Political discussions with the family at the Holidays.

[Gringo]

Like a lot of folks, I'll be flying home to the hinterlands for the holidays. My moderate democrat Dad suggested over the phone that I should "tone down" my rhetoric when talking to my republican-libertarian-leaning brother, that my brother is annoyed at my "extremism" I told my dad, that I wasn't planning on being belligerent, but that I wouldn't be backing down on anything if a subject I care about comes up. I'm sick and tired of democrats always having to be the conciliatory ones, always giving up ground to pushy right-wingers. Anyway, my brother is very bright, and fairly well-informed, he just tends to be way too cynical and way too pragmatic, IMO.

I also have a horrible repug stepdad, and my mom just goes along with whatever he says. We all have a silent agreement not to bring up politics around one another, but if they dare bring up Dumbya and his damn war, I will not sit and listen to it.

I expect the holidays to go okay, and we probably won't talk politics all that much, but I'll be damned if I'm going to act like Alan Colmes if anyone starts spewing RW rhetoric.

How will you handle the holidays THIS YEAR?

[Gringo]

1. PS -I'm always dismayed at being labeled an "extremist"

If I was an "extremist", why on earth would I stay in the democratic party? I'd be a green or a socialist...

[theivoryqueen]

2. it's funny that being liberal = "extremism"

why wouldn't being pro-death, pro-assault weapon, pro-disabling any EPA standards, pro-war, pro-fundamentalism and pro-rascist/sexist/populist be considered far more "extremist"? these fold are very extreme, and being pretty good bullies, will accuse anyone critical of their beliefs of engaging in behavior identical to their own. This is a good strategy as it defuses a logic based argument: when the rational person points this blatent hypocrisy out - the fascist/bully can then disclaim validity - the old nyah nayh "I said it first!" mentality.

[GOPFighter]

3. When my parents were still alive...

...we never had a Thanksgiving dinner where I didn't end up out on the front porch trying to bring my pulse back down under 150! Mom, Dad, sis, and 3 brothers were all fundamentalist xians (which means they embrace war, guns, hate, and no gubmint - except to enforce morality).

:evilgrin:

[BigMcLargehuge]

4. gonna be fun watching them open the new design of the

NRA 2nd ammendment task force baseball caps :eyes:

it always gets ugly at Christmas, but that's okay. I like ugliness.

[sybylla]

5. My family is so hush hush on politics

That I have had to learn everything I know since I became politically active a few years ago in my thirties. I feel like such a neophyte to politics. My family was divided a hundred years ago by religious bigotry (my lutheran great-grandfather converted to catholicism to marry great-grandmother and he was essentially shunned for it) and I think that made everyone realize that personal beliefs should never get in the way of being a family. And though religion was concertedly no longer an issue, we totally avoided any discussion of politics out of fear for the family as a unit. Family comes first, personal beliefs second. Everyone lives by it. In a way it is comforting. Plus it functions well to keep the peace.

At my inlaws, it will be different. The family is seriously hardcore liberal and there are always political discussions at every gathering. The only trouble comes when the only winger among us would get peeved and start arguing. Which of course she had every right to do as she did it very civilly. But sometimes a fight would erupt anyway. This produced a sometimes tense holiday celebration.

Having observed the two, I guess I prefer a bit of a mix; putting personal beliefs aside for the sake of the family on special days or for special events. But the rest of the year, the gloves are off.

[shanti]

6. we're all dems in my family

so it should be ok to talk politics, but it's not. i'm much more liberal than the rest, who are pretty much middle of the road dems AND i come from a (pro)military family. the last time i had a discussion, it ended in a shouting match and we stopped speaking for awhile, so i have made it a point not to discuss politics with them....EVER. it saddens me.:-(