Posted on 11/10/2004 10:19:30 AM PST by Agitate
Both my parents have become kool-aid drinking liberals. They used to be more conservative in their thinking and values (pro-life, no entitlements, etc.). They also encouraged their children to debate and discuss issues. Then they both retired. Now their opinions are formed by constant exposure to CNN and the Boston Globe. (Clinton is a god/Bush is a liar, abortion is the law, so it must be followed). In addition, they refuse to hear or discuss anything that is contrary to these opinions. This sad part is that all of their children, especially me, are conservatives. I am now the black sheep, since I am the only one that has admitted this fact and tried to show them the error of their ways. The hateful, ignorant invective these formerly intelligent people use sickens and depressed me. The Democrat party and its media/propaganda arm are the most insidious and dangerous force to infect this country since its founding. I can identify with your despair about your sister. The only way to bring her and my parents back is to fight these forces and expose them for the frauds and nazis that they are. Electing GWB and pariticipating in this forum are a good start, but we must do more.
You need to let this person go -- out of your life.
You can never pull a loser up; a loser will always drag you down.
This is the whole meaning and purpose of such a manifesto -- to blame you and drag you down. If you accept her terms, then you will be one of the countless victims in her life. That is the meaning of her existence. There are professionals and antidepression drugs for such people.
But you the living and the healthy, should pour all your energies into identifying and relating with life-affirming positive people who validate your own existence. There will inevitably be those that will undermine and subvert your confidence and goodwill in humanity and life -- but once you recognize them, keep them at arm's length and don't let them suck up any more of your time and energy than you can. You can't convert them to a happy outlook; they have to want to do it for themselves -- not demand that you and everybody else do it for them. And that is what she is demanding from you at this time.
A lot of the media types are of this personality profile. They require this kind of mass support and love -- which drives them into these high-profile positions of acceptance and influence. They'll do anything for attention -- including telling the vilest lies and deceptions. They get off on manipulating people. It is the "Iago" syndrome of William Shakespeare's classic, Othello. This guy has power by deceiving the king who really has power -- into destroying everything the king values and loves.
There is no upside to associations as these. You have to let these people prey on one another -- while you go on to have rewarding relationships with those capable of them and who desire and value these actualizations.
Your task is to live the best possible life you can imagine -- and avoiding the limitations of those who don't want that for you, or even themselves.
"Just heard from my son. Made me sick. He's for everything and for nothing. Can hardly believe that he's my son that I raised. Sad!"
Don't give up on him just yet. My dad was a pretty conservative republican and two-tour nam vet, but I'd have nothing to do with it. As an obvious act of rebellion I "became" a Buddhist, peace-activist, communist-- you name it. It must have DISGUSTED him!
Oddly, though we debated all the time, he never belittled me or berated me-- he always seemed to respect me, even though in looking back at it, my positions were virtually without merit or respect.
By the time I was in my mid 20's my views had softened substantially. By my early thirties I was a member of the Libertarian party. And this year is the first time I have voted for a republican president.
There is hope for everyone.
The worst they have been able to do us so far was send us another tape... So for right now, we are in the black.
It aint gonna work!
Your sister has Post Traumatic Election Stress Syndrome and needs professional help now.
Might I suggest a Clinic in Boca FL?
Since she's a young liberal, I'll bet she has a very short span of attention. That makes it tough, because you have to be able to make your points and shoot holes in her liberal illogic quickly and without complexity.
The Weekly Standard and Townhall are good places to aquire ammunition too.
Good luck. Converting liberals is hard work, but it can be done (particularly the young ones).
Thank you so much. Your words of encouragement give me hope.
>>Thanks, my heart goes out to you too, I can relate! My sister isn't gay but she's liberal, clueless and we don't see eye-to-eye about anything. We are nearly 17 years apart. <<
We are only eight years apart but I am much closer to her children than her. Her oldest was born when I was 15. Now her Grandchildren are actually my girls ages (I had my kids late after working to support the house my two sisters lived in an progressively destroyed)
The funniest part of my sisters is that they live their lies (i.e. my hubby abused me, I got a bad lot in life) forgetting that I was there while the curcumstances happened. I once sent the older one, who screams constantly that there are starving children in America, an article stating how rich our poor are. She sent back an email saying that I didn't understand. She had worked at a Catholic School earning 9,000 a year. (At the time I was earning 12,000 for 12 months of work), and her daughter would say, "Mommy, I'm hungry." I didn't understand what it was like to have your child say that.
I wrote back, "Steph was hungry and you bought Diet Coke and Salems instead of a 39 cent box of Macaroni and Cheese?!? Shame on you."
She just wrote back that I would never understand.
This is a September article from FactCheck.org putting the price at less than $120 billion
In a report sent to Congress at the request of Democrats, CBO put the total cost of "Operation Iraqi Freedom" at $93.7 billion. This probably a little old and does not include rebuilding cost.
I wouldn't argue with your sister too much on this. It comes down to whether it's worth it or not to fight the terrorists.
Be persistent in responding to her leftist emails, refuting them with fact. Be kind and show love in every one of your replies.
Smiley faces help.
Absurdity to illustrate the absurd, helps.
Always be humble, never gloating, arrogant or elitist like them.
"There you go again" and "This from the party of tolerance and diversity" are two of my favorite responses when replying to liberals whom I am not ready to insult.
Exposing the hypocricy of the left by using illustrations is another way to shut them up. Example, the word "Mandate" has been used a lot in the past week and the left cries: "52% is not a Mandate"; Then I show them the Nov. 1992 issue of TIME magazine cover with X-42's face and the caption "Mandate for Change"...with my added caption of "43%".
Chip away bit by bit by bit. Your conviction to your cause is greater than hers. It may take years, but persistance pays.
The same thing is happening in my family. Only my parents and siblings are Republicans. EVERYONE else is a hardcore, Jewish Democrat. I get the same stuff you do and I respond in lengthy emails in which I try to rationalize with them. Their usual response is just to forward me another stupid liberal chain email. I'm interested to see the replies you get on this thread.
You know, I have a very, very dear friend who is a COMMITTED liberal (not institutionalized, but devoted, ha ha). And he sends me unsolicited email ALL THE TIME-- his latest thing is how the vote was stolen by black box voting.
He's been doing this for about 5 years now and he's in his late forties. I think he's one case that is beyond hope to soften his way, not to mention actually reform.
But, I still love this guy. He's great in many ways: talented, smart, friendly-- a good friend. We spar on occasion, but we have an understanding that when it starts to get too personal, we back it off and let it go.
My friend is as absolutely hard-core left and anti-Bush as you can get, but I manage to have a very good relationship with him. We accomplished this by simply setting ground rules that we were comfortable with.
I don't believe there has to be a wall between people who believe different things-- I believe that if we and out liberal "friends" are serious about being friends as opposed to engaging in non-stop political spleen venting it can work. If the friend (or family member) is not ready or able to just back it off and be a human being-- then you just have to let them go entirely.
Someday these friends may come back to us.
Sounds like you gotta case of Kat Skratch fever to me!~}
Enjoy!
I wouldn't doubt that a bit. Thank you.
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