Dealing With Right Winged Famliy Members?

[LastKing]

I am starting lose it with my sister. She is a Right winged politcal radical and is very rude to other people who disagree with her. For example she made a few comments about Obama wife hating white people and I try to qustion her on that but instead she came out me growling and started getting angery. She dose this with every one who disagrees with her. Its I am right your wrong and anyone who is republican is good and everything els is bad. I bring this up here becasue latly she been acting like the religous right. I actully think she could possibaly join those Nazis. for example when she was praising Sara Palin I try to speak up by admiting I did not like like her becasue she wanted to push religon into things that should not have anything to with religon. Like teaching Creation in scinecs class or making comments that impled that the war in Iraq is a mission from God. My sister replye "well As long its a religon with good Morals" then she said "I rather be freinds with some one with a religous code then some one who dosent. People who dont have religous value scare me and dont I want to be freinds with them"

 

Then when she came to visted us some how a conversation about a Dog kennel were People ruthless killed Dogs by using them for targeting pratice came up. She called there actions "Godless". The famliy knows that I know longer belive in God, Inspite of the Buddha avtar I am using I would have to say I am agonstics and dont belive anything in buddhism to be literal. So she openly calls me evil and declare she would not be freind with me if I were not related to her becasue I am "Godless"

 

Then she did somthing that mabe me really belive she could join the fundys, as long they vote republican. She defeneded Pat Robertson. No one in my famliy has every liked him, even I hated his guts during my Christain days. Out of no ware my sister got a little angery when I said he was crazy. She was actuly getting on my case over weather or not the reason why I thought that were ture or not. She starting to grind my nerves really bad becasue she will go on about how I'm a bad guy and I suposed to just take it becasue I am now "Godless".

 

So can any one give me advice on how to deal with her or can relate?

[NaturalSelection]

I know exactly what you're talking about although in my case my family (who are CoC) aren't the problem; it's the reich-wing evangelical community I live in. It's like nazi Germany in the early 1930s. They all watch Faux news and behave like the commentators on there. We've gotten to where we challenge anyone who starts spouting that christianrepublican BS. Usually a simply "why" do you think that stops most people in their tracks. We also keep up on news so we're prepared to respond with facts. -- I definitely would not put up with personal attacks from her. Give it right back in spades and she'll end up backing off. Here's one of my favoite little sayings, "If you talked any more shit you'd be shaped like a turd". (say it with a little laugh, that'll stick in her craw).

[Shion]

Yeah, been there, done that, maybe not to the Pat Robinson extreme, but in light of recent events they are bound to become more rabid. Because the very foundation of their belief-system (both political and religious) is wrapped up in an US vs. THEM mentality.

 

At least the holidays won't be around for a few months, yet.

[OpheliaGinger]

I have right wingers in my family, but I just let them think the way they do and not try to confront them with it (not unless it deals with gay rights or putting religion in politics, then I will argue with them until I am blue in the face). It peeves me off every time my mother talks down about Obama, but since I don't have anything to say other then, "shut up" I just stay quiet.

 

Back when I used to be a right winger, I would be insulted every time a historian talks about evil dictatorships arose from the right. I was taught that the left was evil and the right was good so it is always the left that produced communism, but now that I would consider myself a bit of a leftist, I fully see how the right often produce some of the most evil acts.

[babysealclubber]

Godless. It's what my father/grandfather/uncles call anyone on the left end of the political spectrum. I think they get it from Ann Coulter's book. I read it once, and at the time I found myself nodding along, but now I cringe just remembering it.

 

I can't offer much advice, but I know the frustration.

[BlueGiant]

Meh, I just tend to roll with it, remembering that there are things I like about particular family members (I have a few relatives who will only fly in a plane if it has two right wings...) when they aren't being politically braindead. Every now and then I feel I have to fire back, but one really has to choose their battles or burnout is an inevitable thing.

 

And as trite as it is, I'll invoke the adage: "Never argue with a fool. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience."

[woodsmoke]

I'm with BG. Focus on the things you like about her, and if she insists on getting confrontational, just ignore her. Eventually, she'll get the picture.

[Pantonality]

Ouch! My family is not inclined toward the right, but I've known enough who were that I have some experience. Sometimes it amazes me how little thought they've put into their positions. When you get down to the bottom of it all you find is fear, they're afriad immigrants will take all the jobs, they're afraid America is going down the tubes and they think religion is the only thing propping up this country. They've been sold a bill of goods. Most people like it when you agree with them and it's easy to agree that what we want is a country that's prosperous and free. It's in the how do we achieve that where we differ, but it's easier to deconstruct their arguments once you get past the fear and agree on the end result.

 

I know sounds simplistic, but it isn't, it's actually very hard to do because you have to know what you're talking about and be able to discuss it civily. So for example the current recession was brought on by greed in the housing sector with aid from both sides of the aisle. The Republicans insisted that derivatives not be regulated which eventually led to leverages as high as 40 x 1, the Democrats pushed for broader lending and reduced lending standards. Wall Street was happy to play along raking in the big bucks along the way allowing them to buy more power and influence until the house of cards came crashing down. Which all made yesterdays histrionics in the banking committee a bit hypocritical. Those guys are all bought and paid for by the very executives they excoriated yesterday. My point is when you can discuss things at a high level they tend to back down and sometimes even listen. What doesn't work is open confrontation, i.e. telling them they're wrong.

[Amethyst]

I have a WoW friend who is like this. He is a huge fan of Fox news. The funny thing is, he's also an Atheist. So I focus on what we have in common or I try to get him talking about the game instead of politics.

[BlueGiant]

I have a WoW friend who is like this. He is a huge fan of Fox news. The funny thing is, he's also an Atheist. So I focus on what we have in common or I try to get him talking about the game instead of politics.

 

That game being WoW, that shouldn't be too hard of a thing...it's how I safely deal with my BIL and SIL. Not that they are religious or right-wing, they are just drama bomb munitions factories.