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UniqueUserName

(393 posts)
Thu Nov 20, 2025, 04:45 PM Thursday

Avoiding MAGA relatives over Thanksgiving (asking for advice) [View all]

My MAGA sister and her MAGA husband live in the house next to mine. Their two MAGA sons (early 40s/late 30s) and families will be gathering at her house next week. I do not mind someone having a normal differing political view from me. I don't think voting for Trump qualifies as a normal differing point of political view. Voting for Trump was/is an embrace of racism and misogyny. I don't want to pretend that that is OK.

So, I am trying to balance my responsibility to humanity, i.e. stand against racism, vs. personal considerations. To be clear, My MAGA sisters aren't as depraved as Trump. Probably you would like them if you met them. Being old people, we have a lifetime of history together.

When my husband died in 2019, I asked my MAGA sister to address his funeral service with a Biblical message for the benefit of my husband's parents. I am gay, btw. She spoke. It was nice. Marketing classes tell us that it is natural for humans to feel an obligation if another human gives you time or gifts. (Hence, the Moonies handing out flowers in airports in the '70s.)

[I added this paragraph upon re-read: I think funerals are stupid. My husband's service was unusual. I only wanted a service for the sake of his parents. I thought he would want his parents to be as whole as possible. There is nothing anyone could say for my sake. So, it's not like my sister carried the service. I asked 4 other people to say something briefly and I asked for my sister to address the gathering with a hopeful, religious offering.]

So, I'm caught between the natural human inclination to transactional interaction to grease the wheels of social intercourse, and my absolute disgust that Trump voters knew or should have known that he was(is) a white supremacist who most likely was involved in a child sex ring.

I'm leaning toward visiting out of town friends as a solution. Though that feels cowardly. Don't I owe the 66,000 people being held without due process by ICE an effort at least to make the people voting for the travesty aware of what they voted for? That number (66,000) is about half the number (120,000 to 125,000) Japanese Americans who were wrongfully interred during WWII. The people currently in ICE custody have had personal property confiscated too, just like what happened earlier.
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In my Alabama county, 78% of voters supported Trump. 72% of the population is white. 17% is black or African American. 8% is 2 or more races.

Scientifically, race is a social construct. You statistically share just as much genetically with any random person you meet on the street as you do with your 6th (or 7th --in that range) ancestor. This will most likely hold true for your progeny if you have any.

It's frustrating and disappointing that the false concept of race played such an important part in electing the vacuously depraved sitting president, well sitting is too kind of an adjective, the vacuously depraved slouching president.
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I'm leaning towards being out of town, because no matter how good/passionate/clear my stand against racism; it will have no effect on these MAGAs. Maybe Thanksgiving isn't the proper time to confront people. But it also isn't a good idea to give tacit approval to their actions.

35 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
I vote for you to leave town for friends if possible transportation wise and budget wise... wcmagumba Thursday #1
OMG. I'm sorry. All I can suggest is 100% noise-cancelling headphones (and maybe some beta-blockers) hlthe2b Thursday #2
Unless BOTH sides are unable to refrain from talking politics, it is best to make plans to be patricia92243 Thursday #3
Thanks for the response. UniqueUserName Thursday #8
Addressing your misgiving... Chemical Bill Friday #23
Stay home. you are going to ruin everybody else holiday. I certainly would not want a guest that patricia92243 Friday #24
Why are you more concerned about MAGA having a pleasant Thanksgiving than the 66,000 people wrongfully interned? UniqueUserName Saturday #25
Go out of town. mercuryblues Thursday #4
Bring over a nice arrangement of flowers before you leave, stay for some coffee and brief chit chat and then DRIVE AWAY Bread and Circuses Thursday #5
Agree FHRRK Thursday #9
Skip the MAGA family IbogaProject Thursday #6
Be truthful AND good to yourself. usonian Thursday #7
Thank you. I like your suggestions. UniqueUserName Thursday #10
I had forgotten my cheat sheet. Thanks! usonian Thursday #14
Here's a different approach.... nocoincidences Thursday #11
I would go and be nice womanofthehills Thursday #12
You make it sound like WE'RE the "not nice" ones Arazi Thursday #16
Totally agree Raine Thursday #17
"Sorry. I have other plans." Iggo Thursday #13
Careful. There's a contingent here who love to scold anyone shunning MAGAt relatives on holidays Arazi Thursday #15
my "humorous" suggestion: ret5hd Thursday #18
''Maybe Thanksgiving isn't the proper time to confront people.'' Xavier Breath Thursday #19
Be with the people you are comfortable with. NameAlreadyTaken Thursday #20
Out of town. Go to someplace you always wanted to go. haele Thursday #21
I thankfully have no MAGA relatives (close ones) living any longer. They've aged out and died. mucholderthandirt Friday #22
It's YOUR holiday. Do what makes YOU happy. SheltieLover Saturday #26
Do what you want. Personally, hanging with good friends Phoenix61 Saturday #27
Take Leslie with you! davsand Saturday #28
This is such a difficult situation to be in. I honestly don't think there is any right or wrong when Joinfortmill Saturday #29
Your Last Two Sentences Express The Conundrum.... ColoringFool Saturday #30
visit San Francisco over the holidays DBoon Saturday #31
See if you can volunteer somewhere to help feed some people that would appreciate it. dem4decades Saturday #32
Another vote for going away. OnionPatch Saturday #33
Why choose to suffer? buzzycrumbhunger Saturday #34
go to the dinner tmars505 Saturday #35
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