How do you deal with liberal family members?

[Savage20]

Most of my extended family (I'm Filipino so it's big) lives in Houston area if not Texas, and the overwhelming majority of them are gun-toting CHLer Trump-voting conservatives, but there are a few black sheep. One of them went to school in NYC and lived there for about 10 years after school. She was brainwashed. Maybe she's just weak? Because I have another cousin that went to school there and still lives there and she's still staunchly conservative.

Anyway, let me preface this by saying my brother is gay and is married and I support them 100%. I understand that will upset a lot of people and I'm ok with that. But I will not get into an ethics/morality/evolution/Jesus argument about it in this thread.

My second cousin (my mom's cousin's kid) lives in Chicago and I've met her probably half a dozen times - usually at weddings. She is a lesbian and married to a white girl, Christina. The white wife's Facebook page is where all the drama started.

She posted an Instagram screenshot:








I replied with a simple link to a Washington Times article which shows Trump holding an LGBT pride flag. Then I got jumped. Ed is brother-in-law to Christina. Ed is my 2nd cousin. Kris is my 1st cousin - the one that got brainwashed in NYC. Her brother and sister are both conservatives.









So I unfollow that thread and the next day, I get a message from Kris:




Did she really just outline to me her expected conversation with a Trump supporter? Do they really not see how inflammatory and incendiary that Instagram meme was? Kris and Ed's interpretation of the meme is totally not what the meme is implying. To me, it says that anyone that voted Trump is a heartless bigot.

How do you even argue with people like this? I knew they were out there but I almost never believe that they were educated. But now I have proof that they do exist...

 

[matefrio]

Just give them time to go through the grieving process.

 

[Vaquero]

I don't Facebook.
That way, I don't have to deal with the libs in my "family".

 

[Mowingmaniac 24/7]

Savage,

Don't engage them in politics.

My absolute favorite in my biological family is a female 1st cousin. She's like a sister. I love her to pieces.

We've been close for many years.

We never discuss politics.

She's a liberal and I'm a conservative.

She's a wonderful person, but I think she and I wouldn't get along for a moment if we started arguing politics.

 

[Jack Ryan]

I would have just ignored the thread. There is a "hide post" option.

I have nearly the same with a few relatives. One brother in that family was gay. When he came out they all flipped over even got on the interracial band wagon. Pot hippies, full bore democrat burn out.

But those were about the closest cousins family we had. I like those guys, love them, they are family. I just ignore the stupid parts but I don't make much effort to censor my own opinions. If they don't like it they can ignore me as easy as I can ignore them until someone posts a reunion thread.

If I get tired enough of it there is an "unfollow" option that stops just short of unfriending them but you don't have to read all their stupid crap.

If they aren't blood relative I've already cut them off, unfriended, AND blocked their dumb ass weeks, months or years ago.

 

[Vec]

I haven't spoken to my liberal extended family in almost 8 years, and really don't care to ever again.

 

[Savage20]

Thanksgiving this year is at my house. It's going to be interesting LOL

Kris lives in North Carolina now, but she is the one from New York. The rest of her family is here in Houston and we are all really close. Her brother is one of my best friends. But both her siblings are conservative and they always tell me to not engage her in politics. Which I didn't, but she sent me a direct message. I almost want to just go off on her.

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[Dash Riprock]

I have a cousin whose husband is a pretty hard core anti-gun liberal. She is too, but not quite as much I don't think. I basically avoid ever getting into discussions with them on anything political, whether it be in person or on Facebook (I try to limit everything I put on Facebook, but I virtually never join in any political stuff). It's not worth making a scene and I feel like I'm taking the high road by ignoring or avoiding him when he lights into some stupid rant about something.

But, I argue with plenty of liberals on various message boards where I can be anonymous, and if there is one universal truth I've learned it is exactly what you mentioned - you just cannot argue with people like this. They will say anything whether it makes sense or not, whether it's based in fact or not, whether it contradicts their own arguments or not. It used to frustrate and depress me knowing that there were so many people like this out there and that they voted, but over the years I guess I've just got numb to it and so I take pleasure in skewering their hypocrisy, even if they won't understand or admit they're wrong. I amuse myself by thinking that lurkers read it and hopefully get a conservative view at least. But mostly it's just a time killer that I enjoy.

Anyway, as to your specific family situation, based on my experience with things like this, my guess is that no, not only does she not see anything inflammatory about the meme, she is not even capable of understanding why it might be and is even more incapable of empathizing with anybody who does. It just is, because the narrative tells her so. Period, end of story. You won't win this one, don't even try.

Now, not to get into a gay marriage debate, but it's been my experience that this particular issue for whatever reason is liberal intolerance on steroids. Not only do they not allow for ANY deviation from the script, they are on a hair trigger for anything - ANYTHING - that might even hint that you aren't 110% on board. It's not enough to say you "support" it. You have to be willing to scorch the earth to wipe out any semblance of an opposing view. That's why you can't support Trump - whether you support gay marriage or not, some of his supporters don't and therefore he can't be allowed to be legitimized. It's actually kind of frightening in a way how dogmatic, shrill and dare I say near-violent many of them get when gay marriage is questioned.

I don't know if this helps or not. I feel for you. You can't win, just ignore it or if it's bad enough, cut off contact.

 

[Savage20]

I unfollowed her to try and avoid this, but she sought me out by sending me a direct message. I know I shouldn't have replied, but... but...

And I agree that the LGBT crowd is the most intolerant tolerance group out there.

 

[Coop45]

Thankfully, I'm not blessed with liberal relatives. I pray for you to have a great Thanksgiving as well as Merry Christmas!

 

[busykngt]

Not me, BK goes straight for the lighter fluid & Zippo!

 

[Renegade]

It is hard to deal with anti-Trump family members. Many of their beliefs are wrong, their fears are paranioa. there is not much you can do trill they grow and want to look at the world rationally.

 

[texas skeeter]

First I applaud you Savage for not shunning your Gay relative. I don't condone it but wouldn't shun a gay family member. That said my whole damn family is hardcore Anti-gun Libtards and helped in ruining my home state of Crazifornia. I left there in 2007 for Texas and will never go back.

They post crap all the time and I've ignored it for 8 years. Tues night I could not refrain from posting for the first time on my wife's FB page. Right or wrong I just had to do it. Here it is for your enjoyment. Lol


View attachment 40540

 

[texas skeeter]

Damn I-Phone, I hope you can read it. I'll post from computer when I get home if it's too small to read.

 

[Savage20]

lol i bet your wife really enjoyed the ensuing drama

 

[TheDan]

I have significant portions of my family blocked on Facebook. I don't put up with drama in my personal life; family or not.

 

[Davetex]

I always volunteer to work on Thanksgiving to avoid family issues. And I get double time and a half. WIN WIN.

 

[Noggin]

Maybe the Liberals need a new theme song - maybe this will work

 

[Mikewood]

I don't argue anymore. I don't explain my position I don't engage. I let them politely know I don't wish to discuss "that". I try to live my life with as much peace and compassion as I can. Oh, and I pack a gun and it's to save me and not them. Sorry, my life is too short to have to interact with irrational people unless it becomes dangerous. Honesty I would rather discuss just about anything rather than that topic anyway so I try to change the subject to something less explosive.


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[Jack Ryan]

I unfollowed her to try and avoid this, but she sought me out by sending me a direct message. I know I shouldn't have replied, but... but...

And I agree that the LGBT crowd is the most intolerant tolerance group out there.

Then she got exactly what she was looking for. Everybody is happy.