# My mother has become a right-wing, racist idiot. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 28, 2010, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-has-become-a-right-wing-racist-idiot/548363 "2010-07-28T21:06:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-has-become-a-right-wing-racist-idiot/548363/21 "2010-07-29T00:54:37Z")
> [@InterestedObserver](#): > > She’s older (70 next mth) and not in great shape health-wise. (diabetic, osteo, on several different medications incl. for pain…yes, I’ve mentioned talking to her Dr(s) about possible med issues…I REALLY suspect her mind is just not right as a result of interactions/dependency/encroaching senility). But her mind has never been quite right, imo. This is what jumped out at me. Medication problems can really change a person’s mood, ability to interact with others, and their basic personality. My mom and I have become fascist dictators about my dad taking his blood pressure meds on time. If he doesn’t, his mood becomes unstable, he stops processing, his personality takes a turn south into Asshole Land, and we usually end up in the ER with him hooked up to IV clonopine to get his bp under control. It’s amazing what 30-40 points systolic will do to the man. Can you schedule a doctor’s appointment for her and bring up the concerns with him? ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-has-become-a-right-wing-racist-idiot/548363/22 "2010-07-29T01:55:49Z")
> [@InterestedObserver](#): > > What “computer”? She uses “web tv”. :rolleyes: So much for the second part of my plan, where you fix her computer and inform her that she picked up a nasty spyware virus by forwarding e-mail. I got nothin’. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-has-become-a-right-wing-racist-idiot/548363/23 "2010-07-29T02:03:35Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > > [@bullrun](#): > > > > LOL…your soooo brave. > > Your so brave _what_? 😕 Your significant other, the native American man. Duh. ---
**Author:** ![Annie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-has-become-a-right-wing-racist-idiot/548363/24 "2010-07-29T02:15:13Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > Ask Mom (in person or over the phone) if she enjoys email communication with you. Then explain that you’re thinking of blocking her, because it seems that all she does is send you hateful, offensive emails. Tell her that you WILL block her if she continues to send such emails. > > Yes, she’s your mother, and she deserves your respect for that. However, nobody is allowed to be repeatedly offensive…not even parents. **IO** ,does your email allow you to shitcan anything with “fw” in the title or header? Sure kept my bullshit flow down to a trickle ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-has-become-a-right-wing-racist-idiot/548363/25 "2010-07-29T02:18:15Z")
Send her some mayonnaise and saltines, and tell her that you’re too busy to come by because you’re busy banging the brothers at the Mexican fiesta they’re having in the Lowe’s parking lot in observance of Ramadan. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-has-become-a-right-wing-racist-idiot/548363/26 "2010-07-29T02:39:54Z")
> [@bullrun](#): > > Your mother sounds like a hell of a good woman. Just because she sees through all of the BS and thinks for herself does not mean she is necessarily a bad person. You may be the one that is drunk of government Kool-aid. Distaste for racism is “government Kool-aid”? ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-has-become-a-right-wing-racist-idiot/548363/27 "2010-07-29T02:55:03Z")
> [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#): > > > [@bullrun](#): > > > > Your mother sounds like a hell of a good woman. Just because she sees through all of the BS and thinks for herself does not mean she is necessarily a bad person. You may be the one that is drunk of government Kool-aid. > > Wait, you can get drunk off kool-aid?😕 Well, if you make it with enough sugar and ferment it. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-has-become-a-right-wing-racist-idiot/548363/28 "2010-07-29T03:06:08Z")
> [@InterestedObserver](#): > > I have asked her, via email, to PLEASE stop sending me such shit…does she NOT realize I am a progressive, liberal Independent who voted for Obama? That’s why she’s sending them to you. She’s trying to get you to leave The Dark Side and return to the light. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-has-become-a-right-wing-racist-idiot/548363/29 "2010-07-29T03:13:18Z")
Perhaps you should have her declared incompetent since she doesn’t seem to understand that you are responding. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-has-become-a-right-wing-racist-idiot/548363/30 "2010-07-29T03:33:18Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > > [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#): > > > > > [@bullrun](#): > > > > > > Your mother sounds like a hell of a good woman. Just because she sees through all of the BS and thinks for herself does not mean she is necessarily a bad person. You may be the one that is drunk of government Kool-aid. > > > > Wait, you can get drunk off kool-aid?😕 > > Well, if you make it with enough sugar and ferment it. So what you’re saying is the government’s giving out schnapps, and this guy’s complaining? ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-has-become-a-right-wing-racist-idiot/548363/31 "2010-07-29T03:54:35Z")
> [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#): > > > [@asterion](#): > > > > > [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#): > > > > > > > [@bullrun](#): > > > > > > > > Your mother sounds like a hell of a good woman. Just because she sees through all of the BS and thinks for herself does not mean she is necessarily a bad person. You may be the one that is drunk of government Kool-aid. > > > > > > Wait, you can get drunk off kool-aid?😕 > > > > Well, if you make it with enough sugar and ferment it. > > So what you’re saying is the government’s giving out schnapps, and this guy’s complaining? Ew. My dad used to drink schnapps. Hey! He was a democrat! And pro-race-mixing! Whoa! My mind is blown! ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-has-become-a-right-wing-racist-idiot/548363/32 "2010-07-29T13:16:52Z")
> [@bullrun](#): > > > [@Rushgeekgirl](#): > > > > My GOD, they still have Web TV? > > > > She’s braver online. Or she’s developing a different persona online with people she’s befriended. > > > > I have family like this. They wouldn’t say an unkind word to me to my face but they forget when they forward their hateful bigoted anti-brown people rants that I have half-Mexican children and my SO is Mexican. It’s not just anti-illegal immigration (although I see a lot of that too) it’s racist lies about Mexicans, Middle Easterners, or anyone who looks the part. > > > > I’ve reminded them many times, and they’ve seen enough photos to know I’ll go off every time. > > LOL…your soooo brave. I believe the word you’re looking for is _“you’re”_. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-has-become-a-right-wing-racist-idiot/548363/33 "2010-07-29T15:31:21Z")
> [@InterestedObserver](#): > > ..the others have taken the form of “Hey, guys, check out what Snopes has to say about this…it’s not true. Just wanted to give you a heads up before you share a falsehood with others.”) Better still if you can send them a link to a relevant [Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/) column! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-has-become-a-right-wing-racist-idiot/548363/34 "2010-07-31T14:26:49Z")
My sister does stuff like that. She’s convinced that Muslims are deserving of all the hatred that can be mustered by any right-thinking Christian. I take great pleasure in putting an Eid stamp for postage on her Christmas card for the past several years. I know, she probably doesn’t get it… but it makes me laugh a little inside. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-has-become-a-right-wing-racist-idiot/548363/35 "2010-07-31T14:53:41Z")
> [@bullrun](#): > > Your mother sounds like a hell of a good woman. Just because she sees through all of the BS and thinks for herself does not mean she is necessarily a bad person. You may be the one that is drunk of government Kool-aid. Blindly forwarding E-mails is thinking for oneself? ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-has-become-a-right-wing-racist-idiot/548363/36 "2010-07-31T15:26:04Z")
> [@InterestedObserver](#): > > Well, my mom is NOT really like that in real life (would almost be more tolerable if she WAS, since at least I could understand it a bit better and feel able to respond more effectively). > > As I said, she NEVER voices any opinions like this, never has (our past debates over the virtues of capitalism and how the rich, intelligent elite support the masses of ignorant, poor and are SO put upon as a result aside :rolleyes:). > > It’s like she is another person IN PERSON, and she is just reading this tripe, agreeing with it (which is, I suppose, a manner of “voicing” it) and sending it on to me as if I will, too. > > Maybe it is just a case of people being emboldened to express their bigotry via email/the internet. 😕 > > I should probably just be able to let it go/ignore it all things considered, but lately, every few days there is a new barrage of mostly offensive (to me) crap in my inbox. Maybe I should start sending HER stuff which SHE would find offensive. (I know, probably not a good idea, but I am sometimes tempted, just to see if it gets a reaction :p) I feel for ya. My sister used to forward stuff to me until I responded and warned them against bearing false witness by forwarding faslehoods. I stopped getting it. It sounds like you’ve tried real hard to no avail. Just a thought. Maybe she actually doesn’t know how to remove your name from the lsit. Next time you see her ask her directly if she’d like your help in taking your name off the list. If it doesn’t help I guess I’d suggest just glancing at her Emails and then deleteing them, or continue to compopse responses since the email list gives you a forum. However you think your time is best invested. Considering her age and health and the lack of progress so far , you may just have to delete them and try not to let it come between you. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-has-become-a-right-wing-racist-idiot/548363/37 "2010-07-31T20:29:10Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Blindly forwarding E-mails is thinking for oneself? This just gave me an idea. Maybe **IO** can set up his email to automatically forward her emails back to herself, using some key word associated with her stuff but leaving alone emails he/she wants to keep. Can that be done? ---
**Author:** ![Chicagojeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@Chicagojeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicagojeff)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-has-become-a-right-wing-racist-idiot/548363/38 "2010-08-01T03:44:11Z")
Funny while I was reading this thread Paul Simon’s love me like a rock came on. I had this problem with a cop mailing list. When I sent a snopes link on that pledge crap they removed me. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-has-become-a-right-wing-racist-idiot/548363/39 "2010-08-01T08:22:25Z")
Poor mom. Everyone knows it was the Gays who designed such terrible Detroit cars, and the Jews who pulled the financial plug on the while house of cards. The Mexicans are destroying California, and the Muslims are destroying every other country on earth. Maybe you can give her flask cards? ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-has-become-a-right-wing-racist-idiot/548363/40 "2010-08-01T13:27:02Z")
You know, I was thinking, doesn’t all this make you pine for the days when e-mail forwards consisted mainly of corny jokes, pictures of kittens and videos of guys getting hit in the groin with a football. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-has-become-a-right-wing-racist-idiot/548363.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-has-become-a-right-wing-racist-idiot/548363.md?page=3)