Would it bother you if your children grew up to be Republicans?

[Fountain79]

I come from Republican parents. My siblings are Republicans, pratically both sides of my family vote Republican. For that reason I am probably more moderate than hardline liberal in my beliefs, I still decided that I found more to agree with in the Democratic Party. For those of you who are parents....would it bother you to find one day that you children had political viewpoints that were different if not oppositional to yours?

[Greenpeach]

1. I would wonder where I went wrong????

[zanne]

52. LOL!

And what would the neighbors think? And whose side of the family does THIS come from?

[OldLeftieLawyer]

2. Oh, sure........

Like I'd let them grow up with that plan.

Naw. They'd never make adulthood if I found out.

I'm their mother. I own them.

[Vadem]

85. LOL! I know where you're coming from! I agree with you!....n/t

[Pharaoh]

3. anyone who is properly educated

could not possibly become one of them,

too much koolaid, not enough thinking............

[Rosemary2205]

45. Oh I disagree

There are plenty of well educated, social an civic minded people in heavily red states who wish to make an impact in government and find themselves drawn to local Republican parties because of the support system and/or the fact hell would freeze over before the locals would elect anyone with a D next to their name.

[in_cog_ni_to]

57. wrong, wrong, wrong.

My husband's 3 grown sons were raised in a Liberal home, they all have Masters degrees, one is an attorney. 2 are State policemen (1 was a teacher and the other was a business major). They are educated and are ALL repukes. Education didn't mean jack shit in their cases. GREED IS MORE IMPORTANT TO THEM.

[Vadem]

86. I'm so sorry for you! It is a heartbreak for you and your husband...n/t

[globalvillage]

4. Yes.

But it would never happen. My daughter registered independent, but switched to Dem to vote in the primaries. I don't think she's ever voted anything but Dem.
The day she told me she's glad she was raised the way she was, I knew.
She will never, ever be a repub.

[A Brand New World]

5. Yes - that God that didn't happen though! My son is a Democrat

through & through. It would sure be tough to think of him crossing over to the dark side but I'd still love him.

[Lerkfish]

6. I'd be very surprised, that would mean a 180 degree shift from now..

my seven year old is compassionate, intelligent and reasonable.

for him to turn into a republican would require major brain surgery.

:)

[rwheeler31]

7. Yes.

I would never want my chidren to be so money hungry,uninformed,and cruel as the republicans are now.

[Libby2]

8. Yes

Very much so.

[Us vs Them]

9. I would be more concerned with my parenting choices

If my child were so selfish, myopic, and consumed with other people's business.

[morningglory]

10. Second worse: your child marrying a repub with a large repub family. n/t

[mrcheerful]

11. Would rather have a gay kid then a repuke kid any day of the week.

Never could stand whinny tattle tails and thats repukes its everyones fault except theirs.

[lumberjack_jeff]

22. Damn right.

Being Republican is unnatural.

[TahitiNut]

30. Wow, is that sure the truth!

:thumbsup: I'd far, far rather have a kid who's life was mostly about who they loved rather than about who they hated!!!

[TallahasseeGrannie]

12. No. They have a right to their

own views, and I would NEVER let political opinions get between me and family. Ever.

[hlthe2b]

13. Ironically, even Republicans say...

"Better Dead than RED!" :evilgrin:





just kiddin... but I'd surely be upset given the CUURENT Republican party...

[tsuki]

14. Yes, but thank God that I don't have to worry about that. nt

[BigBearJohn]

15. My mother raised no fools -- at least none that lived! (haha)

[Arkansas Granny]

16. Yes it would have bothered me, but all four of them are liberals.

Their father is a big Bush supporter and they, respectfully, think he's nuts.

[AnnInLa]

17. Si

[TexasLawyer]

18. If "Republican" means the same thing

in the future, then I'll be sad. A lot of things move full circle, though-- Abe Lincoln was a Republican, and George Wallace was a Dem.

So who knows what a few decades might bring?!

[annabanana]

29. My thoughts too.. My family was old line

Northeast liberal Republican when it was possible to be that way. If my kids ended up leaning that way I'd argue with them, but it wouldn't destroy me.

[The Wielding Truth]

77. That's just the direction I was going. I have to say that had the late Sen

John Heinz(D-Rep of Pa)run for Pres,I would have supported him. Now the people around him I didn't trust, but I can't discount every Republican. Who knows it may be a Repub that straightens things out. Boy,that's a stretch. I just can't be so narrow minded. It's the person not the label. I have shown my kids the way I see things and they have to decide.

I can't see them as Republicans, but if they get circumspect or greedy it could happen. I would be disappointed if they chose to ignore, all the disregard for our constitution, and the callousness to those less fortunate that the current republican party has shown.

I also taught them how to share. That's the big difference between the Democratic party and the Republicans.Most Republicans feel untitled to make others in their image and take the best of things for themselves. Most Dems feel that every soul has a special different gift, and are sure that money and power must be measured.

Who knows what kind of changes will happen to our parties in the future. Maybe we will feel more in line with the repub party in ten or 20 years, but those changes will have to be nearly total.

[NJ Democrats]

19. It would bother me

but I would respect their views, just try to encourage them to become a Democrat.

[redwitch]

20. Yes.

nt

[leftofthedial]

21. I'd disown them

[noamnety]

23. What kind of question is this?

It's like asking if I'd be upset if my kid supported poisoning my water supply, or if I'd be upset if I found out they were fighting for the right to torture people.

YES! I'd be bothered by that.

[NV Whino]

24. What children?

Even if I had children, I would say, "What children?"

[KyuzoGator]

25. It would mark my failures as a parent.

That is, unless there's some kind of massive internal revolution in the Republican party that gets them to start espousing this country's founding principles.

[ebayfool]

26. One did ... & it does bother me.

She was the most 'bleeding heart' you'd ever see growing up, donating allowance to charity, give away her trick or treats to anyone that said they didn't have any - she had a huge heart. Since she married, she's slowly adopted his views - you wouldn't believe the emails she was sending me! Focus on the Family, CFN, etc! Not any more, since I cc'd everyone on her list on the last one! :evilgrin: I haven't given up on her though - I know it's still in her, buried deep!

My other daughter, OTOH, is raring to walk the protest lines! She helps mom sleep better at night!

Actually, since others on the thread see it as a parental shortcoming, I suppose that means I failed her twice. Political wisdom, as well as independence as a self aware woman. But then I haven't given up on that one, either. She was always a late-bloomer ... there's still time!

[stanwyck]

27. Yes. Or if they marry Republican

I barely tolerate my friends and co-workers who are Republican. And, quite frankly, when the weekend comes, we tend to gravitate toward our liberals friends. It's just such a huge difference in world view that there is a schism difficult to breach.
My son and daughter are both liberal. And I hope they stay that way.

[murielm99]

48. I always ask them if the person they are dating is a repuke.

All three of mine are active liberal Democrats. My son is the most moderate, so he and I sometimes argue.

If they date a repuke, they better not bring it home for me to meet. If they marry one, they know I will disapprove. We have joked about it in the past, but they know I mean it.

My in-laws were mixed, a Democrat and a repuke. But times have changed. If repukes want to return to civility, to stop stealing elections, to stop concentrating money and power in the hands of a few, then I might soften my position a bit. For example, I MIGHT go to the wedding if they married one. Maybe I would go. But I doubt that they would ever do such a thing. And I can tell a repuke from a Democrat. They would not be able to fool me on that.

It's a shame that things have come to this. But they need to clean up their act if they want any tolerance from me, or if they want to be a part of my family.

[stanwyck]

75. Unfortunately, there is much less tolerance

now. I know I have less. The stakes are just so high now. The future of our beautiful country is so important that we can't relax and adopt a "live and let live" attitude. The environment is under attack. Science is under attack. Same for our civil rights. Our reproductive rights. Our reputation in the world community has been greatly damaged by the invasion of Iraq, our involvement in torture, and the rumors of secret prisons.
I empathize completely with your feelings.

[knitter4democracy]

79. I married Republican.

I'm not married to one anymore--he changed parties and is more liberal on some things than I am now. Med school did it to him and several of his classmates, and residency just cemented it.

Of course, his parents can't even talk about it, as they're super-Republican (though they're finally having second thoughts on Bush, from the hints they drop).

[Beausoir]

28. My children will be FAR too educated to be Republican. n/t

[ladjf]

31. I'd figure that my children were very angry at me and were trying

to pay me back by growing up to be Republicans.

[Longhorn]

42. But that's what my mother accused me of when I became a Democrat.

Twenty years later, she still summed it up as being part of my "college rebellion." It's true that a liberal arts education at the University of Texas opened my eyes to some views but my "conversion" had been brewing for quite some time and it had NOTHING to do with anger at my parents.

[ladjf]

56. I was just attempting to be funny. Congratulations to you for making

a great break though politically. You could have easily gone to the "dark side".

[Longhorn]

71. Unfortunately, my mother was serious!

:D

Yes, I'm glad I made the break when I did -- Phyllis Schafly did it for me. I knew I could never be in a party that embraced her. Now I wonder that I ever considered myself a Republican but I was just a kid who hadn't learned to think for herself. :shrug:

[mitchum]

32. I would cut them off since they are embracing "the party of personal...

responsibility"

[in_cog_ni_to]

58. Me too.

They can take care of themselves, right?

[orleans]

33. yes it would bother me. n/t

[alittlelark]

34. I would be deeply saddened by their shallowness

It would make me question 'What did I do wrong'?

I raise my children to treat others as they would want to be treated.

If one or both decided to become elitist and/or racist........ I'll junp off that bridge when one of then drives me to it.

[RoyGBiv]

35. Hell Yes

That doesn't mean I think she needs to be a Democrat either. However, if her core principles allow her to be reconciled with being a Republican, it means I have failed utterly as a father.

[JI7]

36. don't have any kids yet, but yes it would bother me

and how much might depend on the state of the Republican Party also. if i had kids now who were Republicans i would have a huge problem with it. how they could support them considering what they have done and are doing.

[RobbinsdaleDem]

37. I'd be very disappointed.

My kids are both pretty liberal, and I'm proud of them for that. My college-student daughter has had a couple of boyfriends who are Republicans, and things did not work out, mainly because of a difference in values. She's realizing that politics in this day and age is very divisive. She still has her Kerry/Edwards bumper sticker on her car. My son still has the donkey sticker on his car that I put there when I owned it. They're Democrats and proud of it.

[Zorra]

38. My kids are way too perceptive, honest and intelligent to be

republicans.

No,it would not bother me if their political viewpoint was different from mine, unless they were, like, nazis or republicans or belonged to some other hate group like that. If that were the case, I would feel that I had failed miserably as a parent.

[riderinthestorm]

39. Yes. Having children in the bigot party would be too much

I really see the current Repuke position on same sex marriage for example (just one example as to why I would be so aghast and upset) as akin to the civil rights era. Repukes are the bigot party - cruel, misogynistic, racist, bigoted, selfish and utterly unconcerned about the state of our world. If one of my children were to become Republican I absolutely would perceive of it as a failing on my part.

[chookie]

40. Research shows...

... that there is a strong correlation between the parents and child political beliefs -- generally overall politics have a very high rate of heritability between generations.

Does anyone here recall the study from a couple of weeks ago that concluded there are also patterns of personality in children that are predictive of future political affiliation? Rigidity, urge to control, lack of imagination and humor, conformism and hostility are traits in children that result in future right wing
affiliation. Not that this shocks me....

I might be able to handle my children embracing a traditional conservative philosophy, but I would definitely grieve that I failed as a parent if my child grew up as a NeoCon or an apologist for extremist "republicans".

I'm not a parent, however. I have a a dog. Who poopoos on Richard Scaife Mellon's front yard. I raised her right!

[Ladyhawk]

44. I wonder how much it bothers my mother that I became a liberal?

It bothers me that she's a * enabler. And last night I had another dream about a knock-down-drag-out fight between my brother and me.

[upi402]

41. yes

very much

[JCMach1]

43. I only worry about my youngest... she is obsessed with Money

:(

[Rosemary2205]

46. I couldn't care less what letter they put next to their name.

I care that they grow up caring and thoughtful about leaving every piece of the world they touch better than they found it.

[Raksha]

47. A child who learns to actually THINK rather than simply "believe,"

who is encouraged to develop critical thinking skills, doesn't grow up to be a Republican...PERIOD! It just doesn't happen.

Both of my children vote for Democratic candidates, although my daughter is actually registered Green.

[Hekate]

49. The way I taught my kids, it's about personal ethics, the social contract

...taking care of the vulnerable among us, and about the environment. All of my values are wrapped up in my politics, and I tried to pass them along to my kids.

So, considering the direction the Republican Party has taken in the past 30 years -- yes, I would be very upset if my kids decided they were Republicans. Since I love them, I would simply stop talking politics with them, or find very soft ways of expressing my opinions.

It is unlikely either of my kids will ever make piles of money they feel they must defend, but even if that were to happen, I would trust they would remember which political party tries to take care of actual people with their taxes. As it is, my daughter is registered Dem and my son and husband are registered Green.

Hekate

[B Calm]

50. My father raised me by explaining the evils of republican party,

He explained how the republican party was not a friend of labor. My sig line is from my dad's teachings from back in the 1950's. Now that my son is all grown up, I worried someone like Limbaugh got to him. I'm happy to say I taught him well because he is a strong democrat, college educated and working behind the enemy's line.

[timtom]

51. I'm sorry to have to admit this,

but it most definitely would bother me. I am pretty certain that that won't happen, because they have been shown the lies, treachery, and deceit that most Americans miss. I have pointed out the naked emperor time and time again and have allowed them to draw their own conclusions. Hopefully that discernment and ability to parse bullshit will follow them the rest of their lives.

[Ferretherder]

53. Yes, as others here have pointed out, it WOULD bother me!

However, I would have to seriously question what in the world I had done to drive a sweet, gentle, unconditionally-loving ferret to adopt a particular political viewpoint in the first place!

[Brian Stevens]

54. I wouldn't bother me, BUT

I am sickened and extremely angered by comments that are being made here that threaten to disown your children simply because their ideas are different than yours. You are doing the same thing as the repukes do if they find out their own children were gay. I am extremely ashamed of you.

[me b zola]

80. Sabes que?

I have disowned my only brother who is a repuke. Not because he is a repuke, but because of his beliefs, values, and behavior, which BTW, are the same that makes him a repuke.

I no longer speak to my brother because he is shallow, arrogant, self-rightious, places greed before people, a coward, and is mean and nasty for no other reason than to feel that he is somehow superior to others. I have disowned him for these qualities and how they have affected my life. He is a republican, and I see most, if not all of these same qualities in most other repubs. Those qualities typlify who the hard-core pukes are, and those qualities have a collective devistating effect of this nation and beyond.

My brother is a monster--which is what lead him to the puke party, and it is because of that that I will not allow him in my life.

[in_cog_ni_to]

55. YES! My 3 GROWN, adult step sons were raised in a VERY Liberal home

and are all now REPUKES. It makes me sick. They stand for everything wrong in this country and are proud of it.

One day my husband was complaining to his oldest son about having to pay capital gains tax (that son is an attorney)and you wanna know what the jerk said to him????....."That because you vote with your heart (EXACTLY RIGHT! and proud of it!) and, (I quote :grr:)... NOT WITH YOUR POCKETBOOK." &^%$@!@#$%^&* Can you believe that? That's how they think! It's always about me. ME, ME, ME. Self centered, greedy and heartless. My husband just quit talking politics with them....just to keep the peace. I can hardly stand being in the same room with them and do so ONLY when I have to.

As for my youngest son, it would BREAK MY HEART if he grew up to be a repuke and he knows it.

on edit. I forgot about this, but the oldest son who votes his "pocketbook" needed money for a down payment on a house when he was first married. GUESS WHO HE WENT TO FOR THE MONEY???? That's right! His Liberal father who votes with his HEART.:eyes: Had I been involved in politics at the time I would have put in my 2 cents and suggested he fend for himself....isn't that what repukes do? They never ask for handouts?:eyes:

[Fountain79]

59. My family helps each other out....

Even though that my dad is a Republican I know that if I honestly needed to get an emergency loan from him, he would do it. My family has loaned money to each other to help each other out and sends money down to Mexico for our family down there. I guess this is where I disagree with some if not many on this board about this sort of thing. I have friends who are conservative and friends that are liberal. Politics are always a separate issue. If anything I enjoy interacting with people whose opinions differ greatly from mine, as long as we stay civil about it.

[Brian Stevens]

60. Thumbs up for Fountain.

:yourock: And I like to ask those people to retract their disowning remarks as stated in my first post.

[Fountain79]

62. Nah....

Everyone wears their beliefs differently. I think most people wear speaking in hyperbole in their posts. My dad even jokes sometimes about where he went wrong with me....but he respects my difference of opinion.

[Brian Stevens]

67. true

But still, it makes them look bad if ya really think about it.

[in_cog_ni_to]

81. these days......politics is too important to ignore. The divide is HUGE.

The repukes have destroyed this country. Their politics is EVIL. This is NOT your 1960s politics anymore. There are NO "nice" repukes. None. They're PURE EVIL. Stand back and just think about what your friends and family, who are repukes, support with their vile votes. They represent everything BAD in this country. They vote for everything we're against. They care about themselves and no one else.

I wouldn't WANT their freakin' money. I'd live on the street first.

[Fountain79]

90. That's the difference between you and me...

Nothing is greater than family...

[converted_democrat]

61. I'd like to think I'd raise kids better smarter than that.. n/t

[sinkingfeeling]

63. No, I'd just dis-own him.

[mondo joe]

64. Party affiliation would matter less to me than their particular positions

and their reasoning.

[guinivere]

65. Yes, it would bother me.

But I would not love them any less. We would have to avoid political discussion.

They are newly registered Dems - so far, so good. I just have to hope like hell that they don't slide to the dark side. Of course, I give them plenty of articles and op-ed pieces to encourage their Dem-ness.

[Brian Stevens]

69. Thats good :)

Just make sure, if you like it or not, to give them free will to choose what they should believe in all aspects.

[Finder]

66. There is a difference between republican, conservative, and Bushbots...

I want my children to make informed decisions and both parties are viable politically. Of course if they supported this administration, I would freak.

All politics are local. What we see in congress today and in this administration(as well as in past admins)is not representative of the party as a whole. Just as the Dems swing and sway with special interests, the repubs do too.

[Fountain79]

68. Exactly....

There are a number of people in my family who are Republicans who aren't crazy about Bush.

[Rocknrule]

70. I would tell them

"You have allowed this Dark Lord to twist your mind, until now you have become the very thing you were supposed to destroy"

[RebelOne]

72. Sure would bother me.

But luckily, my kids grew up to be good little liberal Democrats. Unfortunately, my daughter is married to a Democrat who voted for Bush. But he is sorry now.

[Jack Rabbit]

73. American politics are upside down

The loser of the 2000 election assumes power.

A movie star goes on Jay Leno to announce he's running for governor. Why didn't he announce it on Meet the Press?

Now an entertainer, impersonating a politician, is interviewed on Meet the Press. He should be on Leno.

Maybe we can have Jay Leno moderate Meet the Press and give Russert a late-night talk show.

[Horse with no Name]

74. Traditional Republican--no

it wouldn't bother me a bit.
Dwight Eisenhower was a traditional Republican as was the Chief Justice Earl Warren.
Republicans in the traditional sense are not bad people.
It's the Neocon agenda that has poisoned their pool.

[MrSlayer]

76. Only if they weren't rich.

I really don't blame rich people for being Republican, it serves their interests. If they went all fundie on me or something I'd definitely be bothered but I don't think there is much chance of that happening. We're more into the Greek gods, it's a lot more fun.

[SmokingJacket]

78. Classic republican? Not too much. But one of these guys? YES!

You have to be a little bit sick to go along with these freakazoids...

[tibbir]

82. My son identified with the republicans

when he was in a suburban scool district but has become much more critical thinking and open to liberal positions as he's become an adult (whew). I was wondering what i had done or didn't do correctly before.

My parents and brothers (who are staunch conservatives) look at me wondering what went wrong because I'm pretty liberal. Oh well.

[Vadem]

83. I didn't allow my sons to grow up to be Republicans!......

Really, I took them to every Dem rally and antiwar protest of the Viet Nam war and they went with me to every election to "help" me vote Dem! NO! My children will not vote Republican! They are as liberal Dem as I am and they have voted Dem in every election since they were old enough to do so! They are now 39 and 42 years of age! My boys, I love them!

[stevedeshazer]

84. Thank Dog, one of my kids is a Democrat and the other is a Green

We're all united right now, at least politically. :)

[emdee]

87. It would bother me if....

my child grew up to be a Rabid judgmental anything. Today's Republican party is rabid and judgmental. They lie and use propaganda techniques that should be see-through to anyone willing to do the smallest amount of research. So, it would greatly bother me if my child grew up to mindlessly accept obvious corruption as Christianity, yes.

It was strange last week when her 8th grade Language Arts books went over the signs of propaganda and how and where to find truth. This administration is using techniques that 8th graders should be able to see through.

Yes, it would bother me if she were the type of Republican that we are seeing today.

You know, when this group wants to persecute homosexuals and bring up the book of Romans, they conveniently leave out the many other issues the Book brings up: maliciousness, gossip, backbiting, etc. They don't want to persecute those guilty of every issue brought up in Romans - otherwise we'd all be persecuted. They don't want to change the constitution for all of the issues brought up in the Book because we'd all be locked up. It's ridiculous. Yes, it would bother me if my daughter took these types of hatred and persecution and lived her life without truth and knowledge.

It would bother me if she defended someone like Rush Limbaugh and his drug habit or O'Reilly and his sexual deviations or Cheney's gun 'mishap' and obvious (to me) drinking problem or DeLay's corruption while persecuting others who happen to do either those same things or different things but simply are of a different political party.

Yes, it would bother me. It's funny but I think that before the Bush administration came into 'power', my answer might have been different. But, even then, PNAC was at work in the background working their way up to what we live under today.
emdee

[Generic Brad]

88. It bothers my Republican family that I'm Democrat

They ordered me to tow the Republican line or take a hike. It's been almost a year and I'm still walking.

A few years back I naively thought blood was thicker than political or religious beliefs. Nuh-uh. It mattered to them.

I would like to think I would not do the same to my children. Guess I will just have to see how our lives play out.

[indie_voter]

89. Yes. n/t