I talked to my dad today, he is not dead yet (and he is 73)

He is one of them fundies who votes R every time.

He does not fit well though into a lot of political spectrum's as we define them - like when my niece said she wanted an abortion he would not pay for it, but said he would drive her there and home, and would not hold it against her.

Or when my best friend told us he was gay, dad still showed him the same love he always had when he was a teen and hanging out all the time at my house.

Dad parrot's the things from the RW because he does not really pay a lot of attention to politics on a day to day basis. Truth be told he is probably an independent - leave me and my alone, and I will do the same for you.

He was in Korea, got drafted. Just did what he was told to do and that was that. Never saw combat, but spent a lot of time teaching others English and typing.

He doesn't hate anyone. Does not care if gay people get married or not. Does not want to outlaw abortion or make anyone else live their lives his way - he hates smoking and drinking, but what you do is your business.

He is RW because in his day he saw them as being the party that would defend America no matter what. He grew up living a hard life where his dad died at home when dad was only 13, and he became the man of the house. It stuck with him all these years and he has compassion for people.

And his party of the past, like ours today, has let him down. He sticks with them because they tell him what he wants to hear on some issues, yet do the opposite. He believes things will get better, that the America he knew is the same one of today.

He wants simple freedom, to be able to shoot a gun, have a fire in his backyard sometimes, to have a garage sale without having to get a permit. he wants his children (like my sister) to be able to homeschool their kids. He wants freedom, but in some way or other got mixed up along the way in thinking that the republicans were going to give that to him and that we would not.

And now we see that the dems are in league on many issues with the reps. The war dad was in favor of, is supported by our own dems in congress. Fisa. And so on.

When my dad dies I won't dance around on his grave and be glad that some bush enabler is gone. Not all of us are as up on politics as we should be.

That man has done more for others in his life than I probably ever will, it is not his fault the people put into power mis-used their power - any more than it is your fault that dems in power did the shit they have done.

We voted them in, and they approved more war funds, didn't impeach, voted for the new FISA, etc and so on.

We trusted people, and they let us down.

Dad spent two months taking care of mom as she languished in the hospital before she died, and didn't tell us kids he had prostate cancer until many months later.

If my dad passes on before me I will be sure to post it here, I just hope people won't be happy about it because he didn't think the same way they did on issues.

America used to be a place where even though we were on opposite sides of the political spectrum (my uncle was an elected democrat mayor, my grandpa a republican mayor) we didn't hate each other - we respected each other and knew that we each wanted the best result, we just did not agree on how to achieve it.

I DO hate what SOME on the RW have done to so many - from the homeless to the gays in our society, but even when the democrats had power they did not do the right thing either.

Hating others is not the answer, and I won't give into it - even if they hate me and want to keep me down.

I won't become that which I despise and think wrong.

I won't be like them.

How much this country has changed, that there is such a hatred from both sides for the other.

Maybe it is that silly hippie in me, but I choose to love others and mourn the loss of even those I totally disagree with.

300 million people here, and I just can't bring myself to hate half of them because others tell me I should because I don't agree with them.

At some point we have to practice what we preach - love others and forgive them even if they made wrong choices in their lives. The RW tells us that people that are homeless and addicts, etc, don't deserve our help (via govt) and they deserve what they get, and some on the left say the same about the RW and their choices and where we are now.

I choose love. Forgiveness. Peace. And a chance to let people change.

And I choose not to celebrate the death of those who don't follow my religion or political beliefs.

I guess maybe I am just not a purist to some.

beautiful-

and so painfully true.


Thank you SS-

:grouphug:

you are a very wise man


peace~

orphan and missing your parents. It is the loneliest feeling in the world to know you are without them and you can't come to them and just talk. It feels like an entire universe goes away. God bless you and your family.

as evil incarnate and personified. They will trash and vilify them even though millions are just like your dad--good people who have beliefs that are as personal and dear to them as ours are to us. It almost seems as though they would purge the world of all who do not believe as they do. Too many do celebrate the deaths of those who do not believe as they do, choosing to forget that even somebody who is "bad" probably has family and people who loved them and cared for them even if they did not love or care for all they did.

We rail against dehumanizing muslims, iran, and so on and talk about how it is propaganda designed to make us 'hate' others and justify wars and such - and then engage in the same things (by finding the worst of the worst from christians to others on the rw).

it is a shame that more people do not feel the way that you do. This world would be a much better place if they all did.

My Dad to a tee...
Impossible to reason with at times yet before he died, I thought I had earned his respect.
He almost bought it in WWII when three Kamikaze planes crashed into his piece of shit Navy supply ship.
It shook him up for the rest of his life.

I hated him for years, and now I miss him every single day.
He's the only man that ever knocked me on my ass. Twice.
Bastard.
I love him and miss him to this day.
Even though he never understood me.


:toast:

Didn't mean to wake him up (forgot about the time diff between CA and Ohio). I knew what all he went through with mom, and I had personal issues with him and letting him down these many years.

dad's reply was: Jesus forgives us (and him), the past does not matter and I don't hold anything against you. We all make mistakes and I will love you always and that I was a good kid.

Me - the liberal who does not go to church, who drinks and smokes, etc.

Told me he had lived his life, and wants me to be happy living mine as he was his.

Politics was just that, religion as well, love beat it hands down.

in our philosophy.

Next time you talk to your dad, tell him an old arch-leftist he's never met wishes him long life and happiness. The world's big enough for him and me both.

excellent replies, cause I would award you one and all the fame and fortune that comes along with it :)

Thank you.

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feel the same. Luckily my dad didn't drink the kool-aid so we agreed on politics but there were many other things we didn't agree on. He was my Dad though and there was plenty about me that he didn't totally approve of. We put those things aside because we only got to see each other a couple of times a year.

Life is too short to hate. Oh and cherish your parents while they're here. I sure miss mine.

He refuses to see how it's become corrupted by ideology and money. It used to be a party of principles, a balance to the democratic party by which compromise made for practical legislation and leadership. What has happened, the sinking into the abyss, is truly horrible and I can understand your father believing it isn't so. Or it's just so unacceptable he refuses to acknowledge it.

I hope you find common ground with your father in your love of humanity.

:)

We need more people with your attitude (on both sides) if this country is ever to heal its wounds and begin to do the right thing for our own people and for the rest of the world.

Sad that he doesn't see that.

I have family members just like him.