And old lady venting on Choice and the consequences of the loss of it
By way of background, I have about another year to reach full retirement age and my circumstances will be best if I get to that age before I retire and quit my job.
I’ve worked for a national home builder for about three years now. I am in Texas.
I have a coworker who is a Trump supporter and there is constant innuendo about all things right wing. I try not to engage and try to blow it off as much as I can.
Several months ago during a discussion with me, she started talking about abortion. I immediately made it known that I didn’t think we should continue the conversation because I felt we would disagree. She persisted. I finally admitted to her that I was pro-choice. She asked me when I thought a baby became a human being and I answered that my opinion was when the baby takes the first breath independent of the mother.
She commented back to me that I should “take that up with God”, to which I replied that my relationship with God (yes, I am a believer) was just fine.
Over the months since, she has started conversations about gun control, etc., and I have disengaged without much comment. These conversations are uncomfortable - whether they are allowed to go forward for a bit OR whether they are nipped immediately in the bud. They shouldn’t be happening at all, but the reality is that nothing would be done about her even if I did make a complaint to HR.
The point to this post is this: the moment that occurred months ago where she told me that I needed to “take that up with God” was a defining moment with me. In that moment, I made the determination that I could never be friends with her, or anyone like her. I have been that way all of my life. I can’t be friends with these crazies. They don’t have a place in my personal life. I am civil and cordial with her during any job related exchange. I think she thinks we are friends. We are not. I have never once done anything with her outside of the office. We’ve had the dreaded team building lunches which we’ve both attended, but I’ve never invited her to a specific lunch, had her over for dinner, etc.
Work is a toxic environment. It’s just that way sometimes, especially in Texas where few employee safeguards are left. I want to just do my job and get to the time when I can retire, say goodbye, and never see this person again.
Maybe I’m too cut and dry, but I could never be friends with anyone who doesn’t understand what it means for a woman to have control over her reproductive rights. I’m long past the age where I would ever have to worry about needing to end a pregnancy, but I will be damned if I have to spend my personal time with someone who thinks my daughter should be forced to bear a child if it was my daughter’s choice not to do that.
We must vote accordingly.
= new reply since forum marked as read
I’m tempted to get that printed up on some business size cards to have handy in case I ever need this brilliant response.
They'll goad you and provoke until you reply - and then you're the "problem."
I lived in Texas for a couple of years - in the Bush years, no less - and it was almost as bad.
It's a little like The Crucible and 1984 rolled up into one - with some Kafka thrown in - and you're very brave to have stuck around, knowing what you do.
All the Best, Jill. 
tell her you'll pay her a $100 to show you proof how Biden stole the election, and if she comes up with
anything then it's a) Supreme Court threw that excuse out for lack of evidence, I was talking real proof with
facts, b) if this is true how come TSF hasn't rushed to the Supreme Court with this information that was
so easy for you to find but apparently nobody in his orbit is aware it it.
Show her you're smarter than she is then say "Let's keep politics out of our friendship" , she thinks you 2
are friends so talk her language. 
