My nephew is taking the road of the dittohead.

[Ladyhawk]

:(

It's sad, but not unexpected. At his age, I was an obnoxious right-winger, too, but somehow I doubt he'll find his way out. There's so much pressure to conform in our family. It isn't easy to be different. I changed because of college (I doubt he'll go) and the fact I'm already different from family members. As a sensitive artistic type, the nasty Republican crap just didn't fit.

[murielm99]

1. Ladyhawk!

I have been thinking about you recently. You have not been here in a long time. When we were giving out hearts, I wanted to give you one.

How is your health these days?

[RJ Connors]

2. Sometimes the family just has to go. n/t

[Berry Cool]

3. Can you tell me--what makes people obnoxious conservatives at a very young age?

Is it blind obedience to authority figures they have come to love and respect, who happen to be conservatives themselves? Is it being isolated and having little experience of life? What is it?

[Ladyhawk]

7. Both of the things you mentioned are definitely factors.

I was raised in a bubble by fundamentalists and taught to never question authority. I wasn't allowed to associate with anyone who wasn't also a fundy.

Another issue is thinking for yourself = social suicide. I've done it and it isn't fun.

[ShortnFiery]

4. LOL, I changed to and so did my nephew.

However, my nephew graduated from college with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He's not as "bleeding heart" as I, but he's a true blue democrat.

BTW when I changed majors over to Psychology, I swear part of my extended right wing family would have preferred to tell others that I was "in Jail" rather than majoring in that pansy-ass social science. :evilgrin:

[enuegii]

5. I had that same experience...

when I decided to major in English, as if I had made it my life's goal to cannibalize as many children a I possibly could. I could actually sense the Fear come over them.
I just liked to read, basically.
And I think I replied to the wrong post, as well. Whoops!

[Vinca]

6. Rush is rich because your nephew is dumb.

Maybe if he goes to college . . .??

[Ladyhawk]

8. Yeah, I'm hoping he will, but he didn't plan for that and he's 18.

Luckily, even my fundy mother thinks he should go to college. I don't think she quite understands what expanding your mind means. :)

Funny...I've been thinking, "My nephew is an idiot, but I was an idiot at his age, too."

[Bigmack]

9. I've got an idea....

give the phone number of the Marine recruiter.

Certainly won't change his views, but at least he'll be putting his ass where his mouth is currently.

[Ladyhawk]

10. That's not a good idea, considering my OLDER nephew is in Iraq.

My 18-year-old nephew is my only blood-related nephew / niece. The rest are step-nephews and step-nieces whom I don't know well.

My blood-nephew greatly respects his step-brother's decision to join the army and fight in Iraq. He also respects his other step-brother's great desire to join the Marines. (That step-brother cannot join the Marines because he has Type I diabetes.)

I've been dissuading him from joining the military for years. He mentioned that he admired his step-brother's army uniform and said he wanted a uniform like that. I told him if he stayed out of the army I'd fucking BUY him a uniform.

I don't want my only blood-nephew to come home in a body bag because he has a bad case of teenage idiocy. I can hope he'll outgrow his current case of the "stupids," but the odds are against that.

[Cid_B]

12. Nothin "stupid" like military service

:eyes:

[Ladyhawk]

13. Considering what our military is used for these days, it IS stupid.

If you want to throw your life away to build the American Empire, that's your choice, but I hope my nephew doesn't make such a stupid decision. I have no doubt that going to Iraq will scar my older nephew for life.

I really don't want to discuss this matter with anyone as stupid as my family, especially on DU. I love my family and have to make things work with them, but I don't have to put up with YOUR stupidity.

[Kitty Herder]

17. I have to agree with you Ladyhawk. It was my Vietnam vet father who taught me that joining

the military was a stupid route. Not that I would have been particularly likely to join anyway, but Dad successfully drilled a healthy understanding of how our govt. misuses the military into my own and my brothers' heads from a young age.

And you should have heard the things he said to the military recruiters when they started calling on the phone for us when we were of age. :blush:

[Ladyhawk]

18. Yep. I care about my nephew who is serving in Iraq, but I think he made a stupid decision.

He joined when he was 17 by getting written permission from his mother, went to boot camp as soon as he was 18 (I think that's how it works). He's done 2 tours in Iraq and from rumblings in the family, he's seen some pretty awful things. I'm guessing no one will tell me exactly what has happened to him because they're afraid I will say, "I told you so." Daniel (the kid) has never made a good decision in his life. He got his girlfriend's name tattooed on his chest shortly before he joined the army. He married her. She robbed him blind. He annulled the marriage. I could go on.

His decision to join the army was the worst decision of all. It may have been his mother's worst decision, too, allowing him to sign up at age 17. My family insists it has made Daniel a man, but those rumblings about bad things that have happened to Daniel tell me otherwise.

Daniel made a stupid decision. My family made a stupid decision by supporting a 17-year-old's stupid decision. It doesn't mean I don't care about them. They care about me despite some of the stupid decisions I've made.

I'm guessing the terrible things our military has done creates a little cognitive dissonance for those who have been in the military. Sorry, I can't support the troops when they are being used for such horrific things. It doesn't mean I don't support the individuals who will have to live with what they have done for the rest of their lives (or defend what they've done on Internet forums).

I have a really bad feeling about Daniel. Some of the things he did and said prior to joining the army made me afraid for him. He expressed some violent tendencies. Killing people in Iraq certainly won't help.

[damonm]

14. Coming from a veteran, and lifelong Democrat,

Thank you VERY much for that slap in the face.

[Ladyhawk]

15. I don't like what our military is used for. Joining the military now IS stupid.

If you don't feel ashamed of your service, why be so sensitive? Don't wear the shoe unless it fits.

[damonm]

19. I wasn't responding to you...

In fact, I tend to agree with you - with the exception of the Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard, none of which are likely to get shot at either in Iraq or Afghanistan.
I was responding to the individual who broad-brushed it.
I've been taking crap from BOTH sides over the past few years, and am sick to my gut of it. My being against Iraq got me hammered an "unpatriotic" from the right - mostly by chickehawks who got both barrels in response - and "stupid" by the professional military-haters who pop up too frequently on the left. Perhaps I AM oversensitive about it, but that's where it is.
And, BTW, I am damned proud of my service - too much so to stand idly by while such service is denigrated. I won't have it, and that's flat.

[Cid_B]

20. Umm..

Its early but does tangent below me here have it right and I am being "scolded" mistakenly or something else entirely is going on?

[tangent90]

16. Get your sarcasmometer calibrated.

:D

[guitar man]

11. damn :(

I guess you can try to explain to him the cognitive dissonance of trying to be a "rugged individual" while being a dittohead. :crazy:

good luck :hug: