I've said this before to people on FR who lament that their children have been apparently brainwashed by the left and are lost in the liberal wilderness, perhaps never to return.
Don't give up on them.
My dad never gave up on me. He was a two-tour Vietnam vet and a republican, as were his parents. For the usual, messed up reasons, I became the worst possible rebel-- buddhist, socialist, vegetarian, hippy, poet-- a total goofball.
My dad and I would argue like crazy about politics (around the time of the Reagan era). I'd scream, rant and rave and protest-- saying things ought to be fair and equal. Big companies were killing the worker, polluting the environment, blah, blah, blah.
In every single one of those heated arguments, my dad calmly, rationally and methodically articulated the other point of view. He cited historical examples and gave facts.
It took about a decade for his work to seep in. I left home and moved far away and set up my own life, but his ideas stayed with me. It was like a seed that was planted and eventually germinated.
I was well on my way toward a more conservative ideology by the time of 9/11, but I think 9/11 cemented my course.
I have my dad and a few others to thank for my awakening-- namely my neighbor Rick, also a Vietnam Vet, a Marine, who challenged me in uncountable over-over-the-fence tet-a-tet's.
Rick and I go to gun shows and the shooting range together now and are good friends.
My dad is gone now, and I miss him more that anyone can possibly imagine. In a way I lament the fact that he might have dies not knowing that his found his way out of the wilderness.
Wonderful story. I lost my dad about 27 years ago, and I still miss him.
sorry- that last sentence should be:
"In a way I lament the fact that he might have died not knowing that his SON found his way out of the wilderness."
And, yes, I am a guy--despite my tagline. I just thought that New Zealand chick's message was too awesome not to honor with repeated use.