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Dammit, Dad.

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  • Dammit, Dad.

    Ok, my Dad is not allowed out in public anymore. Well, ok, we can't do that and he has to work, so he's not allowed out on family outings anymore...or at least until this political nonsense is over.

    We were supposed to have a nice family dinner at this Mexican restaurant this evening.

    Everything was fine, until we noticed dad was gawking. He tends to do that to random people anyway, but he was fixated on something. Mom actually caught it before I did, because I was too busy catching up with my brother.

    There was a very large table of people, a very rowdy bunch. What dad was fixated on was a guy that was wearing a blue shirt with an outline of Wisconsin on it, and some symbol that represents the opposition of Governor Walker's budget repair bill.

    Dad instantly thinks it's a group of teachers or other public workers, out celebrating the "victory" of today's judgement of a temporary restraining order on those budget repairs.

    Now, I'm mostly conservative, my brother is mostly conservative, my mom doesn't want to talk about it, and my dad......is simply far too obsessed with the conservative media. He even has me rolling my eyes at times, and we all know how I stand on most subjects, including this one.

    I still support Walker, but after what's happened to a lot of our Republican senators and other leaders with death threats and vandalism lately, I am not afraid to admit right now that I am really afraid of extremist lefties right now and have decided to quit talking about that subject in front of people I know and to definetly keep quiet in public, because, ya know, I don't want to be threatened or bullied because of my beliefs and going against the majority. Sure, it seems passive and defeatest, but I believe everyone's safety and well-being is more important right now than who is right or left. This entire ordeal has torn apart families/friendships/workplaces and is such a cluster fuck that I'm sick of Wisconsinites being at war with one another.

    *Before anyone wants to nitpick, I know that ordinary citizens are not being targeted right now by death threats and vandalism, but as far as I'm concerned, I'd prefer to not have to worry and to keep everything I have unharmed*

    Anyway, mom told dad that he was going to keep his mouth shut and quit staring, or we'd all get the food to go and leave, and we haven't had dinner together in so long that it'd be a waste. I agreed and said that there is no reason to let someone bother you like that. You can be annoyed all you want about it, but don't let it ruin your night with your family.

    Dad just said "Fine, let them celebrate. They won't win in the end." Loudly.

    GOD DAMMIT, Dad.

    And he would not quit staring. Even after that guy and his shirt left. Not a single other member of the group was dressed in that blue shirt, and there was no other signs that they were teachers or a union or even democrats, for Pete's sake. I called Dad out (quietly, of course) and told him that the guy may have simply been wearing that shirt just for today, we have no proof those are even teachers, let it go already.

    And on our way out, he started spouting off about how the taxpayers were probably paying for those teachers' dinners. Mom said that this was it and we were done here, no more dinners with Dad. I told him I was disappointed in him.

    Brother and I took off on our own because we made plans for afterwards, and he said Dad had been drinking a few beers before we went out anyway, and unfortunately, my Dad is one of those people who gets a few drinks in him and he starts spouting off and getting opinionated.

    In fact, a few months ago, just Dad and I were supposed to have a dinner together......I had my suspicions when he showed up that he'd been drinking (and great, he drove 15 miles to meet me that way!) because he was talking extremely loud for no reason and also for no reason, he started on a rampage about my boyfriend being a waste of time and that if we weren't going to get engaged soon, we might as well call everything off because there is no use in dragging shit out.............UH WHAT? Yeah, I talk my fair shit about my Booger, but that was not even necessary. For no reason, he just started going on a shit-talking spree, and it was loud. He embarrassed me.

    Just had to rant. And for the record, my dad is not an alcoholic. He has a few beers once or twice a week after work, because he gets home before my mom, and he knows it pisses her off, that's why he does it. Why my dad hasn't realized after being with my mom for over 25 years now that she is NOT a person you want to mess with that way, eeehh I don't effing know. Mom is quite extreme about alcohol, and tries to forbid my dad from having any during the week, so that's another reason why he does it.

    I am so glad I live alone.

  • #2
    Wow.

    I don't know how you put up with that, beyond not being able to stop it. Or more to the point, how your mom does.
    "My in-laws are country people and at night you can hear their distinctive howl."

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    • #3
      She's no angel herself, and has caused plenty of scenes in this lifetime out in public with her raging temper and inability to control it, but it never involved politics or anything like what happened today. It was always just family drama or me or my brother doing something to piss her off. It doesn't take much.

      Mom was in politics before. Received death threats, someone slashed Dad's tires (mom didn't drive back then), and mom was stalked by someone whose business she had failed a health inspection for.

      Mom is no longer interested in politics.

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      • #4
        See, I can't stand people who are so... Vocal... Yelling at people for having different views like that, making a scene.

        I try to avoid wearing political shirts, though I do wear a Che Guevera shirt regularly. The irony of the fact that I bought a picture of a communist at Wal-Mart is not lost on me. Its why I do it.

        Suck it, Che.




        That said, if someone IS wearing a political shirt, or something like that (as is their right), that doesn't mean they're inviting debate. You can wear your own political shirt or whatever if you want, but its borderline harassment to pick fights over it. Note I said borderline. Not saying it IS harassment, but its close enough.

        Unless the shirt says "Ask me about it" or "Ask me why". Then they're inviting debate.

        Again, unless its clearly ironic I suppose.





        Summary: Don't bother people about politics unless they initiate it. And even then, try to avoid it.
        "Nam castum esse decet pium poetam
        ipsum, versiculos nihil necessest"

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        • #5
          You all would love my family. Most of my relatives are liberals, but one of my uncles on my mom's side is a hardcore conservative.

          Makes for some pretty entertaining family gatherings.

          Being more conservative than 95% of my family, I just don't talk about politics and try to avoid the subject whenever possible. We don't need all our outings and get-togethers resulting in fights and hurt feelings.

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