I have 2 GOP parents, one that voted Trump originally and one that did not. Over the last 9 years, I have watched them both travel down the MAGA pipeline to become visibly fascist. The parents who taught me racism was wrong and to have empathy for others, have become openly hostile about immigrants, Muslims, and even parrot the Nazi “great replacement” theory.

Part and parcel with this, they refuse to have any discussions about the facts – like immigrants not stealing and eating people’s pets. They won’t hear it, they won’t even engage in the conversation…they just get angry and loud the second they hear anything that doesn’t fit into the Fox News narrative. Can you relate? How are you dealing with it in your relationships with your parents?

  • burntbacon@discuss.tchncs.de
    102·
    2 days ago

    Parent #1 is christian, and has all the mental faculties that come with that. #1 gets dragged into the current republican bullshit by proximity to the fusion of christofascism. I can still talk to that one about most things, as long as neither of us brings up anything about current government. Seeing as I live with #1 to make sure medicine is taken and quality of life doesn’t deteriorate, the days are… strained at best. We talk for a moment, I check up on the health, and then it’s either off to work and back to my portion of the house, or I avoid the other portion of the house and try to carry on my hobbies.

    Parent #2 was once, so I thought, the logical, reserved one who didn’t care for politics. Then it turned out #2 just thought because #2 worked for the government, it was best to never really hold beliefs. As soon as #2 retired, fox news was turned on 24/7, and suddenly the mild distaste for people ‘not like me’ turned into full fledged rants. I try to keep all contact to a minimum, because I still love my parent and I’m sure #2 loves me, but I think that’s just deep roots from childhood. All of the good characteristics are still there, just buried beneath that vile layer of filth that manifests as hate. Every now and then you see the good qualities shine through, and it kills me knowing they’re likely going to never be the main character traits again. I can’t break contact because there’s a part of me that just can’t give up hope, but it hurts that I can’t come and actually talk through the much deeper thoughts on the world I have now like we did when I was still considering what musical tastes I had.