Reply #11: I am so lucky that my immediate family was very liberal - living through the Depression

[T Wolf]

will do that if you have a heart. None of those closest to me have changed, e.g., gone to the Dark Side.

However, I do have quite a few relatives who are reich-wing types, both on my side but especially in the family I married into 38 years ago. Many of them have turned from Kennedy Democrats (a religious mandate at the time) into Stormfront-loving, Klanbagger rallying, outright racist assholes. Makes those special family times a real trip.

I also have the bonus of a birth family that is almost exclusively liberal - but then, they're from Minnesota and have that liberal tradition.

Having cons in the family is bad enough. I cannot imagine how much more difficult it would be to have someone whom you love go bad like that.

And as for how to live with them - that is a huge source of conflict. While we on the left tend to want to go with the peaceful approach, those on the other side do not abide by (or believe in) that principle. They view their political outlook as a faith-based philosophy and as such, they are required to try and "save" you. That is, they never shut up about what is wrong and who is wrong in America.

This has led to some arguments, even more than substantive ones about issues. So, not only on a national basis but also on a person, individual basis, the repukes and their hatred and turning politics into a blood sport has done grievous harm to individual persons.

Good luck.