Family. Can't live with them, can't shake them 'til the stoopid falls out.

[blissfish]

I just sent this to my mother after yet another hate filled screed about how Obama is a Muslim America-hating empty suit who is descended from slave owners and wants to be the liberal Messiah. No, seriously.

Please remove me from mailings of the political variety. You know that I disagree with most conservative political principles. I do my own research and make my own political decisions. You are my family, and I do not want the aggravation of politics, especially what is to me hate-driven political drivel that does nothing except capitalize on peoples' fears of what is different from them in terms of race, religion, and social beliefs, to be a source of tension between us. I wouldn't send you the political jokes and missives from my gay, Muslim, pagan, or atheist friends because I know you wouldn't want to read it and it would just make you angry. Please extend me the same courtesy.
-Casey

I hate shit like this. She knows how I feel about it. We hardly speak as it is, and this is her email contact with me.

And yes, I hit "Reply All" to send my opinion to the entire extended-family email list. My spam folder should be jumpin' with Redneck Indignation in about thirty minutes.

Comments

[nobodobodon.livejournal.com]

The direct approach seems more mature, but with folks like this, you might fight fire with fire. Send them links like this one:

http://www.palinaspresident.us/

[blissfish.livejournal.com]

That was all the civility I had left in me for those things.

The petty part of me wants to send another email later on, thanking them for reminding me to go to the Asian supermarket in my very international working-class neighborhood to cast my vote for my Liberal Messiah today. I think I was standing next to brown person while I did it, too - and they weren't speaking English.

muttermutter...genetics...mutter mutter...mailman..grumble

s

[mielikki.livejournal.com]

Ugh, the last thing I'd want to do is escalate this. I'm fighting the same battle with my dad. It sucks.

[gyesika.livejournal.com]

Though I adore that website (thanks for passing it along, btw) I think that sending it along to people who have already made up their mind would be ... engaging the crazy. (And personally, imho, you'd have to be bat shit insane or totally deluded to support McCain/Palin.)

Rule #1 with dealing with crazy family? Don't engage the crazy! ;)

I had to put a moritorium on talking politics with my own mother. She's convinced that Obama is sexist and racist among a whole host of other things. I can't even follow how convoluted her logic is.

[psylent1.livejournal.com]

Hooray for rip-you-a-new-one righteous indignation!

[blissfish.livejournal.com]

?

[psylent1.livejournal.com]

Sarcasm, poorly placed.

[blissfish.livejournal.com]

Okay. It's hard to tell towards whome the comment is directed, as there isn't a subject. In fact, I don't know now what the intention really is.

But if it is directed at me: yes, I was (am) mad about the emails I have been receiving. They aren't emails about differences in policy, or differences of opinion on specific issues - they have been blatant attacks on the worth of liberals, blacks, gays, Muslims, and basically anyone who is not a white, Baptist, Southern male. Some of them have been not-so-veiled calls for the assassination of Senator Obama. By association, the insinuation is there that people who believe like I do deserve to die.

Yet for standing up to it - even just asking for it not to be sent to me - in a mostly civil manner, deserves being snarked? Is it that I did it publically, or did it at all?

[psylent1.livejournal.com]

No - I think the intention of my original comment was lost, and my original comment shouldn't have stood as is. I didn't intend to snark at you, the post or what anyone commented at all. I am sorry about any misunderstanding on this and yeah, I get the seriousness of it all. I am thisclose to being some misguided soul's target..

[blissfish.livejournal.com]

I just wanted to clarify. I'm not mad - I was prepared to be slightly piqued, but no need. I was just confused.

[lady-jem.livejournal.com]

I think this is great.

Taking the high road doesn't mean the birds might not still poop on your head, but the fact that you've chosen to be civil, courteous, honest, and respectful while standing up for your beliefs sez a lot about you as a human being. Good for you.

And thank you for reminding me to be grateful that I am the daughter of a couple of East-Coast educated liberal hippies whose political leanings are very much like mine. It must be awful to have that kind of tension in your family. (Of course, then there was the time my Southern Baptist aunt and uncle from Arkansas came over for dinner during election season one year...:-)
peace,
Jem