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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSo my sister came out as a Republican
I've been following this site for a while but never felt the need to join until this week. Our family met for lunch on last Sunday, and I was "treated" to hearing my younger sister come out as a Republican.
Our parents have always been far right conservatives. My sister began to rebel against their politics in the early to mid 2000s. During this period Hillary Clinton was her role model, much to my parents' disgust. I can still remember her disappointment in 2002 and 2004, and her joy in the 2006 elections. I was thrilled because I finally had an ally against my family's right wing bullshit at family gatherings.
Things started to change around 2008. She started out an enthusiastic Clinton supporter in the primary, but never really warmed to Obama in the general. She reluctantly voted for him, although she was very seriously considering staying home or even voting for McCain out of spite.
She retained this weird, low key hostility toward Obama, frequently taking shots at him early in his presidency. Around this time, also to our family's horror, she came out as an atheist. Our parents were devastated. I tried to talk sense into them, and explained that having an atheist in the family was no big deal. I made sure to support her in her lack of faith. She was appreciative, and for a while all seemed well.
Things really went south about three years ago, when she became an Islamophobe. First she's posting on Facebook advocating for a ban on facial veils because it's oppressive to women. Then she opposed the mosque at ground zero because, well, something to do with "creeping Sharia law" (trust me, even when she explained it to me in person, it still made no sense). Now she was attacking Obama relentlessly over the Iran deal. She turned against Hillary Clinton over this as well. She bought into the Muslim extremist/terrorist/Islamo-fascist boogeyman so thoroughly that it overrode everything else. And she kept complaining about the "regressive left" (whatever the hell that means).
My alarm bells were really going off last election, as she became obsessed with two right wing talking points. The first was her support for only granting asylum to Christian Syrians (later she got on board with the full Muslim ban). the second was advocating for a Muslim registry. Also, according to her the city of London and the state of Michigan were now under Sharia law. Who knew? And she wasn't just trying to be provocative on Facebook. Before we went on vacation to London last October, she told me that I was being stupid for travelling to London. Her reasoning? Some Pakistani was going to throw acid in my wife or daughter's face. yes, she really thought this would happen. Miraculously, we all managed to survive London acid-free.
Still, it was still a bit of a surprise to hear her come out as a full blown right winger. Here's the kicker, she's been dating an ultraconservative evangelical Republican (total jackass by the way, but that's another post). For years she's been a die hard, in your face, atheist, and her boyfriend was pleased to inform our family that now she's going to his megachurch and attending classes with him. She was quick to clarify that she's still an atheist, but she appreciates how they're not blinded by the PC police and are brave enough to combat Islam...and to be honest I started tuning out at that point. Thankfully lunch was over by then, and I had to leave to pick my wife up from her friend's baby shower.
It's been a few days but I still can't get over how twisted her political beliefs have become. I think part of the reason it bothers me so much is that just ten years ago she was an enthusiastic, young Democrat, the face of the Party's future. what a shame that over the course of ten years she's gone down such a dark path.
rainy
(6,092 posts)from her boyfriend
MLAA
(17,298 posts)InAbLuEsTaTe
(24,122 posts)jes06c
(114 posts)My wife and I agree to take my sister off of our babysitting list. Our daughter is only 3 and I don't my sister's bigotry to rub off on her
brush
(53,792 posts)Cha
(297,323 posts)convert all on their own.. out of the blue
Can't blame Fox or the boyfriend in this case. She only met her boyfriend a month ago, and she's never watched Fox. She IS obsessed with Sam Harris though and I think that may explain some of it. She'll watch him for hours on You Tube. She used to forward his stuff to me until I told her to knock it off
brush
(53,792 posts)Rhiannon12866
(205,552 posts)Our parents were always Republicans, but they were also liberals, something you don't see anymore. My brother has a Masters degree in political science, so there's no telling him anything. At least I can avoid the subject if/when I see my brother, it sounds like your sister goes out of her way to be outspoken. Welcome to DU, jes06c! I'm glad you found us - and you'll find you're not alone here.
LastLiberal in PalmSprings
(12,586 posts)We'll be having a perfectly normal conversation and suddenly she'll start sputtering, "Goddam tree-huggers. Fucking liberals. Son of a bitch PC police." She told me she listens to Alex Jones because "he tells you the truth." You get the picture. Other than that, she's a good, intelligent person who has been married to the same decent man for 35 years and raised two sons who have become fine young men.
I know if I sit quietly while she's ranting and think of her as having an illness (like AA does with alcoholism), the moment will pass and we can continue talking. The rants only last a minute or two (if they go longer I excuse myself to "go to the bathroom" ). I also know if I disagreed with her we could go at it for hours, with neither changing the other's mind. The only thing that would be accomplished would be the slow destruction of our relationship.
It wasn't easy at first. I thought that every punch had to be met with a counterpunch. When I realized I would rather be happy than right, it caused me to change my behavior. It doesn't mean I won't argue politics with someone I don't really give a shit about, though. That's fun!
I told her when we first met that my political beliefs were 180 degrees different than hers, and I'd never talk politics with her because I'd rather have a good relationship than score political points -- just don't interpret my silence as agreement.
That approach has worked for 27 years.
Laffy Kat
(16,383 posts)But family is heart-breaking. Many of us are in the same boat and you are safe to vent here. Welcome to DU.
pnwmom
(108,980 posts)JohnnyRingo
(18,636 posts)Always nice to see an original piece instead of a cut & paste of someone's tweet.
Hang in there and thanx for posting.
True Blue American
(17,986 posts)You came to the right,Er left place!
I had become so disgusted with the hate being spewed that I decided to settle in here. Can not tell you how much happier I am being able to discuss real issues.
You will find many of us are surrounded by the same things you are. I avoid all politics in family situations.
But you can express your thoughts here with those who share your beliefs.
blue-wave
(4,356 posts)It amazes me how the judgement of people can become clouded. Hopefully some day she will again seek balance.
On another note, welcome to DU!!!!
cubbies01
(85 posts)...not gone quite as planned? My experience with friends that have morphed from left leaning individuals early in life to frothing at mouth anti immigrant / Muslim hating individuals now is a lack of success in life. It is a classic case of blaming others for their failures.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)I am from a "mixed" family as well, so I know how it is. It's so hard to deal with sometimes.
Phoenix61
(17,006 posts)My brother is a born again Christian and Trumpster. We aren't in touch for other reasons but that didn't help the situation. Just a guess, but when that relationship tanks, and it will, she will go back to who she was before. It's easy to get caught up in things when we are attracted to someone. The differences seem exciting at first but often become insurmountable obstacles later.
Luciferous
(6,084 posts)I don't need people like that in my life.
BSdetect
(8,998 posts)Is she does try to show her its complete BS.
Then tackle her other opinions one by one.
jes06c
(114 posts)I'm almost afraid to ask
BSdetect
(8,998 posts)Many people took it as real.
Especially some hippies.
And some still do.
Roland99
(53,342 posts)a lack of a clear self identity
a desire or irrational urge to please others (excepting the parents)
symptoms of emotional abuse
Sounds like shes never fit in and struggled with a self identity and found someone appealing for a some reason and subjugating herself. A replacement for the parents.
Saboburns
(2,807 posts)And yes, exactly like Fox News, and Breitbart.
Republicans all have groupthink, I see it that they all share one brain. And they all say the EXACT same things. About Obama, about Muslims, about Hillary, even about Trump.
Your sis has been consuming right wing media somewhere, somehow for a decade now. You can count on that.
Its my experience that once people are brainwashed like your sis they never change.
I hope Im wrong and she can.
dawg
(10,624 posts)It's silly when the fundamentalist Christians do it, because they basically agree with Sharia law and want to impose it themselves.
You know, except for the bacon.
After thinking about it this week, my takeaway is that she's an example of what can go wrong when you become a single issue voter.
She says she's still pro choice. She believes in equal pay for women. She supports gay rights, legalizing recreational marijuana, and separation of church and state.
But she's so obsessed with the Muslim thing it seems like she'll vote for whoever is the most hostile to Muslims, no matter how much she disagrees with them on every other issue
LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)It's fun to rationalize an absurd reaction as consistent and logical.
ooky
(8,924 posts)He was undoubtedly the most ignorant person I have ever met, and his lies had influenced her world view. Around the time of the 2012 election, they came to my home and he started spewing right wing lies he had heard on Hannity and Limbaugh. So, having my fill of him I exposed his political ignorance and general ignorance about how government actually works, which made him mad and they abruptly left. He and I never spoke again and I told my sister never to bring the idiot back.
Fast forward to 2015 they divorced and I de-programmed her in time to vote a straight blue ticket in the 2016 election. So never give up on your sister. If her influences change you may be able to bring her back to reality.
Lint Head
(15,064 posts)Propaganda works. The Russians used it to win the 2016 presidential election. I feel that is the truth that is being ignored. It's as if World War II never happened and Nazi propaganda didn't work. And the cold war never happened and communist propaganda never worked.
We are living in the times of yes is no and no is yes, right is wrong wrong is right.
BannonsLiver
(16,397 posts)Some folks totally freaked out there was a black guy in the white house. We live next to two retirement homes. There's usually an ambulance or two each week that come, but on election night 2008 it was a non-stop parade of ambulances.
Locrian
(4,522 posts)Lots of people get scared and turn to things that they "think" offer a strong, confident path.
Could explain the BF.
I really think the shredded social safety net is creating a lot of fear - and at times *anything* that can be leached on looks attractive to people.
Demsrule86
(68,592 posts)discuss it.
braddy
(3,585 posts)family we have all kinds of opinions and beliefs, views and voting preferences, but so what, we are a family of different individuals and our politics and religion, spouses, chosen careers etc, are things that we can argue about and discuss without it breaking our love relationship.
Not everyone has to vote like me, think like me, agree with me, to even be a friend, but much less so to remain my beloved sister, or dad, or brother, or mom, or child.
jes06c
(114 posts)Politically speaking, I'M the odd one out in the family, especially now that my sister has officially returned to the Republican fold. Now if she had always been a right winger there would be nothing remarkable about it.
It's how much she changed in the last 10 years that boggles my mind, and trying to see what caused her to change.