Probably my girlfriend’s mother. Her family lives in a remote part of Y’allistan kinda country. According to my gf they used to be quite moderate and intelligent but since moving (for better land to run their family business) her mom has become very isolated and feeds off nothing but Fox/OANN and whatever shit YouTube recommends. She’s become such an abortion hating, trans hating, gay hating person in only the last three or four years that even my girlfriend says she barely recognizes her sometimes.
This is my first Thanksgiving with her family after 2 years together, and depending on how it goes it might be close to the last, we’re not sure.
If you haven’t already seen it, watch The Brainwashing of My Dad. It is a short documentary about this kind of experience that’s worth the quick watch
The best way to handle it is to laugh about it. She makes some remark about trans or gays, just laugh or smile as if it was a joke or as if she is drunk and stupid. :)
It feels much better for the soul. Don’t fight her. She will have those opinions either way.
Each person has their own development journey. You don’t blame a kid for throwing up on the floor. Just relax and accept whatever happens.
If you do this, you will grow as a person and realize there is another way to handle conflict that feels quite good. :)
Another way to handle it is the stoic stare. You just look at her quietly when she says things without saying anything. Just keep eye contact for an uncomfortable amount of time to make a point, making the others around the table notice the bad vibes and get uncomfortable. Personally I think this is harder to pull off in a setting with many people, so I prefer the first one.
Except, she is not a child. She is a grown person who votes and supports opinions that will get vulnerable people killed. This are both very childish ways of handling conflict.
stares blankly at you for an uncomfortable long time without speaking
Oog - my little brother.
He’s a walking stereotype of a tech libertarian (which is to say, a shallow, bigoted, reactionary, right-wing IT guy who for some inexplicablec reason seems to think that all that’s necessary to count as “libertarian” is to rail against “the woke mob.”)
The first time I heard the term “mansplaining,” I knew exactly what it meant, because it’s his customary mode of communication. I already know that by about the third time I hear him say, " Well, what you have to understand is that…" I’m going to have to leave the room.
He likely won’t bring up politics directly - not surprisingly, he’s generally ignorant of both the philosophical side of it and the practical side of it. Instead, he’ll bloviate about whatever the right-wing/tech media bubble is bloviating about, so essentially political issues without the complication of political context.
It’s invariably awful, and it’s always a matter not of if but merely of when I’m going to have to leave the room because the only alternative is going to be a messy verbal explosion. And I presume it’s going to be worse than ever this year, since he’ll undoubtedly want to mansplain the mindless dogma he’s been fed about Trump and Musk and Ukraine and tariffs and immigrants and trans athletes and so on…
I’m staying home this year for this exact reason.
Similar boat. We aren’t even seeing my wife’s family because her mom is getting back together with her MAGA ex-husband and my wife just doesn’t want to be a part of that
Thankfully not thanksgiving, but Christmas it will be my father… That whole side of the family really. Even my super religious grandmother chimes in with “the immigrants bring in disease!”
For a group of people that can love their family, they’re all filled with so much hate for “others.” :/
Ain’t no love like Christian love
Fortunately, my family all died off in the pandemic. We were all liberal, and they’d be horrified by the state of things. I’m grateful they don’t have to experience any of this.
My mom would be devastated to see that they let the orange fucker do it again.
It’s my house. Everyone in the family knows I’ll shut that shit down, so I look forward to seeing everyone 😁
Take your pick.
- The brother who was fired from his job as a prison guard for being too racist. He’s told me on more than one occasion that he’s smarter than any black person he’s ever met… he’s dropped out of college multiple times and now works for a convenience store along with “being his own boss” for MLM, selling shit door-to-door (yes, he will be trying to sell stuff at holiday gatherings).
- The aunt who’s sure that Obama was, in fact, the antichrist mentioned in the Book of Revelations. She believes that queer people are all pedophiles who can convert children and others to “their ways.” Oddly though… not a Trump supporter, because DJT “let that beautiful daughter of his marry a Jew.”
- The cousin who is a flat earther and won’t shut up about how the Jews run everything with their power tied (somehow) directly to convincing everyone that the planet isn’t flat. His wife tried to get him to cut ties with the family because we don’t go to their church which is all of about 100 people and based out of a partially abandoned strip mall.
They’ve all been ostracized by family in the past, but keep getting invited to stuff.
This is the 3rd year I will be completely alone.
You can come to my house if you want
We’re having lasagna
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You’re never all alone. We’re here you you
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I’m not sure what you’re talking about. I love talking about politics. Oh wait, I think I’m that family member.
You mean the people I was forced to experience my childhood and early adulthood with? Not seeing them at all.
They got themselves kicked to the curb long ago. Mom died 13 years ago, which greatly improved my life. Dad died this past May and I didn’t even go to the funeral. Middle brother came out as an Oathbreaker, keeper or whatever those idiots call themselves. Oldest brother has always been a narcissistic asshat and I haven’t spoken to him in almost a decade.
Nuclear war between nations is a terrible thing that should never happen.
Nuclear war on toxic relationships is the best thing ever.
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Your comment really highlights the shit state of political discourse and general culture in this country.
Discussing actual policies comes across like a leftist circle jerk because the people have decided that “fuck everything and everybody” is a valid political platform.
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This sort of bad-faith whataboutism is exactly what the Republicans and the oligarchs want: keep everyone left of Dick Cheney infighting so they never win again. And it’s working super well, especially here on Lemmy.
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LoL. It’s wild that you wrote this thinking you were making a good point. You really think you’re not also fascists, while arguing there’s acceptable degrees of genocide support?
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So now we’re down to you just blatantly making shit up based on the vibes.
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Jim
I also choose this guys Jim
Here’s my poor man’s gold 🏅
Thank you kind stranger
None. We have made politics a taboo subject at dinner. We know we don’t agree (older generations vs younger) and would rather converse about things we enjoy like the grandkids etc.
None, I am intentionally not seeing my family for Thanksgiving.
My aunt.
It’s not her politics (they’re awful, but she at least keeps them quiet). It’s more that she’s a combination of excessively chatty and dull.
She will talk about absolutely nothing for hours on end.
