"Don't Talk about Religion or Politics"
posted by xvxdiesoldatxvx
First blog post (I'm used to making senseless rants, but now I actually put some thought behind what I say to fit in with the other posts).
First blog post (I'm used to making senseless rants, but now I actually put some thought behind what I say to fit in with the other posts).
I spent my evening tonight at my grandmother's 70th birthday party. One of the more nerve-wracking prospects of going to family functions is my uncle, who is a staunch conservative, who always happens to put his two cents in. Of course, this went down tonight. Obama was mentioned in passing, and of course, this statement followed "If it was up to him Iraq wouldn't even be a question." In classic fashion, I froze, and in spite of delusions of being a politician (fat chance), I didn't mention Iraq. However, thanks to information I got from TYT (And other sources :) ) about Obama's tax plan, I was able to rebut the comment about voting with one's cheque book.
The discomfort of talking about politics with the previous generation is one of intimidation and is a question of who holds a monopoly of information at the dinner table in question. The perception is, especially if you're still college age, is that they know more, and you know less. Further, being freshly turned out of a undergraduate institution, how valuable could your opinion be in the face of someone who's been voting republican since Reagan?
In my very limited experience (of not knowing what to say when confronted with an opposing view) it's easy to forget at that moment, that each side has their own facts and more likely than not, has refuted the so-called facts of their opponent, irrespective of the other's age or experience.
Another problem is responding to a near Parthian political comment, during a conversation that is far from political. It's not as if you come in prepared to reply to what Aunt Harriet says about how inadequate Barack Obama is during a conversation about African cuisine, but is this the result of a lack of information or the inability to debate aggressively?
It's unfortunate that, according to what I've seen from my own proletarian background, working-cl ass culture frequently tells us "Don't talk about religion or politics." This not only avoids conflict that is necessary and important, it retards the maturity of the nation, it leaves the average American unable to conduct an intelligent, cool-headed conversation with his or her own family and leaves that to more interested, passionate and/or well-educated members of society.
Not only that but while the leftists and progressives usually try to be more polite and follow the "don't talk about religion or politics" rule at family functions, the more conservative family members at the dinner table, all fired up from the latest Bill O or Mike Weiner tirade, are just itching to make the first jab. Is there something to take from any of this? Nothing that everyone doesn't already know, really, but I'll make this final point. It's this "Don't talk about politics or religion" attitude, that really holds back the progressive movement at the grassroots level, for a completely nonsensical reason. There are so many facets to a person that one's political side is no cause for cutting any ties. So why should someone avoid some slight souring, at the expense of letting what one considers misinformation go unquestioned?
The discomfort of talking about politics with the previous generation is one of intimidation and is a question of who holds a monopoly of information at the dinner table in question. The perception is, especially if you're still college age, is that they know more, and you know less. Further, being freshly turned out of a undergraduate institution, how valuable could your opinion be in the face of someone who's been voting republican since Reagan?
In my very limited experience (of not knowing what to say when confronted with an opposing view) it's easy to forget at that moment, that each side has their own facts and more likely than not, has refuted the so-called facts of their opponent, irrespective of the other's age or experience.
Another problem is responding to a near Parthian political comment, during a conversation that is far from political. It's not as if you come in prepared to reply to what Aunt Harriet says about how inadequate Barack Obama is during a conversation about African cuisine, but is this the result of a lack of information or the inability to debate aggressively?
It's unfortunate that, according to what I've seen from my own proletarian background, working-cl ass culture frequently tells us "Don't talk about religion or politics." This not only avoids conflict that is necessary and important, it retards the maturity of the nation, it leaves the average American unable to conduct an intelligent, cool-headed conversation with his or her own family and leaves that to more interested, passionate and/or well-educated members of society.
Not only that but while the leftists and progressives usually try to be more polite and follow the "don't talk about religion or politics" rule at family functions, the more conservative family members at the dinner table, all fired up from the latest Bill O or Mike Weiner tirade, are just itching to make the first jab. Is there something to take from any of this? Nothing that everyone doesn't already know, really, but I'll make this final point. It's this "Don't talk about politics or religion" attitude, that really holds back the progressive movement at the grassroots level, for a completely nonsensical reason. There are so many facets to a person that one's political side is no cause for cutting any ties. So why should someone avoid some slight souring, at the expense of letting what one considers misinformation go unquestioned?
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"Don't Talk about Religion or Politics" | 8 comments (8 topical, 0 hidden)
"Don't Talk about Religion or Politics" | 8 comments (8 topical, 0 hidden)
