Recently, some members of our family exchanged a long string of comments in Facebook. We represent liberal, middle of the road, and intensely conservative viewpoints. It seemed indicative of the kinds of beliefs and attitudes that are strongly held by people in several factions of our political spectrum. Families which are close knit such as ours are not immune to having members with these strong feelings. It seemed worth sharing. Others may have had similar experiences with their families.
More below ...
There were several people in the original exchange. Many comments were edited out for brevity. The remaining six have had their names marked out as are their user icons.
- Je is 39 married, 5 kids, her husband has a good job.
- Ji is 64 retired, liberal, pensioner, works part time to buy health insurance.
- Br is 45 married, 2 kids, very conservative. He has a good job.
- Jo is 49 divorced, 1 kid, very conservative. He has a good job.
- M is 50 married, formerly worked in financial sector, teaches part time.
- J is 43 divorced, 3 kids, remarried, works several jobs.
Two people say the government is not to be trusted, spending too much, and should stay away from what is theirs. Others say it is not that simple. Yes, we can be more careful with spending. But, government does have a role in society to provide for the safety, security, and welfare of its citizens, especially those who are most in need. That seems to be the issue our society is fighting about. We are unable to reach common ground and move forward with confidence that we are doing our best for our country and its citizens.
How do you deal with exchanges such as this in your family? Do you stay silent and never bring up politics or controversy? Are you always arguing and never reaching any common ground? Surely, there are some lessons to learn here. You are invited to share your insights.