Posted on 11/24/2004 2:42:43 PM PST by mlmr
I lost an old friend today. No, she didn't die. She screamed at me for my many-year metmorphisis from rad-liberal to conservative. She doesn't understand why I have changed, and is unable to listen because she is filled with bile, anger and hate. She wishes Bush evil and hates US policy. She has turned into a Michal Moore robot.
We have not been close friends for many years but I did enjoy keeping in touch. Because of our thirty year history I have treated the friendship gingerly but with great fondness.
Politics is hell.
Many Freepers will be connecting with friends and relatives on the other side of the fence during the holidays.
Any stories?
I grieve with you.
I've lost friends over ideology and beliefs, as well. I think many of us have.
In some cases, we move along. In others, it's not so easy, is it?
I wonder how many Thanksgiving family get-to-gethers will end up like that tomorrow?
I've been through the same drill.
It's been my experience that today I'm happier and my new friends are smarter.
I ditched several friends during the clinton impeachment - their intellectual gymnastics to get to a palatable position was embarassing, and ultimately showed me that they weren't people I needed in my life.
Do I really want to be friends with someone who thinks the meaning of the word 'is' is ambiguous? Do I really want to date someone who is genuinely confused of the meaning of the word 'alone?'
Interestingly, in my experience many of the same people would not cut me anywhere near the same slack if I ever tried creative definitions of 'is' and 'alone' to wiggle out of a jam (or a lie, for that matter).
Integrity, integrity, integrity.
We'll be with Xena's Guy's family, and I'm only allowed to talk politics when the women go into the kitchen and the menfolks stay and smoke seegars. (Yes, I stay with the dudes.)
I'm sorry for your loss.
I think we all have horror stories of a similar vein that we could share.
I'm the black sheep of my family - I come from a long line of die-hard Massachusetts liberals. We finally had to make a rule that we would no longer discuss politics at family gatherings.
On a bright note, my mother and I have the same hairdresser - and he's a Republican. He *loves* being able to discuss politics when .45MAN and I get out hair cut and knows that the subject is absolutely taboo when he is doing my mom's hair.
My sympathy! I am currently trying to nurse a friendship with a Lib Schoolteacher. She's a dear friend and we have declared politics verboten in our conversations.....it was tough through the election, but hopefully since we survived that we can continue the friendship! It's not easy!!
We are polarized.
My children could hear her yelling over the phone, it was my usual holiday phonecall. She lives overseas now. She just kept asking why, why, why I support the killings of millions in Iraq. She couldn't hear my answer. I didnt even want to answer her, because it was to broad a gulf to breach.
I will be spending the day with libs,some even ultra libs.
We have done this for years and we all get along well and respect eachother.
I refuse to argue about anything,especially politics or religion,over the dinner table and everyone else seems to feel the same way.
Sorry about you and your friend.
I feel for you....
I keep friends and family by asking pointed questions instead of coming out and saying what I believe. The questions lead to opening and changing their mind. Huh, never thought about that... Always in response to them bringing up the subject, not me...
A wise man once told me to consider yourself a very lucky person if you can count your real friends on one hand when you die .
they claim that not having a loud liberal daughter skilled in argument makes holidays almost bearable
They have a point. Sounds like prayers were answered.
Sad, isn't it? Same thing's happened to me.
I remember a girlfriend who left for university a good conservative. Within six months, she was a raving Maoist. I haven't laid eyes on her for twenty five years.
It's so sad that she is too blind to realize that it is *she* who supports the killings of ***millions*** (a la the Hussein reign of terror) in Iraq.
Sorry to hear that.
On the plus side, my husband and I gained a friend. Our liberal neighbor with the yard full of democrat signs confided to my husband yesterday that he'd voted for Bush. Shhhh! It's a secret.
I am going thru this now with a friend of 30-some odd years.
I am to blame for all the social and political injustices in her narrow, little Noam Chomsky world.
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