B-I-L freep conversion. . . (pigs are flying, kids)

[annabanana]

Sister & Brother-in-Law come to visit. She's apolitical (of the "they're all crooks" variety), and he's been a big B*sh supporter, (still damaged Viet Vet) all along. We've avoided poli-talk for years because it's always lead to ugly scenes, and I expect that today's visit will be the same.

He spotted a magnet on the fridge (in bumpersticker rotation) "I'm already against the NEXT war" and read it out loud. I hunker down and give him the snake eyes, because I'm expecting a "traitor to Ammurca" rant when he says..

"I've come to a different way of thinking about all that."

When I pull myself up off the floor he explains.. "It's just like Vietnam, The kids over there are in the same spot we were in then. You don't know who the enemy is, bad guys are running around in good guy uniforms. We have to get the hell out of there now. It was all lies to go there and we have to get our kids back home. We have no business in there. And it would be the biggest f*ckin mistake in the world to go into Iran."

Now all I have to do is bring him around to voting Democratic in time for the mid-terms. (He has never voted in a midterm election)

[EstimatedProphet]

All right!

[snappyturtle]

1. There's hope! nt

[peacebird]

2. kudos to him, man enuf to admit his mistake and change his mind!!!

:hug:

Love it!

[annabanana]

4. It really knocked me over.

He was at #1 Son's HS graduation last year. One of the speakers had made a non-war supporting remark from the podium. He came out of the auditorium fuming about "why did that guy have to ruin the day with that anti-Ammurcan crap" and got into a noisy disagreement with another parent in the parking lot.

This is 180 degrees, folks. I turned him on to Keith Olberman. (He's kind of "fed-up" with Faux). Oddly enough, he told me that some "non-B*sh" noises have even been coming out of - gasp - Mike Savage. . is that possible? - can't be -

[wryter2000]

17. Savage et al.

I can't listen to any of them. But remember they're in it for the $$$ more than anything else. I imagine as Boosh becomes more and more unpopular, they may try to distance themselves from him personally, while maintaining themselves as "conservatives."

I doubt that would apply to Faux, which is invested in the Republican party and getting power/control/money that way.

I don't know if it's happening, but it could.

[BrklynLiberal]

3. It has become like a slow spreading virus of enlightenment!!!

Congrats to your Brother-in-law on his awakening.

[wordpix2]

5. always good news when repukes see the light

[peacetalksforall]

6. Can we have a thread for these stories. Could call it Testimonials.

I'm always feeling better reading these stories after so many years of learning how right wingers think.

How about Testimonial Up Lifts?

[Raksha]

7. Now that's an encouraging story!

Thank you for posting that. You have to wonder how often a similar scenario takes place in kitchens and living rooms all over America.

[WePurrsevere]

8. A bit of sunshine of this gray & rainy day... thank you for sharing this.

It must have really made your day. B-)

[annabanana]

11. I jumped up and hollered

"Katie-Bar-The-Door!"

(yes, it was a VERY nice visit)

[WePurrsevere]

25. It's always so much easier when family are on similar pages. I'm truly

happy for you and yours. B-)

[Asgaya Dihi]

9. That's one reason

and it's the main reason why I'm always trying to get people to put the partisan bickering aside. Nobody listens or compromises well when backed into a corner, and both parties have over time contributed to some of our problems ranging from war to "free trade" and outsourcing to poverty and prison growth.

As an example, if we want to fix the prison system and related poverty and crime but we get stuck on who's fault it is, then it'll never get fixed. It's the fault of both parties, through mandatory minimums, three strikes laws, safe school zones that hit the urban poor harder than the suburban, and so on. It didn't slow through Clinton, we had several consecutive years of record numbers of marijuana arrests and system growth. Both parties built the system.

If it has to revolve around blame then nothing gets fixed, ever, cause both have done things wrong and the finger pointing isn't a solution. Once we stop pointing fingers maybe we'll realize that one in eight young black men between 25 and 29 is currently in prison or jail, today, that most didn't have to be there and that both parties have contributed to it. We could attack poverty, abuse, the number of single mothers and children left behind by these policies, any number of other issues, but we have to get past blame and to the right and wrong of it. Solutions, not blame.

[IndyOp]

12. Blame, no. Frank discussion of what has happened in the past, yes.

Without pointing fingers we do need to have a discussion of policies from our past (and present) -- we have to look carefully and calmly at where we are standing to discover where we can go from here.

My biggest concerns revolve around international policy -- and the truth of what the US has done around the world since WWII is frightening and enraging -- we will have to face it before there will be a real change. Both parties have contributed. No need to point fingers, but frank discussion is desperately needed.

:hi:

[Asgaya Dihi]

16. Agreed

We need a grasp of history no doubt, if we don't think about the mistakes we've made in the past we can't avoid repeating them.

International policy I agree with, problem is that they are related. The United Nations estimated back in about 1998 that the illegal international drug trade was at the time about 400 billion dollars, or roughly 8% of all international trade. That money finances terrorists, revolution and unrest around the world, and it arms our enemies. The effects of the drug war aren't just here at home, and they don't hit just the users.

I wrote a short article about it in the drug policy forum under the title "our biggest problem" if you're interested, and I don't think I covered even half of what's tied into our drug war. All we seem to have accomplished is to reward and arm our enemies as we punish ourselves. Might be time to rethink this stuff, for a lot of reasons.

[Peace Patriot]

14. Good advice for dealing with recovering Republicans and with

(sometimes harder nut to crack) blind Democrats.

After I explained to a good friend of mine all about the election system, and Bushite corporations now counting all our votes with "TRADE SECRET," PROPRIETARY programming code, and virtually no audit/recount controls, she (no dummy she--very bright woman) says...

"But the Democrats wouldn't let that happen, would they?"

Recovering blind Democrat.

[windy252]

24. I thought the Democrats would

be smart enough to keep an eye on Florida in 2000. *sigh*

[Mythsaje]

28. We need to expend AT LEAST

as much energy explaining all the things progressives have done for America over the years and how all the things they take for granted like clean water, safe food, safe working environments, etc...are because we fought for them tooth and nail against those who'd give the corporations leave to do just about anything to us in the name of profit. They'd still be making our kids work alongside us for pennies a day if we hadn't have fought for their right to go to school instead.

[Olney Blue]

10. Indeed.

Kick

[wryter2000]

13. Good for him

Too many Bushies still have their heads stuck up their asses. He had the courage not only to change his mind but to admit it to you.

[mitchtv]

15. I feel so happy for you. Now you can be

really friends. Nothing like having a drink with an old friend and try to name all the lies, together.

[annabanana]

19. He is like a newborn..

There are still a lot of unconnected dots. It will be a process, more than a "Paul-on-the-Road-to-Damascus" conversion. I don't know if he understands the importance of the mid-terms, or of having the Dems in control of one of the branches.

[ThomWV]

18. If You Can Get Him To Stay Home That's Almost As Good

I expect there will be a lot of die-hard Republicans who simply will not vote at all in the 2006 elections, maybe not in '08 either. If you can't get them to vote Democrat you just might work on getting the disgruntled to stay home.

[Jade Fox]

20. That's a GREAT bumper sticker/magnet.....

and a new one on me.

[annabanana]

22. northernsun.com

lots good stuff
search "magnets" and you can get bumpersticker-sized magnets.. (very handy to stay "up to date")

[ElboRuum]

21. I would imagine that several stiff drinks followed that revelation (eom)

[DIKB]

23. That is awesome.

Good luck getting him to come out and vote against these sick degenerates who dragged us into Vietnam II.

[JohnnyLib]

26. redux

"When I was a boy" time.... this fits my memory of the national tide turning against our government's Viet Nam disaster. Slowly at first, then faster and louder. Bring back Archie Bunker and Meathead!

[annabanana]

27. Welcome to DU!

Now that I think about it, you're right. Different people would recognize different problems that were caused by the bankrupt policies at the White House. The tide turned, one kitchen table at a time.

[Random_Australian]

29. That is cool. Too easy is it to forget the old right - the conservatives

who were sincere (as far as politicians go anyway) and had thought about & made rational decisions on their beliefs. I think, perhaps, that they were taken for granted by the * admin, and will be a force now for removing *, if simply by not voting for him that like they used to.

Excellent story, man.