WELL said.

When they are part of your immediate family, it is so much harder.

I agree with all you say, but how do you defriend, say--your MOM! I am in constant turmoil dreading she will bring "it" up. We have made an agreement not to talk politics, but she manages to subtly start up & it's making me nuts.

It is members like you that make us newbies hesitant to post.

Just because we don't know all the ins & outs of the "correct" ways to use this site does not give you the right to blast away at our posts. My very 1st post to DU was pretty naive in retrospect, but it didn't deserve the nasty first response I got. Thankfully, the next couple of posters made up for it. Lighten up, please!