Oh No, not MY mom...

[CommandoFrank]

After lurking for years, I am finally submitting my first post. My liberal Bush hating Mother wrote me this letter. Help...

[WhiteGuy]

If Frank was here, I'd add that little slap to the back of the head........



(you remember, the smack that used to happen to us everytime our Dads were about to say something......)

[backhoe]

Frank, welcome- and while your Mom's arguments can be refuted point by point ( others here will help with this ) the underlying cause is that she is mis/ill/uninformed.

The cure for that is better info... maybe you could start her out on a libertarian forum and then get her over here?

[Atlas Sneezed]

Your Mom is operating on irrational emotion. Your letter is based on reason, and won't do any good.

You shouldn't tell Mom to "deal with it" (reality, that is.) She has already demonstrated that she can't. What you Mom needs to know is that this issue won't tear you apart from her (you need to be the grownup, and treat her with the sensitivity that you would a child.)

You might reply sensitively:

"Dear Mom,"

"One of the reasons I am grateful to have you for a mother is because you taught me to think for myself. I hope that you can feel proud of me when I do that, even when it leads us to disagree."

"I want to be sure I understand the principles that lead you to your views. Do you think it was wrong for the U.S. to bomb occupied France in WWII, knowing that innocent citizens would die and the country's infrastructure wouold be destroyed? Was it wrong to have bombed Nazi munitions factories, knowing that thousands of civilian and slave workers who were oppressed by Nazism would die in the process?"

"Do you think that there is ever a time when a nation can or should morally attack another nation? To stop genocide? To restore democracy? To prevent opression of women?"

"Thank you for sharing your views with me."

"Love, your son."

(Note that the letter says not one word about what YOU think, nor is it pushing her to accept your views.)

[TC Rider]

Have you checked to see if there is a 'FranksMom' registered over at DU?

[Terry Mross]

You have two options: Give it up and stop discussing it with her or write her off. You're never going to convince her otherwise because she does not have the ability to think on her own. She's pissed 'cause "The Supreme Court Selected Bush" and therefore hates everything he does. She is brainwashed and only believes what "her side" tells her and she then repeats it.

I have relatives I'm no longer speaking to and one friend was written off with "I don't want to talk to you anymore" right after the election. And I haven't spoken to her since. I firmly believe "you are either with me or against me".

[SquirrelKing]

Ouch. What kind of day and age do we live in where sons FReep their mommies?

OK. Here's an answer: Dear Mom. You are wrong. Get bent. Do you want a fancy, private nursing home or a crappy government-funded one? Your loving son.

[ImProudToBeAnAmerican]

Don't blame your mom...alot of people develop these options from watching CNN and Peter Jennings and Dan Blather...

[dakine]

Dear Mom. You are wrong. Get bent. Do you want a fancy, private nursing home or a crappy government-funded one? Your loving son.

hahahahaha.....Well said!

[jeeperz]

Commando Frank:

After many years of lurking - your post finally pushed me over the top to sign on - I think the letter your mother wrote was almost identical to one mine may have written to me. While I have tried to better inform my parents - there is no way - Hey they love Clinton - does that say it all? Anyhow, Frank - I think you may be my "adopted" brother.

[Inspectorette]

Welcome to Free Republic - you're gonna like it here.

Great response to your mom. I just hope that this disagreement is not one that is going to be damaging to your relationship with her.

As far as her not wanting to talk about it any more, I feel that way about my adult daughter, who has the same viewpoints as your mom. I just don't want to hear anything more that she has to say about it, because what's the use of arguing? She's not going to change her opinion, nor am I.

Funny - I only have two children - the liberal older daughter, and the younger daughter, a proud military wife who fully supports our President and this effort.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

If you wish to continue to have any sort of civil relationship with your mother...you're better off avoiding politics in general and GWB specifically. You are not going to change her mind and she is not going to change yours.

Since it's your mother, it's not about right or wrong...it's about getting along

[Between the Lines]

This would get her attention:

Dear Mom,

I believe so much in my convictions that I have signed up for infantry duty in the US Army. If one of those 75,000 body bags is meant for me, then so be it. I am willing to die for what I believe is right.

Love,

Your Son

[AppyPappy]

Uhhh...she didn't write to him because she didn't want to discuss it. She wrote to him because she did. Her "I don't want to talk about it" was just a way of saying "Dear son,

I don't know why I think this way so don't make me defend it. I just watch the news and vomit back what I am told. When you refute what I have been told, it makes me confused because I really want to believe my TV. My TV makes me feel smart by telling me the right way to think. All my friends think this way so it must be right. All these facts and figures you mention are just evidence which is worthless compared to a really good sound bite. You were really intelligent when you were 8, why can't you be that way again? Be a good boy and start believing your TV. It's not bad really. It's just like going to sleep.

Dr Phil says I love you,
Mom".

[Under the Radar]

What a amazingly well-wriiten and well-researched response. My hat is off to you, sir.

[AppyPappy]

My mom thinks the same way. She thinks James Carville is the Savior of the Nation.

[cynicom]

I go with you must have been adopted.

[T Minus Four]

Frank! My long lost brother!

Well if you're not, you could be. This is exactly the sort of letter my hopelessly liberal parents would write me. They too love to employ the tactic of spewing their views at me and then slamming the door shut and refusing to listen to mine.

[Core_Conservative]

Awesome response! I couldn't have said it better myself!

[jeeperz]

That is what CNN 24/7 has done to their brains. They see nothing wrong in Clinton's behavior or Carville's rants. Questioning them about their views leaves us as the enemy. After Tyson lost his fight a few months ago he said he was going to "bolivian" ...maybe they will join him.

[finnman69]

I am going through the same thing with my sister and after lots of personal insults towards me and my family I am not speaking with her until she apoplogizes.