Despite my own wishes and common sense, I got political on Thanksgiving.

[Kath2]

And I swore to myself I would not. I kept my peace until late, at least.

Hearing my father and a cousin rant about how unfair the media is to Trump drove me over the edge.

I said that is such bullshit. In my view, he is getting a pass from the media.

I also said I am absolutely ashamed that a racist, sexist, misogynist bigot is president of this country. And I am ashamed a that religious fanatic anti-choice woman hater is vice president.

They argued with me and I told them to enjoy it while they can. 3 million+ voted for Hillary and we will never let this happen again.

I left a little early. Conflicted. Feeling sorry for losing it but glad I spoke up.

Went home, poured a glass of wine and listened to Ani Defranco.

[murielm99]

1. I dunno.

I would have kept my peace until the end, then said, "This should have been a politics-free day. I am leaving. We will have to agree that holidays should be politics-free, or I will not come back."

[Kath2]

4. I was hoping to have a non-political day.

And I thought we had all agreed to that.

As Gloria Steinem said, "The personal is political."

Can't get away from it.

[wryter2000]

22. Bingo

Good one.

[handmade34]

2. we all got political

at my house... fortunately we are all on the same page... well, the kids do think their mother is a bit extreme, but they tolerate it

[murielm99]

8. My kids think that about me, too.

I am too far left for them. LOL.

[lunasun]

34. Here i was hoping my nephew would stay quit only because we are all on the same page but

he just goes on and on anti trump when we should be eating turkey. He showed up after dinner anyway, but I guess you and I dont know how lucky we both are> may get political at the table, but at least no conservatives esp. Trump lovers

[Irish_Dem]

3. Epic rant. They deserved it. nt

[FirstLight]

5. I'm surprised I made it w/o a meltdown too

I think my b-i-l is mellowing w/age and didn't start shit. Also, my dad recently had a stroke so we were more concerned with having a "positive" time for his sake. Haven't been to my sister's for a holiday in a few years, too.

Though it wasn't easy for the kids/cousins, they are all teens now and VERY different... My daughter is openly gay @ home , but hasn't come out to the rest of the family...so she was having to choose her words more carefully. My teen son is kind-of a wanna-be thug...and the cousins are all very straight-laced christian. So my kids had to be creative to make conversation.

It was funny as hell when we got in the car and on the road...we ALL took a heavy sigh and high-fived that we survived...then proceeded to tell dirty jokes and laugh all the way home! (...then I had a couple stiff drinks!)


Sorry you had a meltdown,and that you got pushed to the edge.I have been there and actually even once asked my dad to leave my house if he was going to spew FauxNews hate. The polarization is SOOOO sad and drastic, it's hard that we sometimes don't even recognize our own family.

[Kath2]

7. Dirty jokes and a few stiff drinks.

Love it. Glad you all survived.

I am openly bi and that, of course, is a sticky point in my Catholic family.

[DangerousUrNot]

12. Nice 👍🏾

[oberliner]

6. Ani DiFranco

Mid-90's flashback.

[DangerousUrNot]

9. Sucks to hear

You got in argument with them but I like how you spoke up. I don’t get how people think he isn’t getting a fair shot. He does most of the stuff himself. It’s not the media’s fault that he has the vocabulary and mental maturity of a third grader.

My family hates Trump so it was fun cracking jokes about him.

[Nitram]

10. Been there, done that. I always feel terrible afterwards.

It's a lose, lose situation.

[Wounded Bear]

13. Not really...

Most of the experiences I've had with Trumplodytes says that they think they win if they make sane people feel bad about themselves.

[Ohioboy]

11. I can understand.

You should have added that not only did 3 million more people vote for Hillary over Trump, but also that there were a lot of people voting for Jill Stein during that election, and people who were sitting out because Bernie wasn't the nominee. Also, a lot of folks may have not voted because they assumed most Americans were smart enough not to vote for a pussy grabbing buffoon like Trump. All those additional people will be voting against Trump next time around.

[bucolic_frolic]

14. If you're going to change minds and bring people back to reality

you're going to have to offend people.

It really is that simple. You did a great job.

[Xolodno]

15. Every once in a great while, we get invited somewhere and we go...

...then come to find out, how conservative some of the extended family is... I usually kill the conversation with this....

Yeah, I don't like Democrats either.

They are still too conservative for me.

*crickets*

[Boomer]

17. I love this response!

I'm stealing it (and not just because it's witty, but because in my case it's also true).

[Xolodno]

26. Yeah, its a good one. Feel free to take it.

If they find out you're a Democrat, they actually troll to get a response from you. When you win the argument, it doesn't matter because they think they won and you are "too stupid". They really don't have a clue.

To them, Democrats are all socialists...despite knowing that isn't true. So when you disarm them with a statement that says...I'm not your imaginary socialist, I'm a real socialist! They don't know what to do and realize they brought a knife to a gun fight.

Occasionally they will mummer something about Cuba, Venezuela, etc. Which I respond with, "I agree, communism doesn't work. At least in this stage of our human development, but if you think they are socialists nations, then you don't have a clue about economics, its like saying coke and water are the same because they are wet".

[Maynar]

18. HAH!

[lindysalsagal]

16. Tough to balance the knowledge that your parent sides with a cretin, and your own sanity

For some, avoidance is the line of least resistance. But you have to put them in the ground some day, and I feel like anything left unsaid will eat away at me....

So, if my relationship was strong enough with my own father, and he was such a loser, I'm not sure I'd keep my mouth shut, either.

I think it's great that you can disagree face-to-face.

Also not sure you can change anyone's mind at this point. It's irrational, so, rational arguments don't work.

I think it's great any time you can overcome your parent's limitations, especially with racism involved. And at this point, anyone who's still backing the jerk publically is a bigot: They're really saying, "It's Ok that I'm a bigot because the potus agrees with me."

[Kath2]

20. I love my father because he is my father.

But I knew a long time ago he is a racist, sexist bigot and I disagree with him on almost everything.

[liberalnarb]

19. It never came up, but I wouldn't have held back if it had.

[wryter2000]

21. they got political first

And please don't give me that parent thing "I don't care who started it."

In my experience, if you make ground rules "no politics," a RWer will be the first to break the rule. They can't help themselves. That doesn't mean you have to let bullshit go unchallenged.

I don't know your family, but if it were mine, I'd tell people next year. "No politics, period, or I'm leaving."

[Kath2]

23. Thank you.

I have already told them that.

[WinkyDink]

30. I was just about to post something similar. Right-Wingers have NO QUALMS about starting up with

politics.

[aeromanKC]

31. Oh, but next year is going to be fun!!

Politics are definitely on the table next year!!

[roamer65]

24. Next time, just make up an excuse and leave.

I have done that and it works well.

I eliminate the stress.

[Amimnoch]

25. I cut those people out of my life.

I had quite a nice Thanksgiving, and one of the things I was very thankful for was not having to share it with them.

[Kath2]

29. Next year that will be me.

I hate what these people are doing to this country.

[Squinch]

27. Good for you for standing up and speaking the truth while they were throwing around their

bullshit.

"How unfair the media is to Trump." And the idiots really believe that.

Good for you. Don't let their igorance go unanswered.

[Kath2]

28. Thank you.

I love my family.

I draw the line at racist and sexist bullshit. I cannot hear it without a response.

[dem4decades]

32. Some one might enjoy this one. Global warming is just the earth's core getting

closer to the surface. Nothing to do with emissions. I asked if he had any peer reviewed studies on it but I guess he didn't hear me.

[Kath2]

33. They had no real response to me, either

So blinded by faux news.

[slumcamper]

35. With gratitude and hugs

Thanks, Kath2, for the cue...wine and Ani DiFranco were the perfect remedy for my soul.

I escaped the T-giving showdown but am still out of sorts while ensanred in the grip of the nonsensical and illogical moment in which we are all living.

[Kath2]

36. I feel it.

I hate it.

This is a national nightmare.

[jimlup]

37. I would just have ignored a "cousin"

but I can totally relate to why you went off on your dad. A dad should be close enough to at least wonder what the hell and potentially think a little.

Good luck with it. I am thankful that my dad is a progressive. Sometimes more than I am.