Background info: I have a relative who’s Conservative Republican, I’m Democrat. They know I’m pretty libral, and a Democrat. I just recieved this letter from them. I couldn’t even read all of the linked page I was so hurt and angry.
Here is the letter I sent out, but I don’t feel I’ve said it all yet. I’m so angry, and hurt right now I can’t really express it all.
Feel free to rant, and help me compose a response that will fully express the hurt outrage and feeling of being totally “dissed” that I have right now.
I have relatives that are polar opposites of my political leanings, as well. I’m sure they think they’re sooooooo fucking clever, but they just sound stupid. Actually, I don’t waste time debating with them. They’re doing it to get a rise out of you and have succeeded.
If the offender is a friend (particularly the religious glurge friend who inundated me with Jesus shit), I tell them that I’d appreciate not being included in the mass-recruitment e-mails.
I’d let it die if I were you. You’ve responded once. Another one would just fuel the fire. Unless you want to risk a knock-down, drag-out argument at the next gathering.
I mean, since they want to be all “mature” about this, what with their mention of an “open and honest discussion of issues.”
Are we related? Because my family does this to me all the time. I am probably on every anti-Dem mailing list on Earth, because my family thinks that if they bombard me with enough “accurate information,” they will be able to change my mind. Meanwhile … every one of the bastids practically brags about how “it” isn’t their fault, because they didn’t vote!
I’m sorry this particular relative of yours sucks.
I agree with Kalhoun – it’s unlikely you’ll change their minds or make them see the hypocrisy of mournfully shaking their heads over how Democrats are unwilling to discuss things openly and honestly without partisan attacks, while linking to a website full of partisan mudslinging.
However, to answer your question, if a relative had sent me that email, here’s what I would have written back:
"I agree with you – I think most Americans would rather see an open, honest discussion of issues than partisan mud-slinging. However, I think that using that desire as cover for the partisan mud-slinging contained in your link is the height of dishonesty and deceitfulness.
Personally, after four years of being attacked by them, I myself am not ashamed in the slightest to be partisan and attack the Republican party.
After 9/11, I supported the President and applauded the way he went to war in Afghanistan. However, when people like me questioned the need to curtail civil liberties, Republicans called them traitors.
When we asked for the reasons behind unilaterally rushing to invade Iraq, Republicans called us foolish and unpatriotic and weak, and accused us of loving Saddam Hussein more than our own country. When our allies counciled caution and patience, Republicans mocked them.
When no weapons of mass destruction were found, and we asked again why we were rushed into this war, Republicans called us heartless and accused us of not caring about the freedom and happiness of the Iraqi people.
The economy has been stalled for four years, while Republicans increased spending and repeatedly cut taxes for the wealthy.
Now that it is time for our elected officials to justify the job they’ve done, Republicans are unwilling to take responsibility for the messes they’ve made, but would rather pretend they were invented by dishonest Democrats as part of some partisan propaganda machine.
I know you want your party to win, but don’t tell me not to be angry about how Republicans have behaved for the last four years or hold me to a higher standard than you hold yourselves.
I’d have sent an Amazon-gift-wrapped two-fer of Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them and The Lies of George W. Bush, with a thank-you note suggesting they read the chapters on how Bush et al reneged on his promise to “improve the tone.”
I long for the gool old days of the net, when all you had to do was post someone’s home address and phone number on alt.bestiality and let events take their course.
ivylass I don’t like mudslinging from any “hand”, and wish it weren’t so rampant on both sides.
This was my (much) older brother who sent the letter, whom I have asked politely (at first) to respect my differing veiwpoint. Our parents are Democrat too. When he did not respond to politeness, I tried curtness. That didn’t work either. I truly think he doesn’t respect me, and that I may have to consider that while he’s part of my genetic heritage, he’s not actually family that I will associate with from now on, for the sake of my own harmony.
This letter he sent was an “icing on a cake” moment. It smacked me upside the head with the nasty realization that he’d never respect me as a person, let alone as a grown woman or a little sister. I had hung on to the hope that I’d be able to get respect from him one day, but that illusion is shattered now.
He treats me as a child who can’t make her own decisions at all, has openly mocked me, talked down to me and disregarded my feelings. When I “walk away” from a fight he’s picked, he follows me, harassing me and trying to bait me into continuing, calling ME immature and childish because I am walking away rather then continue with a futile arguement. I know he’ll never think of me as an adult, even though I’m 31. This is sad, because even my father and mother respect my adulthood. I’m very glad I live so far away from him, and haven’t seen him in years.
This is an example to show you what I was speaking of in the post above.
He has mocked me openly when I was discussing an environmental matter. He thinks that companies shouldn’t be MADE to install less pollutive machinery or face fines. He is suspicious of the EPA etc. etc. etc. (There was much more to the arguement than this, he’s for Big Companies, and doesn’t believe in the Global Warming “theory”.) When he asked why I thought I knew anything at all about the environment, I explained that I’d passed an excellent environmental science course as a Sophomore in High School which I passed with straight A’s. This course was college Sophomore level.
Wow. It’s hard to believe you swam out of the same gene pool, isn’t it? Especially with such sensible parents. He sounds like an immature, self-centered boor. Thank Og you live far away from him. Have you considered putting a block on him in your email, so he can’t spam you with any more crap? He’s obviously never going to respect any request/demand to be left alone. Heck, he probably gets a kick out of upsetting you – power trip and all that.
YOu need to fight fire with fire.
Tell them because of the glurge they have sent you that you have had a change of heart:
You are now a pagan lesbian and Mr. Clawbane and signed up for gender reassignment so he can be the woman he’s always wanted to be and, now, because of your relatives spectacular insight, during a night of butt humping your man/woman while wearing a strap on, realized you needed to vote Republican.
I have an almost unlimited number of political opponents, from the reasoned disagreement level, through the impassioned demagogues, and on into the depraved lunatics.
I have only a limited number of friends and relatives.
Judging by the intellectual rigor of your choices of political support, I think our conversations would best serve the continuation of our relationship if they were confined to personal matters. Real personal conversation is quite possible without appealing to authorities outside of the circle of friends and family. I would appreciate it if you would not include my email in correspondence that addresses groups of people that I don’t already know.
Insults will hardly encourage either of us to come to know each other personally. If that is not your purpose, in correspondence, I can only suggest that you join a message board that encourages you in whatever intent you do have. I will not respond to further political discussion.
Shirley Ujest Heh, I am pagan. I haven’t told my family this, because it would just cause lots of harm, and do no good. It might indeed cause my mother’s health to decline from worry (She’s really bad about it) and lead to her death. I’m not kidding, it’s that bad. I also don’t want to argue with them about it, though I have told them I no longer practice the Christian religion because I’ve experienced too much corruption. My older brother is Catholic I think now, he married a Catholic, with a Catholic ceremony, and goes to church with her at any rate. (He wasn’t raised Catholic.)
Though…it would be really funny to tell them all that. Really, really funny. evil grin Mr. Clawbane got quite a laugh out of the idea, even he thinks it’s funny. (Largely I suspect, because I’m quite little, and he’s a big tall, though slender guy.)
More like he enjoys being “martyred”. I was evil, I “went off on him” for no reason, and was rude, and gasp used crude words in a letter to him. Oh yeah, I can pretty well predict what kind of “moral high road” he’s going to think he’s on. :rolleyes:
I myself, think the only letter I sent to him on the matter (reproduced here, to be clear) was pretty restrained, though I’ll cop to using crude words. I’m not going to let him guilt me over it though, I had a right to stand up for myself, and tell him off. Not that I think it’s done any good.
Update: Here’s my older brother’s response to the reply I sent him.
This is the letter I sent to my parents. I forwarded my letter to them, so there would be no way my words could be misquoted or distorted and used against me in an attempt to make my parents give me flack, which is a tactic I’ve seen him using with my other siblings, and he’s used this tactic on me too. I wanted there to be no question as to exactly what I said, and why. Now the true unreasonable immature person is showing IMO.
So, well now it’s done with… Now all I have to do is calm down, and heal from the wounds he’s opened over and over across the years. Shows how much I mean to him, that’s he’s saying “goodbye” to me over something like that. Also shows his maturity level.
