Elephant In The Room
Lately I’ve been trying to figure out why I chose the road of becoming a liberal Democrat, especially when my entire family are die hard Republicans. I remember when I first registered to vote I remained cautiously neutral as an Independent for fear of disappointing my parents. In many ways I am my father and mother’s son. I share their strong work ethic, their morals and their love of God and family. My mother taught me at an early age to see things with the eyes of an artist and how translate those things to canvas be it physical or digital. From my father, I learned the importance of our family heritage and to always strive for the very best in everything I do, from work to relationships. Like so many others, my parents molded me in important ways in their image. I’m proud to be their son and love them beyond words.
And so when I spoke with my mother recently and she told me how John McCain’s acceptance speech at the RNC brought her to tears with pride, and how she was really looking forward to McCain and Palin being our next President and Vice President, I had to fight back the wave of sadness that swept over me. I’ve long given up trying to persuade my folks that Republican’s don’t always do what’s in the best interests of our country. Mom & Dad are set in their ways, just as I am in mine and arguing about it only brings strife between us. But at the same time there is a big part of me that wonders where the “compassionate” part of my conservative parents went.
Being raised a Catholic, I was taught that Jesus loves us unconditionally, but ask conservatives if gays deserve God’s love or even equal treatment under the law and you’re apt to get an earful of “one man to one woman”. Some conservative churches, like Sarah Palin’s, actively promote the conversion of gay people to heterosexuality. Jesus taught us to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”, and yet conservatives see nothing wrong with waging endless war based on lies, while killing and maiming hundreds of thousands of innocents. And what ever happened to Jesus’ mission of helping the poor, and tending to those among us that are sick or affirmed? Raising people from the depths of poverty and providing healthcare for all Americans are Christ-like endeavors that have somehow become tenants of the evil “socialist left” considered by Republicans to be despised and opposed at all cost.
We are the sum of our experiences. Events in our life, and the people we surround ourselves with, shape us and hone our world view. My family was always the first to lend a helping hand to those in need. We never looked down on others less fortunate or different from ourselves. Without realizing it, my parents nudged me out the door and down the path to becoming the progressive, liberal individual I am today. I only wish they had decided to come along with me for the ride.
Congrats for having the balls to face your family for the best of your country. I live in Germany (altough I’m spanish and was born in Belgium) and I can tell you here we’re all behind Obama, all behind Gay Mariage (legal in most countries here) and all against a 100 year Irak war đ Cheers.
hugs and kisses to you for looking at the world through how The Lord your Creator has chosen you to walk.
yes, congrats on facing the family. most “conservatives” abandon reason, and it is therefore hard to use it with them. for you, i VERY strongly recommend the book “Healing Our World in an Age of Aggression” by Dr. Mary Ruwart.
I have the same issue with my parents, for a lot of the same reasons. I am totally emailing this link around. Thank you for eloquently saying what I’ve tried to say for the last eight years.
I was born and raised in a rather large, liberal democrat controlled mecca. by trying to encompass all, without any moral or natural boundaries, they have turned the place into a total cesspool where the hardworking, decent people are treated like some kind of cross between cavemen and a money tree. all the while, the “unjudged” roam the streets, destroying anything and everything in their path.
Slowly but surely, those who built and paid for the mecca moved away or died, leaving the unjudged and their keepers to depend on themselves. soon after, the unjudged, began to feed on their keepers, bringing them down into the poverty pit as well. the streets ran red with blood as the unjudged became more angry when their keepers tried in vain to set limits and expectations on them.it was to little, to late.
Gone were the businesses. gone were the righteous and just. gone was common sense and decency. all that remained was a cesspool of liberal immorality and social decay. the keepers never fought for anything. they only fought against. now, they lash out at those who held firm in their beliefs. they lash out at those who stood with them for decades, calling them names such as neocons, warmongers, rascists, bigots and homophobes.
But alas. the keepers have found some that will fight for them again. these new “ones” only require that the keepers surrender complete control. ” they” know what to do, “they” will make everything better. there will be none better than any other. all will be the same and everyone will live in harmony and peace.and if the unjudged act up? they will take care of that as they have before. for you see, once the keepers surrender, there will be no dissent, there will be none better than any other.all will be the same and all will live in peace and harmony. “they” promised.
your future is their past. embrace it.
People of every type, belief, race, level of education, etc have flaws.
** I was taught that Jesus loves us unconditionally, but ask conservatives if gays deserve Godâs love or even equal treatment under the law and youâre apt to get an earful of âone man to one womanâ. **
I was brought up in a Southern Baptist church. My beliefs are strongly influenced by that even though I find many flaws in many Southern Baptists– along with every human being on the planet. I’ve considered many options, leaving for Presbyterian, Methodist, etc or even dropping out of church at times. But flaws and all, I prefer where I’m at… because along with the flaws are too many other things I agree with and feel very strongly about that I can’t find elsewhere. I can’t just walk into any church, and feel at home there. That’s silly to even think that and yet non-Christians are so quick to judge Christians by the LOUDEST AND CRUDEST PEOPLE that happen to also claim to be Christian.
Gay people (sorry, may be simple “political correctness” but I’m not calling ’em Gays) deserve equal treatment. Gay people have God’s love. Every human being has God’s love whether that love is returned or not.
Stron words, Ged. But I am completely agreeing with you on this one. Lately, Palin has caused a lot of eye opening stuff, both negatively and positively. People are really looking at McCain now to see if he is as bad as he came across without Palin.
The thing is…we must remember the views of the die hard Republicans that you spell out here. So regardless of whether Palin seems like a homebody or warm wife and mother, we must remember that in the end, these are their beliefs. And these are the beliefs that have hurt our country in the past. We need change.