Xmas Party Meltdown

[carrowsboy]

Politics always ruins a good time.

Me and my cousin threw our annual Xmas party Friday night (well this is our only our 2nd one).

Politically, I'm extremely liberal while my cousin is all over the place, though we both loathe Bush.

Last year her right-wing brother was ill and could not make it, and I was praying the same thing would happen this time! Unfortunately it did not.

It was a family gathering for Xmas with good food, drinks and sweets. I was so hoping politics would not be brought up and it almost was not...until the end.

A little back info: My cousin and her brother both have the same mom, but different fathers. And there is 16 year age difference betweem them. Their mother was very religious and conservative when she raised the brother, but after 16 years and a falling out with the church and going to college, she raised her daughter in a different environment. Their mother often joked, "I only voted Republican once...and that was for Nixon in '72!"

Anyways back to the party...

I knew things would be tense after the brother found out that his sister & I voted Kerry. He even called me a commie (damned if I know why).

Well most everyone had left, then he brought up how good Bush was doing. My cousin then asked wht he thought of the privitization of social security and he said it was a "damned good thing." That you "should be able to decide what you want to do with your money." Then he brought up her voting for Kerry and it got crazy!

I stayed in the kitchen cleaning up and trying to hold my tongue. Mainly cause it was her apartment and also I didn't want things to go over the edge.

He would ask her question after question and would not allow her to answer. He was also very aggressive to the point of screaming. She said she voted for Kerry cause she thought the war was wrong, then he yelled WHY? His girlfriend even got into it yelling at her that she works on the military base "and all the soldiers say it is better to fight it over there than over here!" I also heard shouts of Iraq "was training terrorists" and "you better be able to back up what you are saying!" My cousin then tried to say that he didn't realize that we'd be fighting it over there & over here as well. she even mentioned that it is only a matter of time before elections are suspended here and he called her a "dummy."

It was very bizarre...especially to be occuring at 1am! My mother even chimed in that she voted Bush cause "Kerry is ugly." Clinton was also brought up and she said she didn't want him for president the first or second time. Which is funny cause I remeber being in high school in 1992 and her praying Clinton would win. This last election was the 1st time she ever voted in her life. Then my cousin's brother brings up how Clinton really didn't win those 2 elections since he got less than 50% of the vote.

What is even more troubling is that my mother works in a gas station for less than $7/hr and my cousin's brother works for the school system. He made $70K last year but that was only because he works upwards of 86-100 hrs a week and just worked 20+ days straight w/o a day off. His bay salary is not much more than his cousin or myself. He also brought up earlier in the party how "lawyers have destroyed this country."

I just kept my mouth shut. I figured there was no point in arguing with these people.

[underpants]

1. Wow an incredible amount of restraint

sounds like you would have been wasting your time.

Oh and it isn't just their money they will get to decide on (SS) it is two generations from now's money.

[otohara]

2. Ugh

Sounds like Sean Insanity was in the room. All the right-wing talking points right on cue.

[Walt Starr]

3. Sorry, I would've thrown the right wingers out

No offense, but I do not allow people to become abusive in my house. The right wing bigots would have been throw out. If they didn't leave, the police would have been called.

[carrowsboy]

4. It was not my place....

It was my cousin's, I was just the co-host for the evening.

That is mainly the reason I kept my mouth shut.

[aquart]

7. You did well.

Now do whatever it takes to unclench your gut.

Wonder why they felt they had to scream. And couldn't stop to listen to answers.

Sounds like everything they said was verbatim off the radio.

[Walt Starr]

8. Then you did the right thing

Not much you could do except put on your coat and leave over it.

[Warpy]

5. "It's a PARTY, ferkrissakes, so

put the fucking soapbox away!"

Of course, I've always been about as subtle as a freight train, but there's a time and place for harangues, and this wasn't it. I'd have shown him the door and called the cops if he wouldn't leave.

[elehhhhna]

6. Does he know the BA gutted the overtime law?

"He made $70K last year but that was only because he works upwards of 86-100 hrs a week and just worked 20+ days straight w/o a day off."

If not, he will probably find out soon! Perhaps Ms. Cousin could email him some info from Labor Sec'y Chao's website about this...

[ComerPerro]

9. This is why I just sit back and watch this country get exploited

And, I even laugh.

Maybe I am cynical, but people like your cousin's brother deserve to be exploited by Bush and the GOP. They deserve every bad thing that happens to him.

[Patiod]

10. Well, there's one good thing about a Wiccan soltice party

One of our friends has two great parties a year - Winter Soltice and summer soltice. A mix of local actors, Wiccans and lesbians (some of those categories overlap).

We never have to worry about getting into it with and GW Bush supporters there.

[Cheswick2.0]

11. Most people are not terribly bright

Unfortunately some of them are related to us. You did the right thing.