Here is a blog post of a man (not sure his age or location) writing a letter to his mom. He's explaining why he can't vote for Bush. As far as I can tell, this man is no ideologue, no political expert, no academic, no pundit (arm chair or otherwise). He's just an everyday guy now involved in politics due to the circumstances he now finds us in. At least that's my take. The bloggosphere offers quite a few peaks into regular people's lives but this one is one of the more personal (and therefore warming and beautiful) I've seen.
This is a letter I wrote to my mom the other day. I think it’s pretty self-explanatory. Since I think it’s my best writing I’ve done about the election, I asked her if I could post it here. (She said yes.)
10 comments:
Here's what I wrote to Rob(I don't know where I came up with than name, but, there it is)
I don't know how old you are, Rob. Maybe you're 12 or something, 17?
But if you are a grownup, you know right from wrong: you're mom is wrong. Your mom's vote could be getting people killed. Your mom's vote is telling the world that the Americans are not the victims of a bad government that has accidently come to be, that this was a total surprise from 2000, for the so called compassionate conservative. This time your mom will be saying "yes, I am an American and I approve this man's action".
You said it yourself: we're Americans and we don't do that. Your mom may be an American citizen, but you'd bet let her no: she's simply NOT voting as an American, not the kind you thought you knew. So, it may be time to let go of your beliefs in what America is, what it stands for and what it means to be an American. America? it's your mom, and it's you who cutting her the slack.
My intentions and judgments are clear. As to the duality of "American", that shouldn't be that hard to grasp.
I'm sorry your father hates Kerry and loves Bush. I suppose you have had some very serious discussions on the matter? So that you are able to see your father's point of view and find it reasonable? And why he might "hate" Kerry?
People get killed, maimed, their lives destroyed because Americans take the liberty of voting their "gut". Like, ummm, my gut says "launch the missle." That is simply unacceptable.
At this point, I'm at the "fuck the relationship" stage. If my best friend supported Bush and we could not have a serious discussion on the actual facts and merits to where we might actually reach some agreement? Well, that could end things. Not with rancor, but, well, I just don't cut bigots that kind of slack. And he is welcome to do the same.
This is serious shit. On such failures to communicate, this country had a civil war. If you went to church in the south, God told you that you were supposed to have slaves.
"What's in your wallet?"
I guess if we're taking "sides" on this issue, I side with Dirk. I know of no better way to convert a Kerry voter into a non-voter/Bush voter than to insult his mom. What were you thinking? Or were you?
"fuck the relationship"
You and I know how close we are to real danger with the continued occupation of Washington by the Looney Right. Getting angry and insulting the people who are still living in the world of two/four/ten years ago only strengthens the other side. Tell them that Bush is destroying the country, do it with a smile, an adamant concerned and serious smile, but with a smile. I'm giving Bush bumper stickers the thumbs up now-a-days. Why? Because most of the people are clueless about what has happened to their party and the finger only keeps them there.
Sans explanation, sans engagement, people who vote for Bush are stupid. That's OK, but in voting, they are dangerous.
If it were my Mom, that would still be the case.
Just 'cause you're a Mom, just 'cause you're old, you don't get a pass on acting dangerously.
As to bumper stickers: mine goes on the front of the car too. I want people who I stop for to let them know who stopped for them.
"Getting angry and insulting the people who are still living in the world of two/four/ten years ago only strengthens the other side."
Conservative don't buy this kind of stuff. This is the kind of stuff that makes them conservatives and not liberals. They read that as "Attacking the terrorists only makes them angrier"
And the Bushies may have started out living 10 years ago, but the country is now back to about 1950.
Now if we can just keep getting those gas prices up there, we'll see some real change in energy policy.
I don't believe in beliefs. I think you need to have reasons. I don't argue people into the dirt, talk them to death, but I need enough to at least understand what it is that is moving them, and at least to ask if there and things they don't know they don't know.
I don't cut the Kerry supporters any more slack, or the Dean or Nader people: if you are for someone, then lets see the cards.
But this one, this is serious because we are killing people, lots and lots of people. Beliefs don't cut it. It's like sniffing a what is it, a pomapple, as you walk through the stench, can't be bothered.
And it goes farther: lots of people can't be bothered because they absolutely have no time! And that has to be fixed too. Our policies have turned people into working and shopping automatons, and we have stripped them of the modicum of time they need to help run their country.
Maybe a hike in minimum wage? Some fail safe major medical coverage? That sort of thing
I don't believe in beliefs. I think you need to have reasons. I don't argue people into the dirt, talk them to death, but I need enough to at least understand what it is that is moving them, and at least to ask if there and things they don't know they don't know.
I don't cut the Kerry supporters any more slack, or the Dean or Nader people: if you are for someone, then lets see the cards.
But this one, this is serious because we are killing people, lots and lots of people. Beliefs don't cut it. It's like sniffing a what is it, a pomapple, as you walk through the stench, can't be bothered.
And it goes farther: lots of people can't be bothered because they absolutely have no time! And that has to be fixed too. Our policies have turned people into working and shopping automatons, and we have stripped them of the modicum of time they need to help run their country.
Maybe a hike in minimum wage? Some fail safe major medical coverage? That sort of thing
"And it goes farther: lots of people can't be bothered because they absolutely have no time! And that has to be fixed too. Our policies have turned people into working and shopping automatons, and we have stripped them of the modicum of time they need to help run their country."
I agree with you, and I can say from my experience that there is no better way to send them further down the path of being an automaton than to start confronting them with reality that does not allow them to enter it slowly and in a measured way. There is a psychological word for it??? It has to do with offering people a reality that is in such conflict with their perception of reality that they will harbor cognitive dissonance (Iraqi WMDs and connecting w/ 9/11 perchance?) rather than accept what otherwise seems repugnant to them. If you yell at them some more and show them more evidence (and call their moms names) you only drive them further from the truth.
Thanks for linking to my blog, Ken. It was really nice, what you said at the top of this, and I appreciate the tone you're trying to foster here.
A few facts:
I'm 35.
My mom isn't stupid, nor is she unamerican. She just disagrees with me. And you and most of your readers, I'm guessing. I've tried to convince her, but haven't had much luck. And in the end, it's her choice.
And if my speaking to her respectfully hasn't swayed her, yelling at her and calling her names won't either. So Gerald, please don't. There's no point to it, and it just makes me angry.
Thanks,
Rob
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