M
mlp
Guest
A columnist at The Washington Post is asking readers whose families are politically divided to share their stories. This is one response, which (especially the part I've bolded) happens to reflect my own views/attitudes:
My grandparents and some uncles lean Republican (the uncles are changing, though) whereas my entire immediate family, husband and in-laws are all straight-up very liberal Democrats.
The problem is not really who you vote for - that's so much window dressing. It's the social values that are behind your choice that are the problem. I love my grandparents & uncles, but I can't respect someone who would vote for a guy who wants to restrict gay rights and women's rights, whose ideals come from a belief in a god that I do not share (I'm an atheist and believe in secular government, I don't want laws that affect me to be based on someone else's religion), and who is a part of a party that hates gays and doesn't understand the concept of female social and bodily autonomy. Even if you don't believe those things, if you vote for the guys who do because of "the economy", you are complicit in their hate.
So I am in the position of loving, but not respecting, that side of my family. It is hard to love someone you don't respect.
Our own household is unlikely to be divided: if it were just about economic and foreign policy I could happily agree to disagree with someone. When it's about my own rights, when it's about bigotry, homophobia, systematic suppression of the lower classes and straight-up sexist BS, I simply cannot. Nothing kills my lady-boner faster than a man who wants to take away my rights, and I could not stay in a relationship with one, or one who would vote those guys in anyway and allow my rights to be taken away.
If my husband took a hard turn to the right on social values (not likely! he respects women and believes in marriage equality!) I would - honestly - probably divorce him. Not over politics but over irreconcilable values.
What are your thoughts?
My grandparents and some uncles lean Republican (the uncles are changing, though) whereas my entire immediate family, husband and in-laws are all straight-up very liberal Democrats.
The problem is not really who you vote for - that's so much window dressing. It's the social values that are behind your choice that are the problem. I love my grandparents & uncles, but I can't respect someone who would vote for a guy who wants to restrict gay rights and women's rights, whose ideals come from a belief in a god that I do not share (I'm an atheist and believe in secular government, I don't want laws that affect me to be based on someone else's religion), and who is a part of a party that hates gays and doesn't understand the concept of female social and bodily autonomy. Even if you don't believe those things, if you vote for the guys who do because of "the economy", you are complicit in their hate.
So I am in the position of loving, but not respecting, that side of my family. It is hard to love someone you don't respect.
Our own household is unlikely to be divided: if it were just about economic and foreign policy I could happily agree to disagree with someone. When it's about my own rights, when it's about bigotry, homophobia, systematic suppression of the lower classes and straight-up sexist BS, I simply cannot. Nothing kills my lady-boner faster than a man who wants to take away my rights, and I could not stay in a relationship with one, or one who would vote those guys in anyway and allow my rights to be taken away.
If my husband took a hard turn to the right on social values (not likely! he respects women and believes in marriage equality!) I would - honestly - probably divorce him. Not over politics but over irreconcilable values.
What are your thoughts?