my iraqi war veteran (2 tours) cousin

[mrs_p]

just left after a weekend visit. we don't talk politics cause i really don't know where he stands. he's midwestern guy who grew up in a rather crazy home who joined the army just before 911 to earn his education. we talk family, watch sports, and drink beer - which leads to no feuds and i like it that way.

well, we were watching the olympics this morning and a mccain ad came on - he was making fun of the "maverick" label and trashing mccain's age.

my friends, there is hope...

[Gabi Hayes]

1. didn't you mention his atrocious record re: vets' issues, and how

Iraq soldiers are giving six times as much to Obama as to McCain?

[mrs_p]

2. nope

but i did send out feelers to make sure that he really did have animosity to mcpoo. i'm not so good at confrontation as others are, but they know i support obama and, in my quiet way, that is a start.

[mahina]

3. We urgently need to have those conversations; here's how to do it and protect relationships

Hope you don't mind but I am just going to cut and paste here from my prior post, here tis, hope it helps with the next one:

Sunday afternoon brings occasional uninvited guests to my home. There are Moonies (still) and Mormons, mainly, who come tromping up my hill, with hopeful sweet expressions on their scrubbed shiny faces.

The lesson that they have taught me over the years has yet to save my soul, but it may help save our country. What is it? Just this- everyone wants to be listened to.

Not a little bit, a lot. They are thirsty to be heard. Sometimes the inspiration is sincere and sometimes not, but the connecting thread between these pilgrims and the urgent responsibility we have to win the coming election lies in this deep need on all sides to just be heard.

My strategy for dealing with the pilgrims with civility is the same one I use for any other door-knockers. If you want to talk to me about God for 5 minutes, it will cost you. 5 minutes, exactly.

I'll listen to you talk about God for 5 minutes, and you listen to me talk about politics for 5 minutes. Seems fair. It's yet to be turned down.

When it comes to the national dialogue that we must now engage in, that awkward conversation with our well intended but deeply misinformed neighbors, extended family, co-workers that we have learned to avoid that must now be had, I'd encourage you to try it. Getting into interrupting and arguing before each has time to make their point is an endless and in this case futile strategy.

Hope this works for you as well as it has worked for me.

Aloha.