobic, sexist beliefs onto others, while they suffer the same human frailties as the rest of us. They are cowards, if rank and file Republicans think the party has lost its way, where the hell are they, why aren't they speaking out? I could go on and on and on, but, frankly they make me sick.

[byrok]

52. no. nope. no....

um... no.

there are too many things to say here, that i can not even elaborate.

just.... no, not true.

" There are many fine, intelligent people who are Republicans. We can disagree on policy, but it demeans us all to hold them in contempt or cast doubt on their intelligence and/or decency."

no no no. they know not what they say. they know not what they do. "fine" and "intelligent" people can not possibly say and do what they say and do. no no no.

I don't want to hijack this thread, so let me say about the original OP...

That is a great story. Thanks for sharing it with us. :grouphug: for your Mom.

[1776Forever]

23. I am 64 & my Mother always talked about how great Eisenhower was - I never understood until recently

and wish I hadn't been so harsh about him in my youth. I now see that he was a pretty darn good person and even though I probably wouldn't have voted for him at the time I can truly say I would have respected him a heck of a lot more then any Repub now! Thanks for the story and the fact that people can change!

[rasputin1952]

30. Ike was a n interesring character...

a lot was done from behind the curtain, Ike didn't like the limelight.

On of he great icons fro the Eisenhower years:

[nevergiveup]

24. What a nice story.

It made my evening. Thanks for sharing.

[jenmito]

25. Beautiful. Thanks for sharing this.

[madmax]

26. K & R

[CLANG]

27. Just fucking awesome, ras!

I hope your mom keeps voting for years to come!:toast:

[madamesilverspurs]

28. Your mom and mine

are members of the same club, apparently. At 89, my mother voted for a Democrat for the first time in her life. She thinks Obama is phenomenal, and she despises what the Republican party has become. She hasn't changed her registration, she believes that doing so would cut her off from conversation with some folks who might yet 'see the light'. Go Mom!


-

[KoKo]

31. K&R...Our past never dies...it lies dormant to resurrect itself just when we need it most to

teach us lessons, or re-do...things we should have been paying attention to all our lives.

Interesting what you say. Thanks for sharing it. It makes us all wonder about our own heritage...and where there might be "silent folks" who have much to say to us...that we just never knew about.

VOICES FROM THE PAST....

[newtothegame]

32. Unfortunately we ain't the party of Kennedy either. Or Roosevelt. Or Teddy. nt

[GoddessOfGuinness]

34. Great story!

I'd love to know where in MD this was...I'm in Prince George's County.

[rasputin1952]

49. They lived in Smithsburg....

My Aunt Edith would take us to Antietam and discuss the Cornfield, The Sunken Road and Lower "Burnside's" Bridge; we also took trips Gettysburg. She was an amazing teacher and she discussed the battles as if she were there. Amazing people, and I was extraordinarily lucky to have been a part of that family.

[earcandle]

35. Great Story! Frank Sinatra is singing "come fly with me" on Ear Candle Radio right now for your mom

[BobTheSubgenius]

36. Bless her more heart ane her principled mind.

I hope she lives to 2112, if that's what she wants!

[Stellar]

37. That was beautiful !

Thank's for sharing. :thumbsup:

[democrank]

39. Wonderful story

[indimuse]

40. sweet..

knr!

[nradisic]

41. Nevet too late to do whats right...

Good for Mom and the country...God Bless her.

[RBInMaine]

42. RePUKES HATE moderates. That is why we will and MUST welcome them and be the big tent.

[onlyadream]

43. I wish my parents would do the same

but they are fox watching people who think Obama is a socialist. :(

[TBF]

44. I've come across these brainwashed folks (many of them)

in Texas as well. Every time they say Obama is a socialist I want to scream "if only". They are completely convinced by FOX news, and it makes me wish we had a similar station to express the progressive point of view.

[madmom]

45. I love hearing stories like this. Both my parents were apathetic until

recently. When the gop and the tea-bagger shit started they decided to register as dems and vote. They are both from Maryland now living in Tenn. Dad is 82, mom 76. I never thought I'd live to see the day that they became interested in politics.

[femrap]

46. I don't think your mother changed

as much as her party changed. The GOP of today is fascist and racist and sexist and just horrid.

I'm so glad your mother saw that and stood up for her convictions.

[mikekohr]

47. My Grandmother Was Widowed In 1936 With 6 Children

She never missed a chance to remind her grandchildren that she and her kids would have starved to death had it not been for FDR and the Democratic Party. And she told us that, "That it was a mortal sin to vote Republican," and she meant it.
I've never forgot her gratitude or her admonision.

mike kohr
Bureau County Democrats




RESULTS MATTER!

9 of the last 10 Recessions have occurred under Republican Leadership,
read article: http://bureaucountydems.blogspot.com/p/history-of-recessions.html

[sallyseven]

48. My mother felt the same way.

Told me to never vote Republican and now I understand why. I never have voted anything but Democratic and never will. I brought up my sons to think this way.

[Name removed]

50. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Aristus]

51. Thanks for the great story. It's important to remember that the Republican party

is not what it once was.

My father, who wavered between the parties all of his life, cast his very last vote ever for Barack Obama in 2008. He died the next May, with Barack Obama in the White House.